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WaveFlow
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Comparison

WaveFlow Server vs Ampache

The longest-running open music server, and a young one that fits in a single binary.

WaveFlow Server 2.2.1 and Ampache 8.4.0 facts read on November 8, 2026

The short answer

Ampache has served music since 2001 and does a great deal: music and video in one catalogue, podcasts, radio, about forty bundled plugins, and OpenSubsonic for your apps. It is a PHP application that asks for a web server and a MySQL or MariaDB database. WaveFlow Server is one binary with one database file, in a container or an archive you start on your own computer, with a web player that works offline and a check that catches fake lossless files. Ampache wins on breadth and history; WaveFlow Server on how little it asks of you.

What matters

Eighteen equally weighted criteria for your music server. Each confirmed advantage earns one point; equal or unconfirmed capabilities remain neutral.

  1. Spots lossless files made from lossy ones

    WaveFlow Server Better here

    Analyses the audio of lossless files to flag suspicious encodings.

    Ampache

    No

  2. Setting it up

    WaveFlow Server Better here

    One binary and one SQLite file, in a container or an archive with FFmpeg inside; no database server.

    Ampache

    A PHP application for your own web server with MySQL or MariaDB, or an official container for amd64, arm64 and 32-bit ARM.

  3. Sends nothing out unless you allow it

    WaveFlow Server Better here

    At its default settings it contacts no outside service; you switch each one on, and its documentation lists every request.

    Ampache

    Checks GitHub for new versions by default, and again when an admin signs in.

  4. A new server cannot be claimed by a stranger

    WaveFlow Server Better here

    The first setup asks for a one-time token written on the server, so only the person running it can create the admin account.

    Ampache

    The web installer creates the first admin from whatever account it is sent.

  5. Backs up its database before every upgrade

    WaveFlow Server Better here

    Copies the database and its key before every upgrade, and backs up on demand with one command.

    Ampache

    No backup command, and database changes run without a copy first.

  6. Starts on Windows and macOS without a terminal

    WaveFlow Server Better here

    Archives for Windows and macOS start with a double-click, FFmpeg included, and open the web player.

    Ampache

    A PHP application that needs a web server and MySQL or MariaDB.

  7. Synced lyrics found online, free and built in

    WaveFlow Server Better here

    Fills in synced lyrics from LRCLIB when a file has none, once you switch it on.

    Ampache

    Its bundled LRCLIB module fetches plain lyrics, not synced ones.

  8. Mixes made from your own listening, free and built in

    WaveFlow Server Better here

    Builds mixes from what you actually play, in the web player.

    Ampache

    Random, newest and trending lists, and smart playlists you build; no mixes from your history.

  9. Offline listening in the web player

    Neutral

    WaveFlow Server

    Yes · Built in.

    Ampache

    Not confirmed

  10. Smart-playlist rule editor in the built-in web player

    Neutral

    WaveFlow Server

    Yes · Built in.

    Ampache

    Yes

  11. Podcasts

    Neutral

    WaveFlow Server

    Yes · Built in.

    Ampache

    Yes

  12. Converts on the fly

    Neutral

    WaveFlow Server

    MP3 · Opus · AAC · ReplayGain

    Ampache

    Audio to MP3, Ogg, Opus, M4A or WAV; video too.

  13. Accounts and sharing

    Neutral

    WaveFlow Server

    Several accounts, share links with an expiry and a visit limit, Last.fm, ListenBrainz and Maloja.

    Ampache

    Access levels per user, optional sign-up, share links an admin turns on, Last.fm and ListenBrainz.

  14. Price and openness

    Neutral

    WaveFlow Server

    Free and open source, under the AGPL.

    Ampache

    Free and open source, under the AGPL, funded by donations.

  15. Apps that play from it

    Neutral

    WaveFlow Server

    Any OpenSubsonic app, with dated test results for four of them; WaveFlow on the desktop plays from it.

    Ampache

    Any OpenSubsonic app, its own Ampache API and an optional Jellyfin-compatible one; no app of its own.

  16. Listening statistics, free and built in

    Neutral

    WaveFlow Server

    A statistics page with plays and listening time per day, and your top tracks, artists and albums.

    Ampache

    A yearly Wrapped view and statistics graphs, built in.

  17. Beyond your music

    WaveFlow Server

    Music, podcasts and radio, with no plugins.

    Ampache Better here

    Video in the same catalogue, and about forty bundled plugins.

  18. Track record

    WaveFlow Server

    First release in August 2026, stable since October 2026.

    Ampache Better here

    Developed since 2001, with two release lines maintained side by side today.

TallyWaveFlow Server 8Ampache 2Neutral 8

What each one can do

Yes, no or not confirmed: not confirmed means no official page settles it either way. WaveFlow Server is read at 2.2.1.

