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.
Navidrome
Modern music streaming server for your collection
| Feature | LMS | Navidrome |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 97 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,680 | ★ 23,761 |
| First released | 2014 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify |
What are LMS and Navidrome?
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
Navidrome
Navidrome is a lightweight music server and streamer that is compatible with Subsonic API clients. It suits music collectors who want to stream their own library anywhere. It is deployed via Docker or a single binary.
- Subsonic API compatibility
- Fast modern web player
- Multi-user with playlists
- Low resource usage
LMS vs Navidrome: key differences
LMS is written in C++, while Navidrome is built with Go. LMS is the more established project (first released 2014), while Navidrome arrived in 2019. Navidrome has the considerably larger community, at 23,761 GitHub stars versus 1,680.
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++
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Web UI is functional but plain
Choose Navidrome if…
- Very lightweight
- Works with many mobile apps
- Easy to set up
Watch out for
- Music only
- No video support
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.