Free, open-source alternatives to Nitrado
Rented game servers. 4 apps you can run yourself instead of Nitrado, sorted by how well they replace it. Each one is open source, so your data stays with you.
PterodactylBest match
Management panel for game servers, with an intuitive UI for end users.
Pelican Panel
Web application for easy management of game servers, offering a user-friendly interface for deploying, configuring, and managing servers, server monitoring tools, and extensive customization options (fork of Pterodactyl).
PufferPanel
Game server management panel designed for both small networks and game server providers.
LinuxGSM
CLI tool for deployment and management of dedicated game servers on Linux: more than 120 games are supported.
Side by side
| App | Stars | License | Activity | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pterodactyl | 9,321 | MIT | PHP | |
| Pelican Panel | 2,381 | AGPL-3.0 | PHP, Docker | |
| PufferPanel | 1,753 | Apache-2.0 | Go | |
| LinuxGSM | 4,911 | MIT | Shell |
Why replace Nitrado?
Nitrado works, but your data lives in someone else's account, the price can change at any time, and features can disappear. An open-source app you run yourself is yours: you choose where it runs, who can see the data, and when to update.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to Nitrado?
Pterodactyl is the closest open-source replacement for Nitrado in our list. Pelican Panel and PufferPanel are worth a look too, depending on what you need.
Can I self-host an alternative to Nitrado?
Yes. All 4 apps on this page are open source and can run on your own server, usually with Docker, or on a managed host that installs them for you.