AzuraCast or a managed service? How MAWCast compares
AzuraCast is free, open-source radio software that you install and keep running on your own server. MAWCast is a paid, managed service: we run the infrastructure and you run the station. If you are comfortable looking after a Linux server, AzuraCast gives you full control for the cost of that server. If the server is the part you want to stop doing, read on.
AzuraCast and Streamerr facts were checked on their own websites on 22 September 2026. Sources are listed at the end.
What is the actual difference?
AzuraCast is software. It describes itself as a free, open-source, self-hosted web radio station in a box. It is released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0). You install it with Docker on a server you control. From then on you are the operator: you handle updates, backups, HTTPS certificates, the domain, and whatever breaks.
MAWCast is a service. There is nothing to install and no server to look after. You create a station in the browser, upload music, build a schedule and go live; MAWCast runs the stream servers, updates and storage. The only technical values you ever handle are the connection details for your own encoder, if you use one.
MAWCast is not hosted AzuraCast. It is a separate product with its own feature set. Each has things the other does not (listed below).
What does each cost?
AzuraCast: the software is free. You pay for the server it runs on, plus your time. The project's stated minimum is a 64-bit x86 or ARM64 CPU, 2 GB of RAM and 20 GB of disk. It recommends 4 CPU cores, 4 GB of RAM and 40 GB of disk, which it says runs a few stations comfortably. Server prices vary by provider, so check them with the provider you would use.
MAWCast: four plans, priced per month, with the limits in the same table. Prices include VAT. Yearly billing gives two months free.
| Plan | Per month | Stations | Listeners at once | Live quality | AutoDJ quality | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | €1.99 | 1 | 100 | 128 kbps | 128 kbps | 5 GB |
| Air | €4.99 | 1 | 500 | 320 kbps | 256 kbps | 25 GB |
| Broadcast | €9.99 | 3 | Unlimited | 320 kbps | 256 kbps | 100 GB |
| Network | €19.99 | 10 | Unlimited | 320 kbps | 256 kbps | 500 GB |
Starter allows 100 listeners at once and Air allows 500. Listeners are unlimited from Broadcast (€9.99). See plans and limits or the pricing page.
MAWCast is not automatically cheaper. A small server can cost about the same as a MAWCast plan, and it can run as many AzuraCast stations as its hardware handles. What you pay MAWCast for is not running that server.
MAWCast and AzuraCast side by side
| MAWCast | AzuraCast | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Managed service. MAWCast runs the servers. | Self-hosted software. You run the server. |
| Price | €1.99–€19.99 a month, VAT included. Yearly billing gives two months free. | Free software. You pay for the server. |
| Software licence | Proprietary | AGPL-3.0, open source |
| What you need | A browser, plus an encoder if you broadcast live | A Docker host: at least 2 GB RAM and 20 GB disk. 4 cores, 4 GB RAM and 40 GB disk recommended. |
| Updates, backups, HTTPS | MAWCast | You |
| Stations | 1, 1, 3 or 10, depending on plan | Several per installation, limited by your server |
| Listeners at once | 100 on Starter, 500 on Air, unlimited from Broadcast | Limited by your server and bandwidth |
| Storage | 5, 25, 100 or 500 GB, depending on plan | Your disk |
| AutoDJ and playlists | Yes: playlists in order or shuffled, a queue | Yes: Liquidsoap, rotation and scheduled playlists |
| Schedule | Yes: shows, weekly repeats, conflict handling | Yes: scheduled playlists and streamers |
| Live from your own encoder | Yes, any Icecast-compatible encoder | Yes, with individual DJ/streamer accounts |
| Broadcast from the browser | No | Yes (Web DJ) |
| Desktop broadcaster | MAWCast Studio for Windows, free with every plan | — |
| Public station page | Yes, at <station>.mawcast.com, with web player, listener chat and reactions | Yes |
| Embeddable player | Yes | Yes |
| Listener analytics | Live listeners, peaks, averages and a listener timeline, plus permanent history | Yes, including listener reports |
| Broadcast history | Every live broadcast kept as a session, permanently, on every plan | — |
| Discord | MAW Assistant: notifications, show reminders, quick actions, diagnostics | Webhooks, including Discord |
| Integrations | Discord (MAW Assistant) | Remote relays, API, webhooks |
| Team and permissions | Broadcasters with permissions: 1, 2, 6 or 20 team members, depending on plan | Yes, with granular permissions |
| Custom domain | For listeners, on Broadcast and Network | Your own server, your own domain |
| Music licences | Not provided | Not provided (it is software) |
| Trial | 3 days of Starter with a verified payment method, one per card | Not applicable (free software) |
"—" means we could not verify an equivalent on AzuraCast's own pages.
