Pterodactyl

Pterodactyl is a web-based control panel for deploying and managing game servers and other long-running server processes. It combines a Laravel-powered panel with a node daemon (Wings) to run each server in isolated Docker containers with configurable resource limits.

Key Features

• Docker container isolation per server with CPU/RAM/disk limits and allocations
• Multi-node architecture: a single panel can manage many machines running Wings
• Web console for server startup/shutdown, command execution, and live log viewing
• File management via built-in web file manager and SFTP access
• Scheduled tasks for automated restarts, backups/scripts, and routine maintenance
• Role-based access control for administrators and server owners/subusers
• “Eggs” system (templates) for installing/configuring popular game servers and apps
• API for automation/integrations (panel and client APIs)

Use Cases

• Hosting multiple game servers (e.g., Minecraft/Source/Valheim) across one or more nodes
• Offering managed game server hosting for communities or small providers
• Running isolated, resource-governed workloads that need a simple web console

Limitations and Considerations

• Requires Docker and a separate Wings daemon on each node; setup is more involved than single-binary tools
• Primary focus is game servers; advanced general-purpose PaaS features (buildpacks, app routing) are out of scope

Pterodactyl is well-suited when you need a centralized web UI to provision and operate many containerized servers with clear resource controls and delegated access. Its node-based design and templating ecosystem make it practical for both homelabs and community hosting at scale.