Game servers
from one panel.
Platform
What you get
for game hosting.
MythicalCore, FeatherWings, Spells, and a Web IDE in one install.
MythicalCore engine
A purpose-built core with XChaCha20 encryption, UUID generation, and session handling without Laravel-sized framework overhead.
Integrated web IDE
File manager and code editor in the panel: syntax highlighting, auto-save, and drag-and-drop uploads.
Lower latency than Pterodactyl
Weekly load tests at 4 CPUs measured FeatherPanel at 16 ms average response, against 192 ms on Pterodactyl, 379 ms on Pelican and 190 ms on Hydrodactyl.
Security defaults
CSRF protection, CloudFlare Turnstile, AES-256 encryption, 2FA, and audit logging in the core.
Higher throughput
2,097 peak req/s at 4 CPUs, against 172 on Pterodactyl, 95 on Pelican and 180 on Hydrodactyl in the same run.
Plugin system
Install plugins from the marketplace or write your own with the SDK.
Performance
Weekly results
at 4 CPUs.
FeatherPanel vs Pterodactyl, Pelican and Hydrodactyl at 4 CPUs, all on one machine in the same run (23 Oct 2026, 10:29 UTC). Throughput higher is better; latency and memory lower is better.
Peak throughput · 4c
req/s (higher is better)
Average response · 4c
ms (lower is better)
Peak memory · 4c
MiB (lower is better)
Source: our weekly run of the open-source benchmarking suite, last run 23 Oct 2026, 10:29 UTC. Full results on the benchmarks page. Peak memory is higher than Pterodactyl because the stack also covers mail, job processing, and VM deployments. How the stack works
Docker + FeatherWings
Each game server is an isolated Docker container. FeatherWings on the Node owns lifecycle, SFTP, console, and backups.
Spell blueprints
Spells define image, install, startup, and variables. Import Pterodactyl eggs or use community templates.
Multi-node fleets
One Panel can manage many Wings nodes. Providers run large fleets from a single install.
Comparison
Head-to-Head: Game Panels
Feature and licensing differences side by side.
| Feature | FeatherPanel | Pterodactyl | Crafty Controller |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backend Engine | PHP 8.1+ / MythicalCore | Laravel / MariaDB / Redis | Python / SQLite |
| Frontend Stack | React / NextJs | React | Vue 3 (basic) |
| Integrated Web IDE | |||
| Unified Platform | Game + VPS + Web | Game Only | Game Only |
| Plugin SDK | |||
| Throughput vs Pterodactyl · 4c | +1116% | Baseline | Not tested |
| License | AGPL-3.0 (Free) | MIT (Free) | MIT (Free) |
| Cloud Managed Option |
FeatherPanel supports Minecraft (Java and Bedrock), Rust, CS2, ARK, Valheim, Terraria, and 200+ more through community spells/eggs. You can also create and import custom server templates.
FeatherPanel is a separate codebase, not a Pterodactyl fork. In our weekly load tests (last run 23 Oct 2026, 10:29 UTC, 4 CPUs) it showed higher throughput and lower latency than Pterodactyl. It also includes a Web IDE, plugin marketplace, and support for game servers, Proxmox VMs, and web hosting in one panel.
Yes. Enterprise customers get Pterodactyl Addon Portability. Community users can follow the migration guide in the docs, or use FeatherCli for dump-based imports.
Yes. Game servers run in Docker containers on each Node. FeatherWings (or Calagopus wings-rs) is the node daemon that talks to Docker. The Panel controls servers over mTLS the same way Wings panels do.
FeatherPanel scales from a single node to large fleets. Some providers run 5,000+ instances from one panel install across many Wings nodes.
The self-hosted version is free under AGPL-3.0 with no seat limits, server limits, or feature gates. Cloud and Enterprise plans add managed hosting and priority support.
Documentation
Run game servers with FeatherPanel
Install
Self-host FeatherPanel
for free.
AGPL-3.0. Full panel. No seat limits.