Airsonic-Advanced vs Sonixd
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 | Sonixd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,404 | ★ 1,914 |
| First released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify |
What are Airsonic-Advanced and Sonixd?
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
Sonixd
Sonixd is a cross-platform desktop music player for Subsonic-compatible servers including Navidrome, Airsonic, and Funkwhale. It provides queue management, theming, and scrobbling for a desktop listening experience.
- Subsonic-compatible client
- Advanced queue management
- Theming
- Scrobbling support
Airsonic-Advanced vs Sonixd: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Sonixd's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Airsonic-Advanced is actively maintained. Airsonic-Advanced is written in JavaScript, while Sonixd is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Airsonic-Advanced versus AGPL-3.0 for Sonixd. Sonixd is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Airsonic-Advanced. Airsonic-Advanced is the more established project (first released 2019), while Sonixd arrived in 2021. Airsonic-Advanced lists first-class Docker deployment; Sonixd does not.
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 Sonixd if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Watch out for
- Desktop client only
- No longer actively developed
Frequently asked questions
Is Airsonic-Advanced or Sonixd better?
Sonixd is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Sonixd if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Airsonic-Advanced and Sonixd free and open-source?
Yes. Airsonic-Advanced is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Sonixd under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Airsonic-Advanced and Sonixd with Docker?
Airsonic-Advanced: yes. Sonixd: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Airsonic-Advanced or Sonixd?
Sonixd 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.