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Self-host Hydrodactyl

v6.4.1-hotfix

Game server panel forked from Pterodactyl with modern stack

BetaOpen SourceApache-2.0
Updated10 hours ago
LanguagePHP
Setup difficultyModerate
Stars
244
Ports
80 (HTTP web interface), 443 (HTTPS web interface)
Requires
MariaDB/MySQL/PostgreSQL, Redis
Docker
ghcr.io/blueprintframework/hydrodactyl
Install with Docker Compose
Hydrodactyl server management interface showing the server dashboardHydrodactyl first look screenshot showing the panel UI

What is Hydrodactyl?

Hydrodactyl is a game server management panel built as a fork of Pterodactyl. It targets server administrators who want a self-hosted control panel for Minecraft and other game servers. The software provides a redesigned web interface covering console access, file management, databases, backups, networking, user management, startup configuration, scheduling, activity logs, and software installation. A built-in marketplace installs Minecraft plugins and mods directly from Modrinth, Hangar, and Spiget. First-time setup uses a guided wizard. Administrators can customize branding from the dashboard. Backups can be stored on any S3-compatible service per node. The panel runs on MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL with Redis for caching and queues. API documentation is generated via OpenAPI and Scalar. The technology stack includes Laravel, React, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS. Deployment options include Docker Compose (recommended) or a native Linux installation requiring PHP 8.4, pnpm, and a database server. Windows is only supported for local development. The project is in active pre-release development, so some UI elements may be broken.

Should you self-host Hydrodactyl?

Hydrodactyl scores 48/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #39 of 62 in Game Servers. It has 244 GitHub stars.

It shipped 10 stable releases in the past year. The latest, v6.4.2, came out on 21 October 2026. New versions land roughly every 3 days.

Setup is moderate: expect some configuration beyond a single command. An official Docker image is available. It is Apache-2.0-licensed and written mostly in PHP.

Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is minecraft (78/100, 14 491 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See Hydrodactyl vs minecraft side by side.

Features

  • AT Protocol OAuth
  • Captcha Support
  • Logo customization
  • Marketplace (Minecraft plugin/mod installer)
  • Migration from Pterodactyl
  • OpenAPI documentation
  • PostgreSQL Support
  • Reimagined client panel
  • S3-compatible backups
  • Setup Wizard
  • Two-factor Authentication (2FA)

Hydrodactyl README

How to install Hydrodactyl

Install Hydrodactyl with Docker Compose

Linux system with root access, Docker and Docker Compose installed
Environment variables
APP_URL, APP_TIMEZONE, APP_SERVICE_AUTHOR, DB_PASSWORD, MAIL_*, REDIS_HOST, DB_CONNECTION, DB_HOST, DB_PORT, CACHE_DRIVER, SESSION_DRIVER, QUEUE_DRIVER

git clone https://github.com/BlueprintFramework/hydrodactyl.git cd hydrodactyl cp .env.example .env cp docker-compose.example.yml docker-compose.yml docker compose up -d

Recommended installation method. Modify all placeholder variables under x-common in docker-compose.yml before starting.

Hydrodactyl releases & version history

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