mStream vs Sonixd
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?
mStream
Personal music streaming server with mobile apps
VS
Sonixd
Cross-platform desktop client for Subsonic music servers
| Feature | mStream | Sonixd |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,366 | ★ 1,919 |
| First released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify |
Why pick each one
Choose Sonixd if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is mStream or Sonixd better?
Neither is universally better. mStream has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are mStream and Sonixd free and open-source?
Yes. mStream is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Sonixd under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run mStream and Sonixd with Docker?
mStream: yes. Sonixd: check the project docs for container support.