Airsonic-Advanced vs mStream
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Airsonic-Advanced | mStream |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,404 | ★ 2,397 |
| First released | 2019 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify |
What are Airsonic-Advanced and mStream?
Airsonic-Advanced
Airsonic-Advanced is a community-maintained fork of Airsonic providing music streaming with Subsonic API compatibility. It targets users wanting a stable Java-based music server. It is deployed via Docker or a JAR file.
- Subsonic API compatible
- Multi-user music streaming
- Podcast support
- Transcoding
mStream
mStream is a personal music streaming server that you can run on any computer to access your music from anywhere. It includes mobile apps for offline downloads and playlist syncing.
- Cross-platform mobile apps
- Offline song downloads
- Playlist sync
- Lightweight server
Airsonic-Advanced vs mStream: key differences
Both projects are written in JavaScript. MStream is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Airsonic-Advanced. MStream is the more established project (first released 2016), while Airsonic-Advanced arrived in 2019.
Why pick each one
Choose Airsonic-Advanced if…
- Works with many clients
- Mature feature set
- Multi-user
Watch out for
- Heavier Java runtime
- Slower development pace
Choose mStream if…
- Easy to install
- Good mobile experience
Watch out for
- Basic web UI
- Slower release cadence
Frequently asked questions
Is Airsonic-Advanced or mStream better?
mStream is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Airsonic-Advanced if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Airsonic-Advanced and mStream free and open-source?
Yes. Airsonic-Advanced is licensed under GPL-3.0 and mStream under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Airsonic-Advanced and mStream with Docker?
Airsonic-Advanced: yes. mStream: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Airsonic-Advanced or mStream?
mStream has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Airsonic-Advanced. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.