Navidrome 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?
FeatureNavidromeOwnTone
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0GPL-2.0
LanguageGoC
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM128 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarydocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 22,746★ 2,535
First released20192009
ReplacesSpotifySpotify, Apple Music

Why pick each one

Choose Navidrome if…

  • Very lightweight
  • Works with many mobile apps
  • Easy to set up
Navidrome details

Choose OwnTone if…

  • Excellent AirPlay support
  • Low footprint
OwnTone details

Frequently asked questions

Is Navidrome or OwnTone better?

Navidrome is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider OwnTone if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Navidrome and OwnTone free and open-source?

Yes. Navidrome is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OwnTone under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Navidrome and OwnTone with Docker?

Navidrome: yes. OwnTone: yes.

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