When AzuraCast is the better choice
- You want free and open source. AzuraCast is AGPL-3.0. You can read and change the code, and your data stays on your server.
- You already run servers, or you enjoy it. Then the main cost MAWCast takes away is one you do not mind paying.
- You need something MAWCast does not offer. That includes broadcasting from the browser (Web DJ), remote relays, webhooks and a public API.
- You want many stations without paying per station. One AzuraCast server can run as many stations as its hardware allows.
- You like AzuraCast but not the server work. Hosted AzuraCast exists. For example, Streamerr sells it from €4.65 a month (whether Streamerr's prices include VAT was not verified) (200 listeners, 2 GB of AutoDJ storage, prices checked 22 September 2026).
When MAWCast is the better choice
- You do not want to run a server at all. With MAWCast there is no Docker, no updates and no certificates to manage.
- You run one or a few small stations with AutoDJ and scheduled live shows, on a budget of a few euros a month.
- Your community lives on Discord. MAW Assistant on Discord sends station notifications and show reminders, and lets you check and control the station from a direct message.
- You want a permanent record of every broadcast. See what a Broadcast Session keeps.
- You want to keep your DJ software. BUTT, Mixxx and VirtualDJ connect directly with the connection details from Control. Or use MAWCast Studio, the Windows broadcaster included free with every plan: sign in, pick your station, press GO LIVE.
- You want listener analytics without setting anything up. Current listeners, peaks, averages and a listener timeline, kept as permanent history.
What MAWCast deliberately does not do
- Song requests.
- Music licences. MAWCast does not provide them and will not.
- AAC, Opus or Ogg streams. MAWCast streams MP3.
- Mobile apps.
- Broadcasting from the browser, remote relays, webhooks and a public API.
Looking at other managed hosts instead? See MAWCast compared with Radio.co and MAWCast compared with RadioKing.
Moving from AzuraCast to MAWCast: what it involves
- Music. Take a copy of your media from your AzuraCast server and upload it to the MAWCast media library, within your plan's storage. MP3, WAV, OGG, M4A and FLAC are accepted, up to 150 MB per file. Formats other than MP3 are converted to MP3 at 320 kbps. See storage limits per plan.
- Playlists and schedule. There is no importer. You recreate them by hand in Control.
- Live DJs. Each DJ points their encoder at the new station. See the connection details your encoder needs.
- Addresses. The station page moves to
<station>.mawcast.comand the stream address changes too. Update your website, any embedded player, directory listings and links you have shared. - Overlap. Keep AzuraCast running until the MAWCast station has played through a full day of AutoDJ and at least one live show.
Licensing is the same either way
Neither AzuraCast nor MAWCast gives you the right to broadcast music. Rights depend on where you and your listeners are, and they come from collecting societies, not from software or hosting. See what a MAWCast subscription does not cover. This is general information, not legal advice.
Common questions
Is MAWCast open source?
No. If open source matters to you, AzuraCast is the right choice.
Can I use my own encoder?
Yes. Any Icecast-compatible encoder works, including BUTT, Mixxx and VirtualDJ.
Is there a free plan?
No. There is a 3-day trial of Starter. It needs a verified payment method and is limited to one trial per card.
Can I import my AzuraCast station?
Not automatically. You upload your music files and rebuild playlists and the schedule by hand.
Start a 3-day trial and run a test station alongside AzuraCast. The trial is Starter and needs a verified payment method.
Sources
Competitor facts checked on 22 September 2026:
- azuracast.com: description, features
- AzuraCast documentation: Web DJ, DJ accounts, relays, webhooks, AutoDJ, scheduling, reports
- AzuraCast requirements: hardware
- AzuraCast installation: Docker, operator tasks
- AzuraCast on GitHub: AGPL-3.0 licence
- Streamerr hosted AzuraCast store: euro prices
MAWCast figures come from the current plan catalogue.
Written by the MAWCast team.