Mindustry vs Zero-K

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?
FeatureMindustryZero-K
CategoryGame ServersGame Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0GPL-2.0
LanguageJavaLua
Setup difficultyEasyHard
Min. RAM512 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, binary, sourcebare-metal, binary, source
GitHub stars★ 28,532★ 820
First released20172010
ReplacesFactorioSupreme Commander

Why pick each one

Choose Mindustry if…

  • Lightweight server
  • Large active community
Mindustry details

Choose Zero-K if…

  • Deep strategy
  • Completely free
Zero-K details

Frequently asked questions

Is Mindustry or Zero-K better?

Mindustry is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Zero-K if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Mindustry and Zero-K free and open-source?

Yes. Mindustry is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Zero-K under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Mindustry and Zero-K with Docker?

Mindustry: yes. Zero-K: check the project docs for container support.

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