SHSelfHostIndex

Drop 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?
DR Drop Game distribution platform, designed for distributing and sharing VS CA Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead Open-source turn-based survival roguelike
FeatureDropCataclysm: Dark Days Ahead
CategoryGame ServersGame Servers
LicenseAGPL-3.0CC-BY-SA-3.0
LanguageVueC++
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdockerbare-metal, binary, source
GitHub stars★ 708★ 12,896
First released20262013
Replaces—NetHack

Why pick each one

Choose Drop if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in Vue
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Drop details

Choose Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead if…

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Drop or Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead better?

Neither is universally better. Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

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

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

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

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

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