Gonic vs Kyoo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Kyoo
Open-source media browser for movies and TV shows
| Feature | Gonic | Kyoo |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,555 | ★ 2,527 |
| First released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Spotify, Plex | Plex, Netflix |
What are Gonic and Kyoo?
Gonic
Gonic is a fast, lightweight music streaming server compatible with the Subsonic API. Written in Go, it works well on low-power hardware and supports podcasts and multiple music folders.
- Subsonic API compatible
- Very low resource use
- Podcast support
- Multiple music folders
Kyoo
Kyoo is a self-hosted media browser and streaming application for movies, TV shows, and anime. It automatically fetches metadata and offers a modern web and mobile interface for your library.
- Automatic metadata scraping
- Modern web UI
- Anime support
- Multi-user accounts
Gonic vs Kyoo: key differences
Gonic is written in Go, while Kyoo is built with TypeScript. Gonic is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Kyoo.
Why pick each one
Choose Gonic if…
- Runs on Raspberry Pi easily
- Works with many Subsonic clients
Watch out for
- No built-in web player polish
- Minimal admin UI
Choose Kyoo if…
- Clean modern design
- Good anime handling
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Still maturing
Frequently asked questions
Is Gonic or Kyoo better?
Gonic is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Kyoo if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Gonic and Kyoo free and open-source?
Yes. Gonic is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Kyoo under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gonic and Kyoo with Docker?
Gonic: yes. Kyoo: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Gonic or Kyoo?
Gonic has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Kyoo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.