Mopidy vs Tempo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Mopidy | Tempo |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 20 · At risk |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,587 | ★ 2,240 |
| First released | 2010 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify, Plexamp |
What are Mopidy and Tempo?
Mopidy
Mopidy is an extensible music server written in Python that plays music from local disk, Spotify, SoundCloud, and other sources. It is controlled through MPD and web clients and is popular for DIY music players.
- Plays from multiple backends
- MPD protocol compatible
- Rich plugin ecosystem
- Web client support
Tempo
Tempo is a free and open-source music streaming client for Subsonic-compatible servers such as Navidrome and Airsonic. It features a Material You interface, offline downloads, and Android Auto support.
- Subsonic API support
- Material You theming
- Android Auto
- Offline downloads
Mopidy vs Tempo: key differences
Mopidy is written in Python, while Tempo is built with Java. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Mopidy versus GPL-3.0 for Tempo. Tempo is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Mopidy. Mopidy is the more established project (first released 2010), while Tempo arrived in 2022. Mopidy has the considerably larger community, at 8,587 GitHub stars versus 2,240. Mopidy lists first-class Docker deployment; Tempo does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Mopidy if…
- Highly extensible
- Great for Raspberry Pi projects
Watch out for
- No native UI
- Requires plugins for most features
Choose Tempo if…
- Modern Android design
- Works with multiple servers
Watch out for
- Android only
- No video support
Frequently asked questions
Is Mopidy or Tempo better?
Neither is universally better. Mopidy has the larger community, while Tempo is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mopidy and Tempo free and open-source?
Yes. Mopidy is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Tempo under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mopidy and Tempo with Docker?
Mopidy: yes. Tempo: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Mopidy or Tempo?
Tempo has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Mopidy. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.