head to head · open source
MonoGame vs azerothcore-wotlk
MonoGame has 14,433 GitHub stars, 3,108 forks, 766 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. azerothcore-wotlk has 8,936 stars, 3,802 forks, 2,445 open issues and last shipped today. MonoGame leads on adoption by 62% (14,433 vs 8,936 stars). MonoGame is written in C# under a custom or non-standard licence; azerothcore-wotlk is written in C++ under GPL-2.0. MonoGame has attracted 22% as many forks as stars, azerothcore-wotlk 43%. azerothcore-wotlk was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| MonoGame | azerothcore-wotlk | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 14K | ★ 8.9K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | C# | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-16 | 2026-09-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.1K | ⑂ 3.8K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick MonoGame if
- You weight community size — 14K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick azerothcore-wotlk if
- You want the azerothcore-wotlk feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and azerothcore-wotlk fits your workflow better
About MonoGame
MonoGame is a free, open source C and .NET game framework for building cross platform games. It lives in the .NET game development ecosystem and is positioned as one framework for creating games on desktop PCs, mobile devices, and consoles. It is an open source re implementation of Microsoft's discontinued XNA Framework, used to create games such as Streets of Rage 4, Carrion, Celeste, and Stardew Valley.
read the full MonoGame overview →
About azerothcore-wotlk
AzerothCore (azerothcore wotlk) is an open source, modular C++ game server and framework that recreates the World of Warcraft patch 3.3.5a experience, built for people who want to run and extend their own MMORPG server rather than pay for one.
read the full azerothcore-wotlk overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is MonoGame or azerothcore-wotlk more popular?
MonoGame has 14,433 GitHub stars and azerothcore-wotlk has 8,936. MonoGame has the larger community by that measure.
Are MonoGame and azerothcore-wotlk free?
Both are open source. MonoGame has no licence declared in this registry, and azerothcore-wotlk is licensed under GPL-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between MonoGame and azerothcore-wotlk?
MonoGame is written in C# and azerothcore-wotlk in C++. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, MonoGame or azerothcore-wotlk?
Choose MonoGame if you want the larger community (14,433 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose azerothcore-wotlk if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.