Finamp vs Navidrome
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Navidrome
Modern music streaming server for your collection
| Feature | Finamp | Navidrome |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 74 · Good | 97 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Dart | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,279 | ★ 23,761 |
| First released | 2021 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Plexamp, Spotify | Spotify |
What are Finamp and Navidrome?
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
Navidrome
Navidrome is a lightweight music server and streamer that is compatible with Subsonic API clients. It suits music collectors who want to stream their own library anywhere. It is deployed via Docker or a single binary.
- Subsonic API compatibility
- Fast modern web player
- Multi-user with playlists
- Low resource usage
Finamp vs Navidrome: key differences
Finamp is written in Dart, while Navidrome is built with Go. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Finamp versus GPL-3.0 for Navidrome. Navidrome is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Finamp. Navidrome is the more established project (first released 2019), while Finamp arrived in 2021. Navidrome has the considerably larger community, at 23,761 GitHub stars versus 4,279. Navidrome 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 Navidrome if…
- Very lightweight
- Works with many mobile apps
- Easy to set up
Watch out for
- Music only
- No video support
Frequently asked questions
Is Finamp 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 Finamp and Navidrome free and open-source?
Yes. Finamp is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Navidrome under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Finamp and Navidrome with Docker?
Finamp: check the project docs for container support. Navidrome: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Finamp or Navidrome?
Navidrome has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Finamp. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.