BrowserQuest 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?
BrowserQuest
Self-hostable HTML5 multiplayer adventure game
VS
CTFd
Open-source capture the flag framework for hacking competitions
| Feature | BrowserQuest | CTFd |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Game Servers | Game Servers |
| License | MPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,378 | ★ 6,776 |
| First released | 2012 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Realm of the Mad God | HackerRank CTF |
Why pick each one
Choose BrowserQuest if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 9.4k GitHub stars
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 BrowserQuest or CTFd better?
BrowserQuest is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider CTFd if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are BrowserQuest and CTFd free and open-source?
Yes. BrowserQuest is licensed under MPL-2.0 and CTFd under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BrowserQuest and CTFd with Docker?
BrowserQuest: yes. CTFd: yes.