SHSelfHostIndex

Simutrans vs Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead

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?
SI Simutrans Open-source transport and economy simulation game VS CA Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead Open-source turn-based survival roguelike
FeatureSimutransCataclysm: Dark Days Ahead
CategoryGame ServersGame Servers
LicenseArtistic-1.0CC-BY-SA-3.0
LanguageC++C++
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentbinary, sourcebare-metal, binary, source
GitHub stars★ 93★ 12,896
First released19992013
ReplacesTransport TycoonNetHack

Why pick each one

Choose Simutrans if…

  • Released under the Artistic-1.0 license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Written in C++
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Simutrans details

Choose Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead if…

  • Enormous depth
  • Active development
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead details

Frequently asked questions

Is Simutrans or Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead better?

Neither is universally better. Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead has the larger community, while Simutrans is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Simutrans and Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead free and open-source?

Yes. Simutrans is licensed under Artistic-1.0 and Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead under CC-BY-SA-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Simutrans and Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead with Docker?

Simutrans: check the project docs for container support. Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead: check the project docs for container support.

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