Digibuzzer vs Lichess

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?
FeatureDigibuzzerLichess
CategoryGame ServersGame Servers
LicenseAGPL-3.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageNodejsScala
Setup difficultyMediumHard
Min. RAM512 MB4,096 MB
Deploymentbare-metaldocker, source
GitHub stars★ 18,557
First released20202010
ReplacesChess.com

Why pick each one

Choose Digibuzzer if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • Written in Nodejs
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Digibuzzer details

Choose Lichess if…

  • Full-featured chess platform
  • Completely ad-free
Lichess details

Frequently asked questions

Is Digibuzzer or Lichess better?

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

Are Digibuzzer and Lichess free and open-source?

Yes. Digibuzzer is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Lichess under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Digibuzzer and Lichess with Docker?

Digibuzzer: check the project docs for container support. Lichess: yes.

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