Capabilities of WaveFlow Server and Ampache
CapabilityWaveFlow ServerAmpache
Music first
Offline listening in the web player
Yes
Not confirmed
Smart-playlist rule editor in the built-in web player
Yes
Yes
Spots lossless files made from lossy ones
Yes
No
Podcasts
Yes
Yes
Synced lyrics from LRCLIB when the file has none
YesOff until you switch it on.
NoIts bundled LRCLIB module fetches plain lyrics only.
Mixes from your listening history
Yes
No
Listening statistics page
Yes
Yes
Peace of mind
Nothing sent out at default settings
Yes
No
First setup protected by a one-time token
Yes
No
Database copied before every upgrade
Yes
No
Getting it
Free to use in full
Yes
Yes
Open source
YesAGPL-3.0.
Yes
Official Docker image
Yes
YesOfficial add-on
64-bit ARM, such as a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5
Yesamd64 and arm64; no 32-bit ARM image.
YesOfficial add-onamd64, arm64 and 32-bit ARM (v7).
Runs without Docker
YesArchives for Windows, macOS and Linux, FFmpeg included.
YesRelease archives for a web server with PHP and MySQL or MariaDB.
Starts on Windows and macOS without a terminal
Yes
No
Listening
Web player built in
Yes
Yes
OpenSubsonic API, for Subsonic apps
YesSymfonium, Feishin, DSub and Juliet tested, results published.
Yes
Official phone apps
NoWaveFlow on the desktop plays from it; the phone apps are not released yet.
No
Converts on the fly
YesMP3, Opus or AAC, with volume levelling on the server.
YesAudio to MP3, Ogg, Opus, M4A or WAV; video too.
Offline listening in its own player
Yes
Not confirmed
Library
Synced lyrics for your apps
Yes
YesWord by word when the lyrics are timed that way; LRCLIB plugin bundled.
Smart playlists
Yes
Yes
Internet radio
Yes
Yes
People
Several accounts
Yes
Yes
Sharing with other people
YesShare links, with an optional expiry and visit limit.
YesOff until an admin allows it; links last 7 days by default.
Last.fm scrobbling
Yes
Yes
ListenBrainz scrobbling
Yes
Yes
Beyond the basics
Films and series too
No
YesIn the same catalogue, off by default.
Reachable from outside without opening a port
NoThrough your own reverse proxy; a Caddy setup comes with it.
No
Plugins
No
YesAbout forty, bundled with the source.

Which one to pick

Choose WaveFlow Server if…

  • you want a server without a database server to run beside it
  • you want a web player that keeps tracks for offline listening
  • you want to know which of your lossless files really are lossless

Choose Ampache if…

  • you want your videos and your music in the same place
  • you want a long list of plugins, or its own API, ready to use
  • you already run PHP and MySQL, or want a project with two decades behind it

Where WaveFlow Server still loses

What Ampache does better today, said plainly. A loss stays on this page until it is no longer true.

  1. Video: Ampache serves videos from the same catalogue; WaveFlow Server is for audio only.

  2. Plugins: Ampache bundles about forty; WaveFlow Server has none.

  3. Hardware: Ampache's container also runs on 32-bit ARM; WaveFlow Server's needs amd64 or arm64.

  4. Track record: Ampache has been developed since 2001; WaveFlow Server's first stable release is from October 2026.

About Ampache

Ampache is a web application for streaming your own audio and video, written in PHP and developed in the open since 2001. It comes with a web player, a large set of bundled plugins and its own API next to the Subsonic one.

Made by
Team Ampache
Licence
AGPL-3.0-or-later
Price
Free; donations welcome
Its own builds for
None: it runs in a container or on your own web server
Version compared
8.4.0released November 6, 2026
WebsiteSource code

Method and sources

Every fact about Ampache was read on its own website, documentation, repository or store page on November 8, 2026; nothing comes from reviews or from memory. A capability is yes only when an official page shows it, no when an official page rules it out or the area is covered and it is absent, and not confirmed otherwise. Descriptions are our own words.

WaveFlow Server facts come from its repository, at the 2.2.1 release (November 10, 2026).

This page has no speed or memory figures: we only publish a measure we can rerun, with the versions, the machine and the method beside it.

The data behind this pageReport a mistake

Sources for Ampache

Sources for WaveFlow Server

Questions

  • Which Ampache does this page compare?

    8.4.0, the release GitHub marks as the latest. Ampache also maintains its 7 line (7.10.5 in October 2026), which its README still calls the most stable one.

  • Do I need a database server for either?

    For Ampache, yes: MySQL or MariaDB, beside a web server with PHP, unless you use its container. WaveFlow Server keeps everything in one SQLite file next to its key.

  • Can WaveFlow on the desktop play from Ampache?

    Not yet: the WaveFlow player only talks to WaveFlow Server for now. A Subsonic app such as Feishin or Symfonium plays from both.

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