Koel vs Wizarr

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?
FeatureKoelWizarr
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseMITfree
LanguagePHPPython
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, one-click
GitHub stars★ 17,208★ 3,152
First released20162022
ReplacesSpotify

Why pick each one

Choose Koel if…

  • Beautiful interface
  • Active community
Koel details

Choose Wizarr if…

  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • One-click install on common self-host platforms
  • Active community (3.2k GitHub stars)
Wizarr details

Frequently asked questions

Is Koel or Wizarr better?

Neither is universally better. Koel has the larger community, while Wizarr is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Koel and Wizarr free and open-source?

Yes. Koel is licensed under MIT and Wizarr under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Koel and Wizarr with Docker?

Koel: yes. Wizarr: yes.

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