# core-keeper-dedicated vs Nakama

> Two self-hosted [Game Servers projects](https://selfhost.directory/game-servers), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | core-keeper-dedicated | Nakama |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 49/100 | 76/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #34 of 62 in Game Servers | #3 of 62 in Game Servers |
| GitHub stars | 238 | 13 604 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +62 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 4 | 9 ✓ |
| Latest release | 2.8.1 · 27 Feb 2026 | v3.41.0 · 18 Sept 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Shell | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Nakama scores 76/100 against 49/100 for core-keeper-dedicated, so it is the safer default.

Nakama ships more often: 9 stable releases in the past year, against 4 for core-keeper-dedicated.

If you want the quickest setup, core-keeper-dedicated is easier to run; Nakama needs more configuration.

Nakama is growing faster right now (+62 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [core-keeper-dedicated](https://selfhost.directory/project/core-keeper-dedicated) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/core-keeper-dedicated.md)
- [Nakama](https://selfhost.directory/project/nakama) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nakama.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/core-keeper-dedicated-vs-nakama