SHSelfHostIndex

FreeOrion 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?
FR FreeOrion Open-source turn-based space empire strategy game VS CA Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead Open-source turn-based survival roguelike
FeatureFreeOrionCataclysm: Dark Days Ahead
CategoryGame ServersGame Servers
LicenseGPL-2.0CC-BY-SA-3.0
LanguageC++C++
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB512 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, binary, sourcebare-metal, binary, source
GitHub stars★ 1,031★ 12,896
First released20032013
ReplacesMaster of OrionNetHack

Why pick each one

Choose FreeOrion if…

  • Deep 4X gameplay
  • Fully free
FreeOrion details

Choose Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead if…

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

Frequently asked questions

Is FreeOrion 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 FreeOrion and Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead free and open-source?

Yes. FreeOrion is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead under CC-BY-SA-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

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

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

Related comparisons