SHSelfHostIndex

DDNet vs Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead

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?
DD DDNet Cooperative platformer based on Teeworlds VS CA Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead Open-source turn-based survival roguelike
FeatureDDNetCataclysm: Dark Days Ahead
CategoryGame ServersGame Servers
LicenseZlibCC-BY-SA-3.0
LanguageC++C++
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM128 MB512 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, binary, sourcebare-metal, binary, source
GitHub stars★ 811★ 12,896
First released20132013
ReplacesTeeworldsNetHack

Why pick each one

Choose DDNet if…

  • Lightweight server
  • Large active community
DDNet details

Choose Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead if…

  • Enormous depth
  • Active development
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead details

Frequently asked questions

Is DDNet or Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead better?

Neither is universally better. Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead has the larger community, while DDNet is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are DDNet and Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead free and open-source?

Yes. DDNet is licensed under Zlib and Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead under CC-BY-SA-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run DDNet and Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead with Docker?

DDNet: check the project docs for container support. Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead: check the project docs for container support.

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