Audiobookshelf vs Navidrome
Audiobookshelf and Navidrome are both media server software. Audiobookshelf is open source under GPL-3.0, with 15k GitHub stars. Navidrome is open source under GPL-3.0, with 24k GitHub stars.
Which to pick
- Pick Audiobookshelf when
- You own audiobook files or follow podcasts and want them streamed to your phone with synced progress.
- Pick Navidrome when
- You own a music library and want Spotify-style access to it from any device.
Side by side
A self-hosted audiobook and podcast server with progress sync, metadata matching and mobile apps.
A self-hosted music server that streams your own music collection to a web player and to any Subsonic-compatible mobile or desktop app.
Mobile apps are still in beta, and much of it rests on one lead developer.
Music only, and the master branch can be unstable, so run tagged releases.
Production-ready (both)
Self-hosted server and mobile app
Self-hosted server
JavaScript, Node.js, Vue and SQLite
Go, JavaScript and SQLite
Open source, GPL-3.0 (strong copyleft) (both)
Use inside your business is unrestricted, but anything you distribute that includes it must be released under the same license. (both)
15k GitHub stars
24k GitHub stars
Established: started 5 years ago, latest release v2.37.2.
Established: started 10 years ago, latest release v0.64.2.
Other comparisons
More media servers
Both sides were judged on 2026-11-03 from each project's README and GitHub data. License, age and popularity lines are worked out directly.