Cytopia vs LinCity-NG
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?
Cytopia
Free city-building simulation game
VS
LinCity-NG
Open-source city building and management game
| Feature | Cytopia | LinCity-NG |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Game Servers | Game Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,149 | ★ 620 |
| First released | 2018 | 2005 |
| Replaces | SimCity | SimCity |
Why pick each one
Choose LinCity-NG if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Cytopia or LinCity-NG better?
Neither is universally better. Cytopia has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Cytopia and LinCity-NG free and open-source?
Yes. Cytopia is licensed under GPL-3.0 and LinCity-NG under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cytopia and LinCity-NG with Docker?
Cytopia: check the project docs for container support. LinCity-NG: check the project docs for container support.