Gonic 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 | Gonic | OwnTone |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,555 | ★ 2,560 |
| First released | 2019 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Spotify, Plex | Spotify, Apple Music |
What are Gonic and OwnTone?
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
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
Gonic vs OwnTone: key differences
Gonic is written in Go, while OwnTone is built with C. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Gonic versus GPL-2.0 for OwnTone. OwnTone is the more established project (first released 2009), while Gonic arrived in 2019.
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 OwnTone if…
- Excellent AirPlay support
- Low footprint
Watch out for
- Web UI is minimal
- Configuration via files
Frequently asked questions
Is Gonic or OwnTone better?
Neither is universally better. OwnTone 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 Gonic and OwnTone free and open-source?
Yes. Gonic is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OwnTone under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gonic and OwnTone with Docker?
Gonic: yes. OwnTone: yes.