Category guide
Self-Hosted Games Software: 52 Picks Ranked
Independent games app ranking from live install data — quick answer, comparisons and FAQ.
Quick answer: 0 A.D. is the best self-hosted Games app on PickYour.App right now — 0 installs and climbing. A Dark Room is the runner-up. Both install in one click.
This guide covers 52 games tools you can run yourself. No seat fees. No lock-in. Pick an app, we size the server for you.
52 Games apps at a glance
Ranked by real installs on PickYour.App · updated Oct 2026.
| # | App | Category | Installs | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 0 A.D. Cross-platform real-time strategy game of ancient warfare. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 2 | A A Dark Room Minimalist text adventure game for your browser. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 3 | A auto-mcs Cross-platform Minecraft server manager. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 4 | C Calagopus Modern game server management panel. Deploy, monitor, and manage Minecraft, Hytale, and other game servers with industry-leading performance. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 5 | C Crafty Controller Minecraft launcher and manager that allows users to start and administer Minecraft servers from a user-friendly interface. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 6 | C Cubiks-2048 Clone of 2048 game in 3D. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 7 | D DDraceNetwork Cooperative platformer version of DDRace, a Teeworlds modification featuring unique cooperative gameplay. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 8 | D Digibuzzer Create a virtual game room around a connected buzzer (documentation in French). | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 9 | D Drop Game distribution platform, designed for distributing and sharing DRM-free games efficiently (alternative to Steam, GameVault). | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 10 | E EasyWI Easy-Wi is a Web-interface that allows you to manage server daemons like gameservers. In addition it provides you with a CMS which includes a fully automated game- and | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 11 | F Fireshare Share your game clips, videos, or other media via unique links | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 12 | F Foundry Virtual Tabletop Modern roleplaying platform | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 13 | G GameAP Game Administration Panel for managing game servers on Linux and Windows. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 14 | G Games on Whales Stream virtual desktops and games via Docker | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 15 | G GameVault Organize, download, and play DRM-free games from your own server, complete with metadata enrichment and user-friendly interface. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 16 | G Gameyfin Video game library manager with automatic scanning, web access, downloads, and plugin support. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 17 | G Gaseous Server Game ROM manager with a built-in web-based emulator using multiple sources to identify and provide metadata. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 18 | G Grimoire Bookmark manager for wizards | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 19 | H Hypersomnia Competitive top-down shooter blending Counter-Strike with Hotline Miami. Runs on Linux, Windows, MacOS and the Web. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 20 | L Lancache LAN Party game caching made easy. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 21 | L LANCommander Open source video game distribution platform | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 22 | L Lila Ad-less chess server powering lichess.org, with official iOS and Android client apps. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 23 | L LinuxGSM CLI tool for deployment and management of dedicated game servers on Linux: more than 120 games are supported. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 24 | L Lodestone Hosting tool for Minecraft and other multiplayer games | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 25 | L Luanti Voxel game engine (formerly Minetest). Play one of our many games, mod a game to your liking, make your own game, or play on a multiplayer server. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 26 | M Mindustry Factorio-like tower defense game. Build production chains to gather more resources, and build complex facilities. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 27 | M Minus Games Sync games and save files across multiple devices. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 28 | M MTA:SA Add network play functionality to Rockstar North's Grand Theft Auto game series, in which this functionality is not originally found. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 29 | N Nakama Scalable backend for social and real-time games | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 30 | O OpenTTD Transport tycoon simulation game. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 31 | O Ownfoil Nintendo Switch library manager, with automated management tasks (file identification and organization, missing updates/DLC), serving your library to multiple supported | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 32 | P 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 | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 33 | P piqueserver Server for openspades, the first-person shooter in a destructible voxel world. