Cantata vs Strawberry Music Player
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?
Cantata
Feature-rich graphical client for the MPD music server
VS
Strawberry Music Player
Music player and collection organizer with Subsonic support
| Feature | Cantata | Strawberry Music Player |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 193 | ★ 3,877 |
| First released | 2011 | 2018 |
| Replaces | iTunes | iTunes, Clementine |
Why pick each one
Choose Strawberry Music Player if…
- Powerful desktop player
- Many supported sources
Frequently asked questions
Is Cantata or Strawberry Music Player better?
Strawberry Music Player is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Cantata if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Cantata and Strawberry Music Player free and open-source?
Yes. Cantata is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Strawberry Music Player under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cantata and Strawberry Music Player with Docker?
Cantata: check the project docs for container support. Strawberry Music Player: check the project docs for container support.