243 vs OpenRCT2

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted game servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
Feature243OpenRCT2
CategoryGame ServersGame Servers
LicenseMITGPL-3.0
LanguageCSSC++
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM50 MB512 MB
Deploymentbare-metalbare-metal, binary, source
GitHub stars★ 5★ 16,049
First released20232014
ReplacesRollerCoaster Tycoon

Why pick each one

Choose 243 if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Written in CSS
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
243 details

Choose OpenRCT2 if…

  • Faithful modern remake
  • Active community
OpenRCT2 details

Frequently asked questions

Is 243 or OpenRCT2 better?

Neither is universally better. OpenRCT2 has the larger community, while 243 is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are 243 and OpenRCT2 free and open-source?

Yes. 243 is licensed under MIT and OpenRCT2 under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run 243 and OpenRCT2 with Docker?

243: check the project docs for container support. OpenRCT2: check the project docs for container support.

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