HelmForge review
A free panel for self-hosters who need provisioning, backups and access controls.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
HelmForge is a self-hosted control panel for Dockerised dedicated game servers running on your own hardware. It suits individuals and teams that want to create, manage and update game servers through a web interface rather than configure each deployment manually. The panel runs on web and Linux, supports multi-node agents, and provides built-in templates for Palworld, Minecraft Java, Minecraft Modded, Minecraft Bedrock, Space Engineers, Empyrion, Star Rupture, VEIN and HumanitZ. Custom YAML templates extend its scope to additional containerised dedicated servers.
The published Self-host plan costs 0 forever and includes all nine built-in game templates, unlimited servers, custom templates and multi-node agents. It also includes backups, scheduling, updates, a file manager, a configuration editor and a browser-based live console. There is no paid tier described, so the product's value is concentrated in self-hosted operation and the included administrative features. That makes the pricing straightforward for users comfortable providing and maintaining their own infrastructure.
HelmForge's strongest fit is operational control: scheduled backups and updates cover recurring maintenance, while role-based access control, audit logging and TOTP two-factor authentication add administrative safeguards. Integrations with Cloudflare Tunnel, SMTP, SFTP, SMB, cloud storage and webhooks support connectivity, notifications and file or storage workflows. The main boundary is breadth: built-in coverage is limited to nine named games, and mod or plugin management is not verified. Choose HelmForge for free, self-hosted basics with custom templates and multi-node management; choose an alternative if broad game coverage or confirmed mod and plugin tooling is central to your requirements.
HelmForge pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free Self-host plan with unlimited servers and custom templates
- Multi-node management with provisioning, backups, scheduling and updates
- 2FA, RBAC, audit logs and browser-based live console
- Where it doesn't
- Self-hosted deployment requires your own hardware
- Built-in game coverage is limited to nine named templates
- Mod and plugin management is not verified
HelmForge fact sheet, pricing and score →
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