SHSelfHostIndex

OwnTone vs Tempo

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?
OwnTone Media server with AirPlay, Chromecast and Spotify support VS TE Tempo Material You Subsonic music client for Android
FeatureOwnToneTempo
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupRead-the-docs project
Health score87 · Excellent20 · At risk
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseGPL-2.0GPL-3.0
LanguageCJava
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM128 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metalbinary, source
GitHub stars★ 2,560★ 2,240
First released20092022
ReplacesSpotify, Apple MusicSpotify, Plexamp

What are OwnTone and Tempo?

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

Read the full OwnTone guide →

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

Read the full Tempo guide →

OwnTone vs Tempo: key differences

OwnTone is written in C, while Tempo is built with Java. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for OwnTone versus GPL-3.0 for Tempo. OwnTone is the more established project (first released 2009), while Tempo arrived in 2022. OwnTone lists first-class Docker deployment; Tempo does not.

Why pick each one

Choose OwnTone if…

  • Excellent AirPlay support
  • Low footprint

Watch out for

  • Web UI is minimal
  • Configuration via files
OwnTone details

Choose Tempo if…

  • Modern Android design
  • Works with multiple servers

Watch out for

  • Android only
  • No video support
Tempo details

Frequently asked questions

Is OwnTone or Tempo better?

Neither is universally better. OwnTone 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 OwnTone and Tempo free and open-source?

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

Can I run OwnTone and Tempo with Docker?

OwnTone: yes. Tempo: check the project docs for container support.

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