Helix vs podgrab
Comparing two open source alternatives to Spotify. Use the comparison below to decide which one fits your needs.
Helix
AGPL-3.0Self-hosted music player with Pandora-style stations, shared listening lobbies, and playlist imports, built on a Subsonic-compatible library.
podgrab
GPL-3.0A self-hosted podcast manager/downloader/archiver tool to download podcast episodes as soon as they become live with an integrated player.
Side-by-side comparison
Helix | podgrab | |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| GitHub Stars | 32 | 1,991 |
| Forks | 2 | 132 |
| Open Issues | 2 | 148 |
| Last Commit | Sep 9, 2026 | Jul 16, 2026 |
| First Released | Feb 12, 2026 | Oct 6, 2020 |
| Categories | ||
| Tags |
Similar open source alternatives
Noctis
Cross-platform lossless music player with rich library management, synced lyrics, and gapless playback for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Spotify
PinePods
A self-hosted, cross-platform podcast management system with a modern Rust and Python stack.
Apple Podcasts
Sunoh
Android music app that plays YouTube Music, Gaana and Saavn plus your local files through one ad-free interface.
Spotify
Meelo
Self-hosted music server focused on metadata integration and UI, with music videos as first-class citizens and mobile apps for Android and iOS.
Spotify
MinusPod
Self-hosted podcast server that uses AI to automatically remove ads from episodes before you hit play.
Apple Podcasts
Navidrome
Modern, lightweight self-hosted music server compatible with Subsonic/Airsonic clients — stream your music everywhere.
Spotify