Lyrion Music Server 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?
Lyrion Music Server
Open-source music server for Squeezebox and software players
VS
OwnTone
Media server with AirPlay, Chromecast and Spotify support
| Feature | Lyrion Music Server | OwnTone |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Perl | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,750 | ★ 2,535 |
| First released | 2002 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Sonos, Spotify | Spotify, Apple Music |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Lyrion Music Server or OwnTone better?
Neither is universally better. OwnTone has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Lyrion Music Server and OwnTone free and open-source?
Yes. Lyrion Music Server is licensed under GPL-2.0 and OwnTone under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lyrion Music Server and OwnTone with Docker?
Lyrion Music Server: yes. OwnTone: yes.