Polaris vs Sonixd
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Polaris
Music streaming server focused on speed and simplicity
VS
Sonixd
Archived
Cross-platform desktop client for Subsonic music servers
| Feature | Polaris | Sonixd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 75 · Good | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,731 | ★ 1,915 |
| First released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify |
What are Polaris and Sonixd?
Polaris
Polaris is a self-hosted music streaming application written in Rust, designed to be fast and easy to set up. It lets you browse and stream your music collection from a clean web interface or compatible clients.
- Written in Rust for speed
- Simple setup
- Last.fm integration
- Collection browsing
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
Polaris vs Sonixd: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Sonixd's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Polaris is actively maintained. Polaris is written in Rust, while Sonixd is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Polaris versus AGPL-3.0 for Sonixd. Polaris is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Sonixd. Polaris is the more established project (first released 2017), while Sonixd arrived in 2021. Polaris lists first-class Docker deployment; Sonixd does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Polaris if…
- Low resource usage
- Single binary deployment
Watch out for
- Smaller ecosystem
- Fewer client options
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 Polaris or Sonixd better?
Neither is universally better. Polaris has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Polaris and Sonixd free and open-source?
Yes. Polaris is licensed under MIT and Sonixd under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Polaris and Sonixd with Docker?
Polaris: yes. Sonixd: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Polaris or Sonixd?
Polaris 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.