GeyserMC vs Pterodactyl
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?
GeyserMC
Bridge that lets Bedrock players join Java Minecraft servers
VS
Pterodactyl
Free game server management panel
| Feature | GeyserMC | Pterodactyl |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Game Servers | Game Servers |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Java | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,734 | ★ 9,115 |
| First released | 2019 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Minecraft cross-play workarounds | TCAdmin, Multicraft |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is GeyserMC or Pterodactyl better?
Neither is universally better. Pterodactyl has the larger community, while GeyserMC is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are GeyserMC and Pterodactyl free and open-source?
Yes. GeyserMC is licensed under MIT and Pterodactyl under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GeyserMC and Pterodactyl with Docker?
GeyserMC: yes. Pterodactyl: yes.