Audiobookshelf vs Navidrome

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureAudiobookshelfNavidrome
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0GPL-3.0
LanguageJavaScriptGo
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM256 MB128 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 13,896★ 22,746
First released20212019
ReplacesAudibleSpotify

Why pick each one

Choose Audiobookshelf if…

  • Great mobile apps
  • Handles podcasts too
  • Simple deployment
Audiobookshelf details

Choose Navidrome if…

  • Very lightweight
  • Works with many mobile apps
  • Easy to set up
Navidrome details

Frequently asked questions

Is Audiobookshelf or Navidrome better?

Neither is universally better. Navidrome has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Audiobookshelf and Navidrome free and open-source?

Yes. Audiobookshelf is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Navidrome under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Audiobookshelf and Navidrome with Docker?

Audiobookshelf: yes. Navidrome: yes.

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