Luanti

Open source alternative to Minecraft

13.9K stars
LGPL-2.1-or-later (source), CC BY-SA 3.0/4.0 (assets)
Active this week
Last commit 3 days ago

Last verified Nov 13, 2026

Build and play voxel games with an open source engine and Lua scripting API, available free for Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Visit website GitHub13.9K

Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs, the quick start and the FAQ

who it's for

Who Luanti is for#

Independent developers building a custom voxel game

Luanti provides a free C++ engine and Lua API to build standalone voxel titles without commercial licensing costs. Run-in-place support on Windows means distributing a game build is a zip archive with no installer required.

Skip if:

If you need an established commercial asset marketplace, cross-platform store distribution, or the broader Minecraft player base for your game, Minecraft's ecosystem and partner programs are more developed than Luanti's.

Educators running custom multiplayer game environments

Schools and programs can self-host a Luanti server with custom game rules and content, free of Microsoft account requirements for students. Docker server deployment documentation reduces setup burden for institutions without dedicated game server expertise.

Skip if:

If your program already runs Minecraft: Education Edition with existing lesson plans and official curriculum support, switching requires rebuilding that content in Lua with no equivalent Microsoft-backed educational resources.

Minetest community modders migrating to Luanti

Luanti is the renamed continuation of Minetest, and existing Minetest mods and games remain compatible. The community, forum, and contribution history carry over, and the Lua API is the same.

Skip if:

If you are building content for the Minecraft community on platforms like CurseForge or Modrinth, that content is not playable in Luanti, which runs a separate ecosystem with its own mod distribution.

Server operators hosting private multiplayer servers

Docker deployment documentation makes Luanti a reasonable option for teams running private multiplayer servers on their own infrastructure with no per-user licensing and no external vendor dependency for authentication.

Skip if:

If your players expect Minecraft's default gameplay, biomes, and standard survival features, Luanti's defaults differ significantly and require custom game content to replicate that experience.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Building and modding voxel games on Minecraft ties developers to a proprietary platform with Microsoft's licensing terms and infrastructure requirements. Creating custom educational environments, distributing standalone mods, or running a private multiplayer server all require accepting those terms, with no way to audit or modify the underlying game engine.

For the modding community, the closed API means mod behavior can break between Minecraft updates without notice. Game creators who want to build a standalone title rather than a mod face restrictions on what commercial distribution the proprietary platform permits.

how Luanti solves it

How it solves it#

Lua scripting API for game logic and modding

Game rules, items, entities, crafting, and world generation are all scriptable in Lua, so modders can customize gameplay without touching the C++ engine source. Game creators can build complete standalone titles on top of the engine using the same API.

Cross-platform binaries with run-in-place support

Luanti runs natively on Windows, Linux, and macOS. The Windows build supports a run-in-place mode where the engine runs directly from a zip archive with no system-wide installation, making game distribution straightforward.

Docker-documented multiplayer server deployment

The project documents running a Luanti multiplayer server with Docker, covering Linux-based hosting and the developer Docker workflow. No external account or per-user subscription is required to host a private or public server.

Rebindable controls with per-player privilege system

All keyboard controls are reconfigurable through in-game settings. Server operators assign per-player privileges controlling fly mode, fast mode, noclip, and zoom, giving server administrators fine-grained control over the player experience.

Semantic versioning with breaking-change guarantees

Luanti follows major.minor.patch versioning since 5.0.0, with major increments reserved for breaking changes. This gives mod authors a predictable API target and reduces the risk of an upstream update silently breaking mod behavior.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

LGPL-2.1-or-later permits commercial use and redistributionThe source code license permits running, modifying, and redistributing Luanti commercially, provided modifications to LGPL-covered code are shared under the same license. There are no per-seat fees, server license costs, or restrictions on internal commercial use.
Active development since 2011 with 13,853 GitHub starsThe project has been under continuous development since 2011 and received commits as recently as November 2026. With 13,853 GitHub stars and 2,523 forks, it carries substantial community history from its Minetest era.
No Microsoft account required for multiplayer server hostingRunning a Luanti multiplayer server requires no Microsoft account, no Mojang subscription, and no per-user licensing. Teams can operate self-hosted multiplayer environments with no external authentication requirement from a commercial vendor.
Lua scripting eliminates the C++ barrier for moddersGame logic written in Lua means modders can modify, test, and reload behavior without recompiling the C++ engine. This lowers the technical barrier compared to Minecraft's Java modding ecosystem (Forge, Fabric), which requires JVM setup and compiled builds.

