Koel vs RompR

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?
FeatureKoelRompR
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseMITGPL-3.0
LanguagePHPPHP
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 17,208★ 211
First released20162012
ReplacesSpotifySonos app

Why pick each one

Choose Koel if…

  • Beautiful interface
  • Active community
Koel details

Choose RompR if…

  • Rich web interface
  • Long-running project
RompR details

Frequently asked questions

Is Koel or RompR better?

Neither is universally better. Koel has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Koel and RompR free and open-source?

Yes. Koel is licensed under MIT and RompR under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Koel and RompR with Docker?

Koel: yes. RompR: yes.

Related comparisons