SHSelfHostIndex

Polaris vs Tempo

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?
Polaris Music streaming server focused on speed and simplicity VS TE Tempo Material You Subsonic music client for Android
FeaturePolarisTempo
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupRead-the-docs project
Health score75 · Good20 · At risk
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseMITGPL-3.0
LanguageRustJava
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM128 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, binary, bare-metalbinary, source
GitHub stars★ 2,731★ 2,240
First released20172022
ReplacesSpotifySpotify, Plexamp

What are Polaris and Tempo?

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

Read the full Polaris guide →

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

Read the full Tempo guide →

Polaris vs Tempo: key differences

Polaris is written in Rust, while Tempo is built with Java. Licensing differs — MIT for Polaris versus GPL-3.0 for Tempo. Polaris is the more established project (first released 2017), while Tempo arrived in 2022. Polaris lists first-class Docker deployment; Tempo does not.

Why pick each one

Choose Polaris if…

  • Low resource usage
  • Single binary deployment

Watch out for

  • Smaller ecosystem
  • Fewer client options
Polaris details

Choose Tempo if…

  • Modern Android design
  • Works with multiple servers

Watch out for

  • Android only
  • No video support
Tempo details

Frequently asked questions

Is Polaris or Tempo better?

Neither is universally better. Polaris has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Polaris and Tempo free and open-source?

Yes. Polaris is licensed under MIT and Tempo under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Polaris and Tempo with Docker?

Polaris: yes. Tempo: check the project docs for container support.

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