Funkwhale vs LMS
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?
Funkwhale
Federated music streaming and sharing platform
VS
LMS
Lightweight music server with Subsonic API support
| Feature | Funkwhale | LMS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,700 | ★ 1,654 |
| First released | 2017 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify |
Why pick each one
Choose LMS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is Funkwhale or LMS better?
Neither is universally better. Funkwhale has the larger community, while LMS is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Funkwhale and LMS free and open-source?
Yes. Funkwhale is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and LMS under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Funkwhale and LMS with Docker?
Funkwhale: yes. LMS: yes.