
Pterodactyl is a powerful, open-source game server management panel. Our OS templates ship with Pterodactyl pre-installed — you can get started right away.
Support notice: Our servers are self-managed. Our support covers the hardware and network connectivity of your server. For questions about configuring and using Pterodactyl itself, please refer to the official resources:
Pterodactyl uses a few key terms you should know before getting started:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Panel | The web-based interface where you manage everything — servers, users, and resources. |
| Node | The physical server that runs game server instances. Your server must first be configured as a Node. |
| Nest | A category grouping game types — e.g. "Minecraft" or "Valheim". |
| Egg | The specific server configuration within a Nest — e.g. "Paper" or "BungeeCord" within Minecraft. |
| Server | The actual game server instances that your users play on. |
| Allocation | An IP address and port combination assigned to a server so players can connect to it. |
Pterodactyl offers a comprehensive set of features for game server hosting:
All available Pterodactyl guides at a glance: