| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · Minecraft Server Software | 7.7 (#12) | 7.2 (#18) |
| Open source | Glowstone is released under the MIT license, and the project says its code is original rather than based on internal Minecraft code. | PurpurMC describes itself as an open source organization, and the documentation says project patches are MIT licensed unless patch headers say otherwise. |
| Product | Glowstone is a lightweight, open-source Minecraft server written in Java for Minecraft: Java Edition. | Purpur is configurable Minecraft server software based on Paper, with gameplay features for server owners to customize. |
| Support | The maker directs users to its documentation, FAQ, and Discord chat for help. | The project directs users to its Discord and accepts bug reports and feature requests through GitHub. |