Trade-offs

-1,371 open issues in the repositoryThe repository has 1,371 open issues. For a game engine of this scope, that backlog may reflect areas with known limitations, unresolved edge cases, or long-standing feature requests that have not been prioritized.
-Much smaller content ecosystem than MinecraftMinecraft's official marketplace, years of community mods, and established server communities far exceed what Luanti provides by default. Teams migrating from Minecraft will find fewer ready-made mods, assets, and game modes available.
-Source build required for engine modificationsThe README documents compiling from source on Linux, Windows, and macOS for anyone who wants to modify the C++ engine. While end-user binary downloads and Docker server deployment are available, engine contributors need a full C++ build environment.

versus alternatives

Luanti vs alternatives#

Luanti vs Minecraft

Both tools let players and creators work in voxel-based environments, but they serve different audiences. Luanti is a free, open source game engine for creating and hosting custom voxel games; Minecraft is a commercial platform for playing and lightly modding a fixed-feature game owned by Microsoft.

Feature	Luanti	Minecraft
License	LGPL-2.1-or-later (source)	Proprietary
Cost	Free	Paid
Self-hosting	Yes, with Docker support	Yes, requires Microsoft account
Modding API	Lua	Java (Forge, Fabric) or Bedrock Add-Ons
Account requirement	None	Microsoft account required
Engine source	Open, forkable under LGPL	Closed
Commercial mod distribution	Permitted (LGPL terms apply)	Restricted by Microsoft EULA

Luanti is the better choice when the goal is building a custom voxel game, distributing it independently with commercial rights, or running a private multiplayer server without Microsoft account requirements. The LGPL license permits commercial use and redistribution, and the Lua scripting API lets modders work without a C++ or Java build environment.

Minecraft remains the better fit for teams that need its established content ecosystem, the official marketplace, or cross-platform play with the broader Minecraft player base. Minecraft's polish, official world generation, and decade-long library of community mods far exceed what Luanti provides by default. Programs using Minecraft: Education Edition benefit from Microsoft's official curriculum materials and institutional support, which have no equivalent in Luanti.

install · quick start

Quick start#

bash

Download the game client installer or archive for Windows, Linux, or macOS from GitHub Releases: https://github.com/luanti-org/luanti/releases/latest

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: CC++JavaLua

frequently asked

FAQ#

Is Luanti the same as Minetest?

Yes. Luanti is the direct continuation of Minetest under a new name. The project was renamed from Minetest to Luanti, and existing Minetest mods and games remain compatible with the current codebase. The community forum, documentation, and contribution history carry over.

What license is the Luanti source code under?

The engine source is licensed under LGPL-2.1-or-later, permitting use, modification, and redistribution for commercial purposes, provided modifications to LGPL-covered code are shared under the same license. Game assets such as textures and sounds are under CC BY-SA 3.0 or 4.0, requiring attribution and share-alike on derivative works. There are no restrictions on self-hosting or internal commercial use.

Can I run a multiplayer Luanti server for free?

Yes. The project documents Docker-based server deployment, and the server binary runs natively on Linux. No external account, subscription, or per-user license is required to host a private or public multiplayer server.

Does Luanti use Lua for modding?

Yes. Game logic, items, entities, and world generation are scriptable in Lua through the engine's scripting API. Modders can customize gameplay without modifying the C++ engine source, and game creators can build complete standalone titles using the Lua scripting layer.

How does Luanti's modding compare to Minecraft's?

Luanti's Lua API gives modders direct access to game logic without compiling C++, and the LGPL-2.1-or-later license permits distributing modified builds commercially. Minecraft's modding community (Forge, Fabric) is significantly larger but requires working within Microsoft's licensing terms and uses Java. Minetest and Luanti mods are not compatible with Minecraft and run in a separate ecosystem.

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Luanti vs Minecraft

Feature	Luanti	Minecraft
License	LGPL-2.1-or-later (source)	Proprietary
Cost	Free	Paid
Self-hosting	Yes, with Docker support	Yes, requires Microsoft account
Modding API	Lua	Java (Forge, Fabric) or Bedrock Add-Ons
Account requirement	None	Microsoft account required
Engine source	Open, forkable under LGPL	Closed
Commercial mod distribution	Permitted (LGPL terms apply)	Restricted by Microsoft EULA