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.
Navidrome
Modern music streaming server for your collection
VS
OwnTone
Media server with AirPlay, Chromecast and Spotify support
| Feature | Navidrome | OwnTone |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 97 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 23,761 | ★ 2,560 |
| First released | 2019 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify, Apple Music |
What are Navidrome and OwnTone?
Navidrome
Navidrome is a lightweight music server and streamer that is compatible with Subsonic API clients. It suits music collectors who want to stream their own library anywhere. It is deployed via Docker or a single binary.
- Subsonic API compatibility
- Fast modern web player
- Multi-user with playlists
- Low resource usage
OwnTone
OwnTone is a media server that streams music to AirPlay and Chromecast devices, with support for Spotify and internet radio. It serves your local library through DAAP and the Subsonic API.
- AirPlay and Chromecast output
- Spotify integration
- Internet radio
Navidrome vs OwnTone: key differences
Navidrome is written in Go, while OwnTone is built with C. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Navidrome versus GPL-2.0 for OwnTone. OwnTone is the more established project (first released 2009), while Navidrome arrived in 2019. Navidrome has the considerably larger community, at 23,761 GitHub stars versus 2,560.
Why pick each one
Choose Navidrome if…
- Very lightweight
- Works with many mobile apps
- Easy to set up
Watch out for
- Music only
- No video support
Choose OwnTone if…
- Excellent AirPlay support
- Low footprint
Watch out for
- Web UI is minimal
- Configuration via files
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.