SHSelfHostIndex

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.

Not the right match-up?
GO Gonic Lightweight Subsonic-compatible music streaming server VS OwnTone Media server with AirPlay, Chromecast and Spotify support
FeatureGonicOwnTone
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score88 · Excellent89 · Excellent
Known vulnerabilitiesNone known in v0.22.0None known in 29.3
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0GPL-2.0
LanguageGoC
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM128 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarydocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 2,570★ 2,568
First released20192009
ReplacesSpotify, PlexSpotify, 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

Read the full Gonic guide →

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

Read the full OwnTone guide →

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
Gonic details

Choose OwnTone if…

  • Excellent AirPlay support
  • Low footprint

Watch out for

  • Web UI is minimal
  • Configuration via files
OwnTone details

Frequently asked questions

Is Gonic or OwnTone better?

Gonic is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider OwnTone if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

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.

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