Lichess vs Screeps Server (screeps-launcher)

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted game servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

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FeatureLichessScreeps Server (screeps-launcher)
CategoryGame ServersGame Servers
LicenseAGPL-3.0MIT
LanguageScalaGo
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM4,096 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentdocker, sourcedocker, binary, source
GitHub stars★ 18,557★ 169
First released20102017
ReplacesChess.comOfficial Screeps cloud

Why pick each one

Choose Lichess if…

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

Choose Screeps Server (screeps-launcher) if…

  • Full control over the world
  • Great for learning
Screeps Server (screeps-launcher) details

Frequently asked questions

Is Lichess or Screeps Server (screeps-launcher) better?

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

Are Lichess and Screeps Server (screeps-launcher) free and open-source?

Yes. Lichess is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Screeps Server (screeps-launcher) under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Lichess and Screeps Server (screeps-launcher) with Docker?

Lichess: yes. Screeps Server (screeps-launcher): yes.

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