Complete Core software. No server subscription, no feature-gated Core subscription.
BRIMSTONE CORE RC25 · ALTERNATIVES
Music servers, without the subscriptions.
Compare Brimstone Core RC25 with Roon, Audirvāna, JRiver, Volumio, Plexamp, Lyrion, Navidrome, Music Assistant, Jellyfin and other familiar music systems.
One-off price. Ten quid once, not £10 every month. Platform availability is shown on the downloads page.
RC25 FUNCTION AUDIT
Compare the functions that matter
What RC25 does today, and which competitors deserve credit for their own strengths. No fictitious feature-parity scores.
| Function | Brimstone Core RC25 | Other platforms worth considering |
|---|---|---|
| Local music library | Albums, multiple editions, discs and tracks, artwork and credits | Roon, JRiver, Navidrome and Plexamp also manage local collections. |
| Bootlegs and live recordings | Dedicated rare-show and bootleg catalogues | Other systems can organise live material with tags, albums or playlists. |
| Original Meridian hardware | Tested native V3 playback on selected Meridian/Sooloos receivers including MS200 | Roon and other systems support different Meridian products and paths; check your model. |
| Network audio outputs | Meridian, Lyrion/Squeezebox, Sonos, AirPlay, Cast and UPnP-family routes, by device | Music Assistant, Roon, Volumio and Lyrion offer extensive output ecosystems. |
| Control and queues | Core Web and native Control, playback navigation and listening progress | Roon, Plexamp and Music Assistant have strong client applications. |
| High-resolution audio | High-res playback, quality preferences and observed signal/source properties | HQPlayer and Audirvāna specialise in advanced DSP and DAC processing. |
| Metadata | Edition identity, metadata recovery, artwork and credits | Roon is exceptionally strong at enriched editorial identification. |
| Radio and spoken word | Internet radio, podcasts, audiobooks and progress | Music Assistant and Jellyfin also handle non-album collections. |
| Car listening | CarPlay support in supported Control builds | Plexamp and Roon ARC have established mobile experiences. |
| Spotify and TIDAL | Technical RC25 features tested; commercial distribution awaits provider approvals | Roon, Volumio Premium and Music Assistant have their own authorised service routes. |
| Cost | Core is FREE including its full functionality; Control is £10 once | Several alternatives are free too; others have subscriptions or paid licences. |
COMPARE
Not just Roon
Some products here are paid, others are excellent free and open-source projects. See where each excels and decide what matters for your library.
| Platform | Software pricing | Primary focus | Strongest reason to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brimstone Core RC25 | FREE Core + £10 one-off Control | Dedicated library and multi-output music server | Meridian/Sooloos preservation, editions, bootlegs and independent self-hosting |
| Roon | Paid subscription/lifetime | Rich metadata, Roon Ready/RAAT, ARC | Advanced music discovery and mature multiroom |
| Audirvāna | Subscription or licence | Hi-res DAC-focused playback | Desktop audio and DSP |
| JRiver Media Center | Paid versioned licence | Music/video library, extensive DSP | Desktop media-centre flexibility |
| Volumio | Free / Premium subscription | Hi-fi streamer OS, Pi and DACs | Integrated streamer appliance |
| Plexamp | Free / Plex Pass extras | Polished music clients, car integrations | Smart mixes and sonic discovery |
| Lyrion Music Server | Free, open source | Squeezebox and community plugins | Long-established player ecosystem |
| Navidrome | Free, open source | OpenSubsonic streaming | Lightweight remote personal library |
| Music Assistant | Free, open source | Unified providers and speaker routes | Smart home and source integration |
| Jellyfin | Free, open source | General media and music server | Films, television, books and photos |
| foobar2000 | Freeware | Customizable audio player and DSP | Desktop tagging and conversion |
| HQPlayer | Paid licence | Precision oversampling and DSP | DAC/DSD processing |
| moOde Audio | Free, open source | Raspberry Pi music playback | Pi-first embedded streamer |
COMPARE
Your albums. Your formats. Your equipment.
RC25 offers the full Core server experience without paid server tiers.
Original Meridian hardware
Native V3 transport for tested Meridian/Sooloos receivers, with continued device-specific compatibility work.
Catalogues that go deeper
Albums and editions, bootlegs, concert recordings, audiobooks and podcasts sit alongside mainstream playback.
Independent platform
Debian-based server, Control apps and dedicated Store options without requiring a Roon or other paid server licence.
Choice of outputs
Meridian, Squeezebox/Lyrion, Sonos, Cast, UPnP and other transports, each subject to tested compatibility.
Feature and licensing descriptions checked against the companies’ own public documentation on 10 November 2026. Product terms and compatibility may change. This is an independent editorial comparison, not certification or affiliation.
We link to each product’s official documentation in the individual comparison. Brand names belong to their respective owners. We do not imply Roon Ready or any other third-party certification.