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.
Funkwhale
Federated music streaming and sharing platform
VS
LMS
Lightweight music server with Subsonic API support
| Feature | Funkwhale | LMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| 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 | ★ 1,680 |
| First released | 2017 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify |
What are Funkwhale and LMS?
Funkwhale
Funkwhale is a self-hosted, federated music server for streaming and sharing audio, including support for podcasts and community libraries. It targets musicians and communities wanting a social music platform. It is deployed via Docker.
- ActivityPub federation
- Music and podcast streaming
- Subsonic API compatibility
- Community libraries
LMS
LMS is a lightweight, self-hosted music streaming server with a focus on performance and a built-in recommendation engine. It exposes the Subsonic API for compatibility with a wide range of clients.
- Subsonic API compatible
- Music recommendations
- Low resource use
- Scrobbling support
Funkwhale vs LMS: key differences
Funkwhale is written in Python, while LMS is built with C++. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Funkwhale versus GPL-3.0 for LMS. LMS is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Funkwhale. LMS is the more established project (first released 2014), while Funkwhale arrived in 2017.
Why pick each one
Choose Funkwhale if…
- Federated and social
- Subsonic client support
- Podcast support
Watch out for
- Heavier setup
- Federation adds complexity
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++
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Web UI is functional but plain
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.
Which is lighter on resources, Funkwhale or LMS?
LMS has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Funkwhale. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.