Finamp vs Polaris
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Polaris
Music streaming server focused on speed and simplicity
| Feature | Finamp | Polaris |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 74 · Good | 75 · Good |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Dart | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,279 | ★ 2,731 |
| First released | 2021 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Plexamp, Spotify | Spotify |
What are Finamp and Polaris?
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
Polaris
Polaris is a self-hosted music streaming application written in Rust, designed to be fast and easy to set up. It lets you browse and stream your music collection from a clean web interface or compatible clients.
- Written in Rust for speed
- Simple setup
- Last.fm integration
- Collection browsing
Finamp vs Polaris: key differences
Finamp is written in Dart, while Polaris is built with Rust. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Finamp versus MIT for Polaris. Polaris is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Finamp. Polaris is the more established project (first released 2017), while Finamp arrived in 2021. Polaris 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 Polaris if…
- Low resource usage
- Single binary deployment
Watch out for
- Smaller ecosystem
- Fewer client options
Frequently asked questions
Is Finamp or Polaris better?
Neither is universally better. Finamp has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Finamp and Polaris free and open-source?
Yes. Finamp is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Polaris under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Finamp and Polaris with Docker?
Finamp: check the project docs for container support. Polaris: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Finamp or Polaris?
Polaris 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.