AzuraCast vs LibreTime
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
AzuraCast
All-in-one self-hosted web radio management suite
VS
LibreTime
Radio automation and broadcast scheduling platform
| Feature | AzuraCast | LibreTime |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 72 · Good |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,040 | ★ 937 |
| First released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Live365 | Live365 |
What are AzuraCast and LibreTime?
AzuraCast
AzuraCast is a free, self-hosted, all-in-one web radio management suite that bundles streaming, automation, and listener analytics. It provides an easy installer and a friendly web interface for running internet radio stations.
- All-in-one radio suite
- Automated playout
- Listener analytics
- Multi-station support
LibreTime
LibreTime is an open-source radio automation platform for scheduling and broadcasting internet and FM radio. It offers a calendar-based scheduler, a web interface, and integration with Icecast streaming.
- Calendar-based scheduling
- Radio automation
- Multi-user with roles
- Icecast integration
AzuraCast vs LibreTime: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for AzuraCast versus AGPL-3.0 for LibreTime. AzuraCast is the more established project (first released 2015), while LibreTime arrived in 2017. AzuraCast has the considerably larger community, at 4,040 GitHub stars versus 937.
Why pick each one
Choose AzuraCast if…
- Easy Docker installer
- Comprehensive feature set
Watch out for
- Resource heavy
- Single-purpose focus
Choose LibreTime if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
Watch out for
- Complex installation
- Heavier resource needs
Frequently asked questions
Is AzuraCast or LibreTime better?
AzuraCast is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider LibreTime if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are AzuraCast and LibreTime free and open-source?
Yes. AzuraCast is licensed under Apache-2.0 and LibreTime under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AzuraCast and LibreTime with Docker?
AzuraCast: yes. LibreTime: yes.