OpenSpades vs Unciv

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?
FeatureOpenSpadesUnciv
CategoryGame ServersGame Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0MPL-2.0
LanguageC++Kotlin
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, binary, sourcebare-metal, binary, docker
GitHub stars★ 1,229★ 11,071
First released20132018
ReplacesAce of SpadesCivilization V

Why pick each one

Choose OpenSpades if…

  • Fully open-source
  • Active server community
OpenSpades details

Choose Unciv if…

  • Released under the MPL-2.0 license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Mature project with 11.1k GitHub stars
Unciv details

Frequently asked questions

Is OpenSpades or Unciv better?

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

Are OpenSpades and Unciv free and open-source?

Yes. OpenSpades is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Unciv under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run OpenSpades and Unciv with Docker?

OpenSpades: check the project docs for container support. Unciv: yes.

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