Pterodactyl vs Pelican vs Calagopus: Which Panel Fits Your Servers?

Looking for a Pterodactyl alternative? Start with the migration work, not a feature list. Pterodactyl 1.x is still the stable line, Pterodactyl 2.0 is in open beta, Pelican 1.0 offers a closely related path, and Calagopus uses a different panel architecture. All three can run game servers, but your billing integrations, themes, extensions and rollback plan determine whether a move is sensible.

This comparison reflects the projects' published documentation on 24 October 2026. Check each project's release notes before touching a live panel.

Stay on Pterodactyl when stability matters most

If your current 1.x panel and Wings are working, there is no need to migrate solely because another panel exists. Keep the panel patched, back up its database and server files, and test any major-version upgrade separately. The latest 1.x release at the time of writing is 1.15.2, a security release. See our 1.15 update checklist and the official releases.

Pterodactyl 2.0 brings a supported extension system and themes, but it is still a beta. Its upgrade guide recommends testing a copy first and checking billing modules and extensions. An old 1.x code modification does not become a v2 extension automatically.

Choose Pelican for a documented in-place database migration

Pelican is a Pterodactyl fork with its own panel and plugin system. Its migration guide describes upgrading a Pterodactyl database in place while carrying over users, servers, nodes, eggs, backups and other core records. The database migration cannot simply be undone, so make a restorable database and file backup before starting.

Pelican's migration also changes Wings, webserver configuration, queue workers and scheduled tasks. Themes and panel modifications do not carry over. Its FAQ says Blueprint extensions do not work with Pelican. Inventory every addon and API integration before treating the migration as complete.

Choose Calagopus when its architecture and extension model fit

Calagopus uses a React frontend and Rust backend. Its Pterodactyl importer reads a source database and writes records into a fresh Calagopus database. Run its dry-run and review repaired or skipped records before importing. It does not migrate API keys or active sessions; integrations using the Pterodactyl API need changes.

Calagopus extensions are native .c7s.zip packages, not Pterodactyl or Blueprint addons. Installing them requires the heavy Docker image or a development environment because the panel compiles extension code. Read the Calagopus extensions guide before selecting a theme or addon.

A migration checklist that applies to all three

1. List your current panel version, Wings version, eggs, billing module, API consumers, themes and addons.
2. Make a restorable database backup and copy panel configuration and server files.
3. Build a staging copy and test login, allocations, backups, billing provisioning, server start and file access.
4. Write a rollback plan before changing DNS, webserver routing or production databases.
5. Follow the destination project's own migration guide for the version you actually run.

If you're still comparing options, read our Pterodactyl v2 overview and Calagopus review. Our resource catalog labels products by panel and major version so you can check compatibility before buying.