OwnTone vs Sonixd
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
OwnTone
Media server with AirPlay, Chromecast and Spotify support
VS
Sonixd
Archived
Cross-platform desktop client for Subsonic music servers
| Feature | OwnTone | Sonixd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,560 | ★ 1,915 |
| First released | 2009 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Spotify, Apple Music | Spotify |
What are OwnTone and Sonixd?
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
Sonixd
Sonixd is a cross-platform desktop music player for Subsonic-compatible servers including Navidrome, Airsonic, and Funkwhale. It provides queue management, theming, and scrobbling for a desktop listening experience.
- Subsonic-compatible client
- Advanced queue management
- Theming
- Scrobbling support
OwnTone vs Sonixd: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Sonixd's repository is archived and no longer developed, while OwnTone is actively maintained. OwnTone is written in C, while Sonixd is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for OwnTone versus AGPL-3.0 for Sonixd. OwnTone is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Sonixd. OwnTone is the more established project (first released 2009), while Sonixd arrived in 2021. OwnTone lists first-class Docker deployment; Sonixd does not.
Why pick each one
Choose OwnTone if…
- Excellent AirPlay support
- Low footprint
Watch out for
- Web UI is minimal
- Configuration via files
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
Watch out for
- Desktop client only
- No longer actively developed
Frequently asked questions
Is OwnTone or Sonixd better?
Neither is universally better. OwnTone has the larger community, while Sonixd is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are OwnTone and Sonixd free and open-source?
Yes. OwnTone is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Sonixd under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OwnTone and Sonixd with Docker?
OwnTone: yes. Sonixd: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, OwnTone or Sonixd?
OwnTone has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Sonixd. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.