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 34 | P PlanarAlly Virtual tabletop with offline capabilities | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 35 | P Polaris Music browsing and streaming application optimized for large music collections, ease of use and high performance. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 36 | P Posio Geography multiplayer game. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 37 | P Pterodactyl Management panel for game servers, with an intuitive UI for end users. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 38 | P PufferPanel Game server management panel designed for both small networks and game server providers. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 39 | R Razzia Quiz game platform, designed for smaller self-hosted events (alternative to Kahoot!). | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 40 | R Red Eclipse 2 Arena first-person shooter similar to Unreal Tournament. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 41 | R RetroArr Game library manager for PC and retro consoles, with metadata scraping, indexer search, download automation and browser-based emulation (alternative to RomM). | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 42 | R RetroAssembly Personal retro game collection in your browser | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 43 | R Retrom Private cloud game library distribution server + frontend/launcher. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 44 | R RomM ROM manager for organizing, enriching, and playing retro games, with support for 400+ platforms. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 45 | S Scribble.rs A web-based pictionary game. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 46 | S SourceBans++ Admin, ban, and communication management system for games running on the Source engine. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 47 | S Steam Headless Unofficial headless remote Steam server via Docker | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 48 | S Sunshine Remote game stream host for Moonlight with support up to 120 frames per second and 4K resolution. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 49 | S Suroi 2D battle royale game inspired by surviv.io. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 50 | T The Battle for Wesnoth The Battle for Wesnoth is an Open Source, turn-based tactical strategy game with a high fantasy theme, featuring both singleplayer and online/hotseat multiplayer combat. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 51 | V Veloren Multiplayer RPG. Inspired by Cube World, Legend of Zelda, Dwarf Fortress and Minecraft. | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
| 52 | Z Zero-K Open Source on Springrts engine. Zero-K is a traditional real time strategy game with a focus on player creativity through terrain manipulation, physics, and a large | Games | 0 | €0.018/hr |
Best Games apps, reviewed
0
0 A.D.
Games · 0 installs
The core loop is what 0 A.D. does best. It runs comfortably on 1 vCPU / 1 GB here. Most people start here.
- Does: the core games job.
- Runs on: 1 vCPU · 1 GB RAM · 25 GB — about €0.018/hr on Pay as you go.
A
A Dark Room
Games · 0 installs
The core loop is what A Dark Room does best. Plan for 1 vCPU and 1 GB of RAM. Worth comparing with the leader.
- Does: the core games job.
- Runs on: 1 vCPU · 1 GB RAM · 25 GB — about €0.018/hr on Pay as you go.
A
auto-mcs
Games · 0 installs
Built around its core job, auto-mcs stays out of your way. It runs comfortably on 1 vCPU / 1 GB here. A solid niche pick.
- Does: the core games job.
- Runs on: 1 vCPU · 1 GB RAM · 25 GB — about €0.018/hr on Pay as you go.
C
Calagopus
Games · 0 installs
The core loop is what Calagopus does best. It runs comfortably on 1 vCPU / 1 GB here. A solid niche pick.
- Does: the core games job.
- Runs on: 1 vCPU · 1 GB RAM · 25 GB — about €0.018/hr on Pay as you go.
How we ranked these apps
Stars are cheap. Installs are not — someone picked a spec, paid for hours and got it running.
What it costs to run
The software is free. You only pay for the server. At full spec this field costs about €0.018 an hour — less when the server is paused. The install wizard pre-sizes the server for you.
Which Games app should you pick?
- You want the safe bet? 0 A.D. — the most installed pick here.
- You prefer the lighter option? A Dark Room — a close second, some teams like it more.
- Tight budget? 0 A.D. runs on 1 vCPU / 1 GB — the cheapest server here.
- Not sure yet? Install the leader, try it for an hour, pause the server. You pay cents.
Free software, not free servers
No per-seat pricing, no trial clock. Hosting is the cost.
Check the app page for RAM and disk needs before you start.
Verdict
0 A.D. is our pick for most people, with A Dark Room as the alternative. The server is ready in about a minute.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best games app?
0 A.D. leads this category on PickYour.App. 0 A.D. covers the essentials without demanding a manual. Spec: 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 25 GB disk.
Can I use these tools for free?
Yes. Every app here is open-source. You only pay for the server — from €0.018 per hour, and pausing stops the meter.
How much does a games server cost?
About €0.018/hour for the biggest spec in this list. Smaller apps run on less.
Which one is easiest to start?
0 A.D. — it needs the smallest server (1 vCPU / 1 GB). The install wizard sets it up in one click.
Ready to self-host?
Pick an app, we handle the server, domain and HTTPS.
Generated 2026-10-22 from live catalog data · all guides