CKAN vs Gale Mod Manager
CKAN
github.comGale Mod Manager
github.comSide by side
| Figure | CKAN | Gale Mod Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Mod managers | 8.8 (#4) | 8.6 (#9) |
| Spec score · Game Mod Managers | 8.8 (#5) | 8.6 (#10) |
| Automatic updates | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment method | copy | link |
| Integrations | The project lists connections on Internet Archive, Coveralls, NuGet, Crowdin, and Docker Hub. | Gale uses Thunderstore's API and supports the Thunderstore “Install with Mod Manager” button. |
| Mod source access | built-in | built-in |
| Platforms | The CKAN client is built for .NET using Mono and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. | The README provides Windows and Linux installation instructions, including Linux packages for Debian, Fedora, Flatpak, and AppImage. |
| Purpose | CKAN is a repository of Kerbal Space Program mod metadata and tools for finding, installing, and managing mods. | Gale is a mod manager for Thunderstore games. |
| Security | The project says it uses a free code-signing service and received a free code-signing certificate from the SignPath Foundation. | The GitHub Security page says the project has no detected security policy and no published security advisories. |
| Support | The project directs users to troubleshooting documentation, GitHub issues, and its Discord server for help with the client. | The FAQ directs users who still have issues to the Gale Discord server. |
| Supported platforms | multi-platform | multi-platform |
Plans
In their own words
CKAN
CKAN helps Kerbal Space Program players find, install, and manage mods through a client connected to an online registry. Users can refresh the registry and search by mod name, identifier, author, or relationships. CKAN uses mod metadata to select mods for the game version, install dependencies, and identify conflicts or incompatibilities. By default, a mod must be marked compatible with the exact game version; users can choose additional compatible versions, and an All filter can display incompatible mods. The client provides graphical, console, and command-line interfaces. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with installation options for several Linux distributions. The executable can manage game installations from any folder; placing it in a game folder supports portable use. Mod authors can contribute or correct metadata. CKAN is open source and MIT-licensed, and is free. On macOS 10.15 and later, the console interface is the default because the graphical interface depends on a 32-bit WinForms application in Mono.
Gale Mod Manager
Gale Mod Manager is a free tool for managing mods for games on Thunderstore and Hexium; its maker says it supports more than 150 games. It can download, install, update, remove, and launch mods and dependencies within profiles without changing base game files. The settings editor presents many mod options as checkboxes, sliders, and fields instead of raw text. Profiles can be imported or exported as codes and files compatible with r2modman and Thunderstore Mod Manager, and Gale can detect those managers and transfer profiles. Profiles can also be exported as modpacks for Thunderstore, which requires a Thunderstore account and free API token. Games can launch through Steam or Epic Games, or directly from an executable; Direct mode offers multiple-instance and launch-delay options. Gale links mod files across profiles to store one copy of each mod. It is available for Linux and Windows, and the project says the app itself uses about 15 MB. Native Steam games on Linux may need extra manual setup, currently limited to BepInEx. Windows requires Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime.