Mineclonia vs Terasology
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted game servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Mineclonia | Terasology |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Game Servers | Game Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Lua | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 300 | ★ 3,896 |
| First released | 2020 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Minecraft | Minecraft |
What are Mineclonia and Terasology?
Mineclonia
Mineclonia is a free and open-source voxel sandbox game built on the Luanti engine, offering survival and creative play. It can be hosted as a multiplayer server for friends to build and explore together.
- Survival and creative modes
- Multiplayer server support
- Runs on Luanti engine
- Cross-platform
Terasology
Terasology is an open-source voxel game and engine offering immersive sandbox worlds with advanced lighting and modular gameplay. It can run dedicated servers for cooperative multiplayer sessions.
- Modular gameplay systems
- Dedicated server mode
- Advanced lighting
- Active modding community
Mineclonia vs Terasology: key differences
Mineclonia is written in Lua, while Terasology is built with Java. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Mineclonia versus Apache-2.0 for Terasology. Mineclonia is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Terasology. Terasology is the more established project (first released 2011), while Mineclonia arrived in 2020. Terasology has the considerably larger community, at 3,896 GitHub stars versus 300.
Why pick each one
Choose Mineclonia if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Lua
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Terasology if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Active community (3.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Mineclonia or Terasology better?
Neither is universally better. Terasology has the larger community, while Mineclonia is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mineclonia and Terasology free and open-source?
Yes. Mineclonia is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Terasology under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mineclonia and Terasology with Docker?
Mineclonia: check the project docs for container support. Terasology: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Mineclonia or Terasology?
Mineclonia has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Terasology. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.