Top 5 Open Source Panels to Host Your Game Servers

Five panels dominate open-source game server hosting: Pterodactyl (the historical standard since 2015), Pelican (a modern Laravel/Filament fork), PufferPanel (the lightest, written in Go), Catalyst (a rethought Rust plus containerd architecture) and Reviactyl (a fork focused on security and performance). Each has its technical strengths, its ideal use cases and its limits. Here is the detailed comparison to help you choose the one that fits your project.

Key takeaways

• Pterodactyl and Pelican share the same architecture (PHP panel + Wings daemon + Docker) and hold nearly the entire ecosystem of community eggs and mods. Pelican is now the recommended path for any new installation.
• PufferPanel is the pragmatic choice for a personal server or a small team that wants simplicity without the constraints of a full Docker deployment.
• Catalyst is the most ambitious technological bet, with a native containerd Rust agent and a real plugin system, but it is still in early testing.
• Reviactyl offers a modern Pterodactyl fork built on Laravel 13, Filament v5 and React v19, with an openly stated focus on security and performance.

1. Pterodactyl: the historical standard

Pterodactyl is the most widely used open-source panel in the ecosystem, launched in 2015 by Dane Everitt and a community team. It set the industry standards for almost a decade and remains massively deployed among professional hosting providers and independent communities.

Tech stack

Panel written in PHP (Laravel) with a React frontend, Wings daemon in Go, isolation via Docker. MariaDB or MySQL database, Redis cache. This stack is mature, documented and supported by a huge community.

Strengths

• Egg ecosystem: eggs are ready-made configurations for launching a specific game. Pterodactyl has hundreds of official and community eggs covering Minecraft, ARK, Rust, FiveM, Terraria, Palworld, and practically every private server game on the market.
• Exhaustive documentation: ten years of tutorials, installation guides, troubleshooting, archived Discord discussions. No common error is unknown to the community.
• Massive third-party compatibility: custom themes, billing addons (WHMCS, Blesta), Discord integrations, automated voting systems, everything a professional host might want already exists.

Limits

• Slowing development: since 2023, Pterodactyl's update pace has dropped noticeably, which led part of the original team to launch Pelican as a successor.
• Aging codebase: the Laravel stack in use is several major versions behind modern frameworks, which complicates recent contributions.

Who it's for

Pterodactyl remains relevant for existing infrastructures that already use it (no urgency to migrate), for hosts that depend on specific third-party addons, and for administrators who want the maximum community resources when something goes wrong.

2. Pelican: the modern successor

Pelican was born in 2024 as a modern rewrite of Pterodactyl, led by part of the original team (including the former lead maintainer). The goal: keep the architecture behind Pterodactyl's success (panel plus Wings daemon plus Docker) while completely rebuilding the code on modern foundations.

Tech stack

Laravel panel with Filament for administration, Wings daemon still in Go, isolation via Docker. PostgreSQL database supported in addition to MariaDB. The move to Filament brings an administration interface that is much richer and faster to customize.

Strengths

• Modern, maintainable code: latest-generation Laravel, Filament v3 for the admin, PHP 8.3+. The learning curve for contributing is much gentler.
• Pterodactyl egg compatibility: nearly all Pterodactyl eggs work directly in Pelican, which makes migration trivial.
• Documented migration: Pelican provides an official migration procedure from Pterodactyl, tested and validated on production installations.
• Active community support: active Discord, regular updates, fast security fixes.

Limits

• Less mature third-party ecosystem: some older Pterodactyl addons haven't been ported to Pelican yet. Compatibility is progressing quickly but remains behind the veteran.
• Documentation under construction: fewer third-party tutorials than with Pterodactyl, which can make exotic problems harder to solve.

Who it's for

Pelican is the default choice for any new installation in 2026, unless you specifically need a Pterodactyl addon that hasn't been ported. It's also the natural target for Pterodactyl administrators who want to modernize their infrastructure without changing architecture.

3. PufferPanel: the lightweight pragmatist

PufferPanel occupies a different niche from the previous three: it aims for extreme simplicity and a minimal installation, without requiring Docker to run. Written entirely in Go, it appeals to personal users and small teams who want to host a few servers without building a complex infrastructure.

Tech stack

Panel and daemon merged into a single Go application, SQLite database by default (MySQL supported), no mandatory Docker dependency. Installation typically boils down to one binary to run and one configuration file to edit.

Strengths

• Ultra-fast installation: fifteen minutes flat to get a working panel on an entry-level VPS. No Docker to configure, no separate daemon to deploy.
• Small memory footprint: PufferPanel uses a few dozen megabytes of RAM, versus several hundred for Pterodactyl or Pelican. Ideal for modest VPSs.
• Ready-to-use templates: Minecraft (all versions), Forge, Spigot, Sponge, BungeeCord, PocketMine, Source Engine (CS, TF2, Garry's Mod), and many others. Importing new templates is simple.
• Clean interface: the UI is intentionally minimalist, which makes it accessible to beginner administrators.

Limits

• Less strict isolation: without Docker, servers share the host's environment. This approach is acceptable for personal use but problematic in multi-tenant setups.
• Smaller ecosystem: fewer third-party addons, fewer themes, fewer integrations than Pterodactyl.
• Not designed for resale: PufferPanel doesn't try to compete with commercial panels for professional hosts.

