Airsonic-Advanced vs OwnTone
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
OwnTone
Media server with AirPlay, Chromecast and Spotify support
| Feature | Airsonic-Advanced | OwnTone |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,404 | ★ 2,560 |
| First released | 2019 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify, Apple Music |
What are Airsonic-Advanced and OwnTone?
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
OwnTone
OwnTone is a media server that streams music to AirPlay and Chromecast devices, with support for Spotify and internet radio. It serves your local library through DAAP and the Subsonic API.
- AirPlay and Chromecast output
- Spotify integration
- Internet radio
Airsonic-Advanced vs OwnTone: key differences
Airsonic-Advanced is written in JavaScript, while OwnTone is built with C. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Airsonic-Advanced versus GPL-2.0 for OwnTone. OwnTone is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Airsonic-Advanced. OwnTone is the more established project (first released 2009), 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 OwnTone if…
- Excellent AirPlay support
- Low footprint
Watch out for
- Web UI is minimal
- Configuration via files
Frequently asked questions
Is Airsonic-Advanced or OwnTone better?
Neither is universally better. OwnTone has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Airsonic-Advanced and OwnTone free and open-source?
Yes. Airsonic-Advanced is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OwnTone under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Airsonic-Advanced and OwnTone with Docker?
Airsonic-Advanced: yes. OwnTone: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Airsonic-Advanced or OwnTone?
OwnTone has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Airsonic-Advanced. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.