Lichess vs UnknownHorizons Note - settlement game

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?
FeatureLichessUnknownHorizons Note - settlement game
CategoryGame ServersGame Servers
LicenseAGPL-3.0GPL-2.0
LanguageScalaPython
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM4,096 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, sourcebare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 18,557★ 1,528
First released20102009
ReplacesChess.comAnno series

Why pick each one

Choose Lichess if…

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

Choose UnknownHorizons Note - settlement game if…

  • Relaxed strategy gameplay
  • Fully open-source
UnknownHorizons Note - settlement game details

Frequently asked questions

Is Lichess or UnknownHorizons Note - settlement game better?

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

Are Lichess and UnknownHorizons Note - settlement game free and open-source?

Yes. Lichess is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and UnknownHorizons Note - settlement game under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Lichess and UnknownHorizons Note - settlement game with Docker?

Lichess: yes. UnknownHorizons Note - settlement game: check the project docs for container support.

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