Who it's for

PufferPanel is for personal users hosting their own servers, small communities (a guild, a group of friends) managing a few instances, and administrators who want the simplest possible solution without compromising on the essentials.

4. Catalyst: the technological bet

Catalyst is the newest project in this selection, with a radically different approach: rather than forking Pterodactyl or staying on PHP, its designers rebuilt a panel from scratch with a modern stack (TypeScript on the panel side, Rust on the agent side) and an ambitious architectural philosophy.

Tech stack

TypeScript panel based on Fastify with PostgreSQL and Redis, native containerd Rust agent (instead of Docker), native plugin system. This architecture avoids the compromises that come with forking a historical project.

Strengths

• Performance: the Rust agent is significantly lighter and faster than Wings in Go, particularly under heavy load. Internal benchmarks show substantial gains on container start and restart operations.
• Native plugin system: unlike Pterodactyl and Pelican, which rely on addons hacked into the code, Catalyst offers a real plugin API that lets you extend the panel without modifying its core.
• containerd rather than Docker: containerd is the low-level container runtime that powers Docker and Kubernetes. Using it directly removes a layer of abstraction and improves performance.
• Clear licenses: panel under GPLv3, agent under MIT/Apache-2.0, which leaves well-defined usage freedoms.

Limits

• Still in early testing: Catalyst isn't yet ready for serious production at this point. Occasional bugs, missing features, partial documentation.
• Almost nonexistent ecosystem: very few third-party plugins, few tutorials, a small community.
• Complex migration: Pterodactyl eggs aren't directly compatible, so you have to convert configurations to the Catalyst format.

Who it's for

Catalyst appeals to early adopters, administrators comfortable with modern tech who want to experiment, and hosts preparing tomorrow's infrastructure. It isn't yet the choice for a critical production server.

5. Reviactyl: the security and modernity fork

Reviactyl is a recent Pterodactyl fork that bets on a complete rebuild of the frontend with the latest technologies, while keeping compatibility with the Pterodactyl ecosystem. Codenamed "Fission Falcon", the project emphasizes security, performance and user experience.

Tech stack

Laravel 13 panel, Filament v5 administration, React v19 user dashboard with Vite, daemon in Go. PostgreSQL or MariaDB database. This stack is among the most modern of all panels on the market.

Strengths

• Rethought user interface: the React v19 dashboard with Vite delivers a smooth, responsive experience, noticeably above the historical Pterodactyl and Pelican interfaces.
• Pterodactyl egg compatibility: like Pelican, Reviactyl accepts existing Pterodactyl eggs, which eases adoption.
• Native multilingual support: Reviactyl is designed to be fully translatable, with a built-in localization system.
• Openly stated security focus: the project emphasizes security audits and rapid application of fixes, with documented transparency on CVEs.

Limits

• Young project: Reviactyl is more recent than Pelican and its community is still being built. Less long-term production feedback.
• Smaller ecosystem: few specific third-party addons, fewer themes available.
• A delicate strategic choice: Reviactyl positions itself in the same space as Pelican, which raises the question of duplicated community effort.

Who it's for

Reviactyl appeals to administrators who want the most modern frontend possible, those who value the project's active approach to security, and multilingual communities that appreciate the internationalization focus.

Summary comparison table

Our take

The cautious recommendation is Pelican. It combines Pterodactyl's proven heritage (architecture, eggs, community) with modern code and active development. Pterodactyl remains a rational choice only if you depend on a third-party addon that hasn't been ported to Pelican. PufferPanel is excellent for lightweight personal use. Catalyst and Reviactyl deserve to be followed for the future, but aren't mature enough yet for critical production. The editorial rule: don't confuse novelty with superiority, a panel that has been in production for six years with thousands of users is worth more than a promising panel in early testing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Docker mandatory to use a game server panel?

No. Pterodactyl, Pelican, Catalyst and Reviactyl all use Docker or containerd for isolation, which remains the best practice in production. PufferPanel is the exception and works without Docker, which simplifies installation at the cost of less strict isolation.

Can you migrate from Pterodactyl to Pelican without losing your data?

Yes, with the official migration procedure documented by Pelican. The migration transfers users, configured servers, eggs and nodes. Game data (Minecraft worlds, ARK saves, etc.) stays in place on the nodes. The migration typically takes a few hours for a medium-sized infrastructure.

Which is the lightest panel for an entry-level VPS?

PufferPanel. It uses less than 100 MB of RAM at idle and runs comfortably on a 1 GB RAM VPS. Pelican and Pterodactyl need 2 GB minimum for smooth operation.

Do Pterodactyl eggs work on the other panels?

Yes for Pelican and Reviactyl, which maintain compatibility with the Pterodactyl egg format. No for PufferPanel, which uses its own templates. No for Catalyst, which uses a different format, with a conversion layer in development.

Can you use a free panel for commercial resale?

Yes, the five panels in this top are under open-source licenses that allow resale. Pterodactyl and Pelican are under MIT, Catalyst is under GPLv3 for the panel and MIT/Apache-2.0 for the agent, and PufferPanel under Apache 2.0. Checking the exact terms of each license remains essential before any commercial use.

Which panel is most used by French hosting providers?

Pterodactyl remains dominant in the French-speaking ecosystem, with a gradual migration to Pelican that is accelerating among new hosts. PufferPanel is popular with individuals and small teams. Catalyst and Reviactyl remain marginal but are gaining curious users.