Agones vs CTFd
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?
Agones
Kubernetes-based hosting and scaling for dedicated game servers
VS
CTFd
Open-source capture the flag framework for hacking competitions
| Feature | Agones | CTFd |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Game Servers | Game Servers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | kubernetes, helm | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,967 | ★ 6,776 |
| First released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Replaces | GameLift | HackerRank CTF |
Why pick each one
Choose Agones if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 7k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Choose CTFd if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Agones or CTFd better?
Neither is universally better. Agones has the larger community, while CTFd is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Agones and CTFd free and open-source?
Yes. Agones is licensed under Apache-2.0 and CTFd under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Agones and CTFd with Docker?
Agones: check the project docs for container support. CTFd: yes.