LMS vs Polaris
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Polaris
Music streaming server focused on speed and simplicity
| Feature | LMS | Polaris |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 75 · Good |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | C++ | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,680 | ★ 2,731 |
| First released | 2014 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify |
What are LMS and Polaris?
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
Polaris
Polaris is a self-hosted music streaming application written in Rust, designed to be fast and easy to set up. It lets you browse and stream your music collection from a clean web interface or compatible clients.
- Written in Rust for speed
- Simple setup
- Last.fm integration
- Collection browsing
LMS vs Polaris: key differences
LMS is written in C++, while Polaris is built with Rust. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for LMS versus MIT for Polaris. LMS is the more established project (first released 2014), while Polaris arrived in 2017.
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 Polaris if…
- Low resource usage
- Single binary deployment
Watch out for
- Smaller ecosystem
- Fewer client options
Frequently asked questions
Is LMS or Polaris better?
Polaris 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 Polaris free and open-source?
Yes. LMS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Polaris under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run LMS and Polaris with Docker?
LMS: yes. Polaris: yes.