# Navidrome vs Jellyfin

> Pick Navidrome if you only stream music and want a light server with many Subsonic apps; pick Jellyfin if you want one server for movies, TV, music and more.

## Verdict

Navidrome is purpose-built for music: it is a single Go binary, uses few resources and works with the large ecosystem of Subsonic-compatible clients. Jellyfin is a full media server with transcoding and apps for TVs and phones, so pick it if music is only part of your library, or run both side by side.

- Best for Navidrome: Music libraries streamed to phones and desktops via Subsonic apps
- Best for Jellyfin: Households that want one server for films, TV, music and photos

## Key differences

| Aspect | Navidrome | Jellyfin |
|---|---|---|
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language/stack | Go, single binary with an embedded web UI | C# on .NET with a web client |
| Scope | Music only | Movies, TV, music, books, photos and live TV |
| Client apps | Web UI plus any Subsonic API compatible app on Android, iOS and desktop | Official apps for Android, iOS, Android TV, Roku and more, plus third-party clients |
| Hardware needs | Very light; runs well on a Raspberry Pi | Heavier, especially when transcoding video; hardware acceleration is supported |

## GitHub numbers

| Metric | Navidrome | Jellyfin |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 23,986 | 57,817 |
| Forks | 1,740 | 5,592 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 814 | 2,025 |
| Last commit | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
| Latest release | v0.64.2 | v12.2 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| License type | Open source | Open source |
| Language | Go | C# |
| Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| Repository | https://github.com/navidrome/navidrome | https://github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin |

App pages: [Navidrome](https://appsgit.com/apps/navidrome-music-server), [Jellyfin](https://appsgit.com/apps/jellyfin)

## FAQ

### Can Jellyfin replace Navidrome for music?

It can play music well, but Navidrome is lighter and has better support for Subsonic-compatible music apps. Many people run both.

### What apps work with Navidrome?

Any client that speaks the Subsonic API, such as popular Android, iOS and desktop players. The built-in web UI also works on mobile browsers.

### Does Navidrome transcode?

Yes. Navidrome can transcode audio on the fly with ffmpeg to lower bitrates for mobile streaming.

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Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/compare/navidrome-music-server-vs-jellyfin
Source: appsgit (https://appsgit.com), the app store for github. Data from the GitHub API, refreshed nightly.
Machine access: JSON API https://appsgit.com/api/v1/apps (OpenAPI: https://appsgit.com/openapi.json), MCP server https://mcp.appsgit.com/mcp, full index https://appsgit.com/llms-full.txt.