Gonic vs Reiverr
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Gonic | Reiverr |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 49 · Fair |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,555 | ★ 2,347 |
| First released | 2019 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Spotify, Plex | Plex |
What are Gonic and Reiverr?
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
Reiverr
Reiverr is a clean, unified interface for Jellyfin combined with Radarr and Sonarr that lets you browse, request, and stream content from one place. It brings discovery and playback together in a single modern web app.
- Unified Jellyfin and *arr interface
- Browse and request content
- Streaming playback
- Modern design
Gonic vs Reiverr: key differences
Gonic is written in Go, while Reiverr is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Gonic versus MIT for Reiverr. Gonic is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Reiverr. Gonic is the more established project (first released 2019), while Reiverr arrived in 2023.
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 Reiverr if…
- Single pane for media
- Clean modern UI
Watch out for
- Requires Jellyfin and *arr stack
- Younger project
Frequently asked questions
Is Gonic or Reiverr better?
Gonic is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Reiverr if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Gonic and Reiverr free and open-source?
Yes. Gonic is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Reiverr under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gonic and Reiverr with Docker?
Gonic: yes. Reiverr: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Gonic or Reiverr?
Gonic has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Reiverr. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.