LMS vs OwnTone
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
OwnTone
Media server with AirPlay, Chromecast and Spotify support
| Feature | LMS | OwnTone |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,680 | ★ 2,560 |
| First released | 2014 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify, Apple Music |
What are LMS and OwnTone?
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
OwnTone
OwnTone is a media server that streams music to AirPlay and Chromecast devices, with support for Spotify and internet radio. It serves your local library through DAAP and the Subsonic API.
- AirPlay and Chromecast output
- Spotify integration
- Internet radio
LMS vs OwnTone: key differences
LMS is written in C++, while OwnTone is built with C. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for LMS versus GPL-2.0 for OwnTone. OwnTone is the more established project (first released 2009), while LMS arrived in 2014.
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 OwnTone if…
- Excellent AirPlay support
- Low footprint
Watch out for
- Web UI is minimal
- Configuration via files
Frequently asked questions
Is LMS or OwnTone better?
Neither is universally better. OwnTone has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are LMS and OwnTone free and open-source?
Yes. LMS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OwnTone under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run LMS and OwnTone with Docker?
LMS: yes. OwnTone: yes.