musikcube vs Tempo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | musikcube | Tempo |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 66 · Good | 20 · At risk |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,845 | ★ 2,240 |
| First released | 2016 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Plexamp | Spotify, Plexamp |
What are musikcube and Tempo?
musikcube
musikcube is a cross-platform terminal-based audio engine and music player that includes a built-in server mode. The musikcube server can stream a music library to remote musikdroid Android clients over the network.
- Terminal music player
- Built-in streaming server
- Android remote client
- Cross-platform
Tempo
Tempo is a free and open-source music streaming client for Subsonic-compatible servers such as Navidrome and Airsonic. It features a Material You interface, offline downloads, and Android Auto support.
- Subsonic API support
- Material You theming
- Android Auto
- Offline downloads
musikcube vs Tempo: key differences
Musikcube is written in C++, while Tempo is built with Java. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for musikcube versus GPL-3.0 for Tempo. Musikcube is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Tempo. Musikcube is the more established project (first released 2016), while Tempo arrived in 2022. Musikcube has the considerably larger community, at 4,845 GitHub stars versus 2,240.
Why pick each one
Choose musikcube if…
- Very lightweight
- Server plus player in one
Watch out for
- Terminal interface
- Niche audience
Choose Tempo if…
- Modern Android design
- Works with multiple servers
Watch out for
- Android only
- No video support
Frequently asked questions
Is musikcube or Tempo better?
Neither is universally better. musikcube has the larger community, while Tempo is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are musikcube and Tempo free and open-source?
Yes. musikcube is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Tempo under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run musikcube and Tempo with Docker?
musikcube: check the project docs for container support. Tempo: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, musikcube or Tempo?
musikcube has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Tempo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.