GeoQuest 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?
FeatureGeoQuestLichess
CategoryGame ServersGame Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageCSSScala
Setup difficultyMediumHard
Min. RAM50 MB4,096 MB
Deploymentbare-metaldocker, source
GitHub stars★ 80★ 18,557
First released20252010
ReplacesChess.com

Why pick each one

Choose GeoQuest if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • Written in CSS
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
GeoQuest details

Choose Lichess if…

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

Frequently asked questions

Is GeoQuest or Lichess better?

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

Are GeoQuest and Lichess free and open-source?

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

Can I run GeoQuest and Lichess with Docker?

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

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