Ampache vs Gonic

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureAmpacheGonic
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseAGPL-3.0GPL-3.0
LanguagePHPGo
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM512 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 3,815★ 2,496
First released20012019
ReplacesSpotifySpotify, Plex

Why pick each one

Choose Ampache if…

  • Long-established project
  • Flexible catalog options
Ampache details

Choose Gonic if…

  • Runs on Raspberry Pi easily
  • Works with many Subsonic clients
Gonic details

Frequently asked questions

Is Ampache or Gonic better?

Neither is universally better. Ampache has the larger community, while Gonic is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Ampache and Gonic free and open-source?

Yes. Ampache is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Gonic under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Ampache and Gonic with Docker?

Ampache: yes. Gonic: yes.

Related comparisons