LMS vs Navidrome

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?
FeatureLMSNavidrome
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0GPL-3.0
LanguageC++Go
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM128 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 1,654★ 22,746
First released20142019
ReplacesSpotifySpotify

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++
LMS details

Choose Navidrome if…

  • Very lightweight
  • Works with many mobile apps
  • Easy to set up
Navidrome details

Frequently asked questions

Is LMS or Navidrome better?

Navidrome is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider LMS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are LMS and Navidrome free and open-source?

Yes. LMS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Navidrome under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run LMS and Navidrome with Docker?

LMS: yes. Navidrome: yes.

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