Universal Media Server vs forked-daapd

Struggling to choose between Universal Media Server and forked-daapd? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Universal Media Server is a Video & Movies solution with tags like media-server, video-streaming, audio-streaming, image-streaming, transcoding, dlna.

It boasts features such as Streams video, audio and images to various devices, Supports a wide range of media formats, Transcodes media on the fly, DLNA/UPnP media server, Web UI for remote control and configuration, Supports subtitles, Live TV streaming, Chromecast support, AirPlay support and pros including Free and open source, Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux), Lightweight and easy to set up, Supports many devices and formats, Active development and community support.

On the other hand, forked-daapd is a Audio & Music product tagged with audio, music, player, daemon, streams, airplay, spotify.

Its standout features include Plays audio files stored locally or streamed over the network, Supports common audio formats like MP3, AAC, OGG, FLAC, WAV, Can discover music libraries on the local network, Web-based user interface for remote control and playback, Supports multi-room audio with synchronization, Supports AirPlay streaming, Supports internet radio and podcasts, Supports Spotify Connect, Supports MPD and iTunes/DAAP clients, Available on Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Active development community, Wide protocol and client support, Easy to install and configure, Low resource usage.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Universal Media Server

Universal Media Server

Universal Media Server is a free open source media server that allows you to stream video, audio and images to devices like smart TVs, gaming consoles, mobile devices and media players. It supports a wide range of media formats and allows transcoding on the fly.

Categories:
media-server video-streaming audio-streaming image-streaming transcoding dlna

Universal Media Server Features

  1. Streams video, audio and images to various devices
  2. Supports a wide range of media formats
  3. Transcodes media on the fly
  4. DLNA/UPnP media server
  5. Web UI for remote control and configuration
  6. Supports subtitles
  7. Live TV streaming
  8. Chromecast support
  9. AirPlay support

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Lightweight and easy to set up

Supports many devices and formats

Active development and community support

Cons

Lacks some advanced configuration options

Not all formats work perfectly

No mobile apps

Some stability issues


forked-daapd

forked-daapd

forked-daapd is an open source networked audio player similar to iTunes and Squeezebox. It runs as a daemon on Linux, FreeBSD, and macOS and plays audio files stored locally or from other sources like AirPlay devices, Spotify, and internet radio streams.

Categories:
audio music player daemon streams airplay spotify

Forked-daapd Features

  1. Plays audio files stored locally or streamed over the network
  2. Supports common audio formats like MP3, AAC, OGG, FLAC, WAV
  3. Can discover music libraries on the local network
  4. Web-based user interface for remote control and playback
  5. Supports multi-room audio with synchronization
  6. Supports AirPlay streaming
  7. Supports internet radio and podcasts
  8. Supports Spotify Connect
  9. Supports MPD and iTunes/DAAP clients
  10. Available on Linux, FreeBSD, macOS

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Active development community

Wide protocol and client support

Easy to install and configure

Low resource usage

Cons

Setup can be complex for novice users

Lacks some features of commercial offerings

Dependent on command line for some advanced functions

Not as polished UI as proprietary alternatives