Finamp vs Lidarr
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Lidarr
Music collection manager and download automation tool
| Feature | Finamp | Lidarr |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 74 · Good | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Dart | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,279 | ★ 5,679 |
| First released | 2021 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Plexamp, Spotify | Spotify |
What are Finamp and Lidarr?
Finamp
Finamp is a free and open-source music client for Jellyfin built with Flutter for Android and iOS. It allows downloading albums and playlists for offline listening and supports gapless playback and transcoding.
- Offline music downloads
- Gapless playback
- Transcoded streaming
- Cross-platform mobile
Lidarr
Lidarr is the music collection manager for the *arr suite, automating searches and downloads for your favorite artists. It monitors releases and integrates with download clients and media servers.
- Automated music collection management
- Release monitoring
- Download client integration
- Quality profiles
Finamp vs Lidarr: key differences
Finamp is written in Dart, while Lidarr is built with C#. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Finamp versus GPL-3.0 for Lidarr. Finamp is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Lidarr. Lidarr is the more established project (first released 2017), while Finamp arrived in 2021. Lidarr lists first-class Docker deployment; Finamp does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Finamp if…
- Reliable offline mode
- Active community
Watch out for
- Mobile only
- Requires Jellyfin server
Choose Lidarr if…
- Part of the popular *arr suite
- Strong automation
Watch out for
- Metadata accuracy varies
- Companion to a media server
Frequently asked questions
Is Finamp or Lidarr better?
Neither is universally better. Lidarr has the larger community, while Finamp is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Finamp and Lidarr free and open-source?
Yes. Finamp is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Lidarr under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Finamp and Lidarr with Docker?
Finamp: check the project docs for container support. Lidarr: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Finamp or Lidarr?
Finamp has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Lidarr. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.