Pterodactyl
Pterodactyl is an open-source game server management panel built with PHP, React, and Go. Designed with security in mind, Pterodactyl runs all game servers in isolated Docker containers while exposing a beautiful and intuitive UI to end users.
Categories:
Pterodactyl is a free, open-source game server management panel that securely hosts and manages game servers in isolated Docker containers via a modern web interface.
🚀 Overview
Pterodactyl revolutionizes game server management by providing a secure, scalable platform that runs servers in isolated Docker containers, solving common pain points like security vulnerabilities, resource contention, and clunky interfaces found in legacy control panels.
It is designed for individuals self-hosting private servers, gaming communities and networks running multiple public servers, and hosting providers offering game server rentals to customers with multi-tenant support.
Dane Everitt built Pterodactyl starting in 2015 to empower users with a free, open-source tool that treats game servers as first-class citizens, emphasizing security, usability, and extensibility through community contributions.
✨ Key Features
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Secure Docker container isolation for each server with configurable CPU, memory, disk I/O, and network limits to prevent abuse and ensure stability
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Beautiful, responsive user interface built with React and Tailwind CSS, offering real-time consoles, file managers, backups, and schedules
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Broad game compatibility via 'eggs' – Docker images and configs for 100+ games including Minecraft, Rust, Terraria, Garry's Mod, ARK, Teamspeak, and even Discord bots or Factorio
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Comprehensive admin tools: user permissions, API for integrations, multi-node support, and optional billing/subuser features
Optional: Experimental features like improved API v2 and enhanced Wings clustering in development
🛠 Tech Stack
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Frontend: React (TypeScript), Tailwind CSS, Blade templates
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Backend: PHP (Laravel), Go (Wings daemon)
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Database: MySQL/MariaDB, Redis (queues)
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Auth: Custom (bcrypt hashing, AES-256-CBC encryption)
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Hosting: Self-hosted (Docker Compose support, VPS/dedicated servers)
👥 Who Is This For?
This project is useful for:
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Gaming communities who want to easily manage multiplayer servers with role-based access
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Hosting providers looking for a robust, free control panel for customer game servers
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Individuals building private game servers without dealing with manual setups
📸 Screenshots / Demo
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Live demo: No public demo (self-hosted nature requires installation)
🔥 Project Status
- 🟢 Actively building
Last updated: 2026-02-14
❓ FAQ
Is this project free?
Yes / Open Source
(100% free under MIT license, no paid tiers or restrictions.)
Is the source code available?
Yes — Panel: https://github.com/pterodactyl/panel
Wings: https://github.com/pterodactyl/wings
Can I contribute?
Yes — Report bugs or suggest features via GitHub issues, submit pull requests following contributing guidelines. Join the Discord for discussions, testing, or egg development: https://discord.gg/pterodactyl
📬 Contact & Links
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Website: https://pterodactyl.io
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Discord: https://discord.gg/pterodactyl
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Sponsors: https://github.com/sponsors/pterodactyl
Built with ❤️ and kept warm on WarmIndex.
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