0 A.D. vs MegaGlest
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted game servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | 0 A.D. | MegaGlest |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 54 · Fair |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Game Servers | Game Servers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,823 | ★ 420 |
| First released | 2009 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Age of Empires | Age of Empires, Warcraft III |
What are 0 A.D. and MegaGlest?
0 A.D.
0 A.D. is a free, open-source historical real-time strategy game. It supports multiplayer matches where players can host games for others to join over the internet or a LAN.
- Historical RTS gameplay
- Multiplayer match hosting
- Built-in lobby and matchmaking
- High-quality graphics
MegaGlest
MegaGlest is a free, open-source 3D real-time strategy game where players build civilizations and command armies. It supports LAN and internet multiplayer through a community game server.
- 3D real-time strategy
- LAN and internet play
- Multiple factions
- Built-in map editor
0 A.D. vs MegaGlest: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: 0 A.D.'s repository is archived and no longer developed, while MegaGlest is actively maintained. Both projects are written in C++. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for 0 A.D. versus GPL-3.0 for MegaGlest. 0 A.D. has the considerably larger community, at 2,823 GitHub stars versus 420.
Why pick each one
Choose 0 A.D. if…
- Polished free RTS
- Active community
Watch out for
- Hosting needs port forwarding
- No dedicated headless server
Frequently asked questions
Is 0 A.D. or MegaGlest better?
Neither is universally better. 0 A.D. has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are 0 A.D. and MegaGlest free and open-source?
Yes. 0 A.D. is licensed under GPL-2.0 and MegaGlest under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run 0 A.D. and MegaGlest with Docker?
0 A.D.: check the project docs for container support. MegaGlest: check the project docs for container support.