Nearcade vs WolvenKit
Nearcade
github.comWolvenKit
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Nearcade | WolvenKit |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 2 |
| Spec score · ROM Management Software | 7.9 (#8) | 8.0 (#6) |
| License | The Nearcade repository is published under the GPL-3.0 license. | The source code is open source under the GPL-3.0 license. |
| Purpose | Nearcade is an open-source, self-hosted platform for playing local co-op games over the internet with friends. | WolvenKit is an open-source modding tool for Cyberpunk 2077 designed to simplify and accelerate modding workflows. |
| Support | The repository links setup guides, host usage instructions, API and setup documentation, and VPS server setup instructions. | The project directs users to its wiki, getting-started guides, Discord community, and a dedicated help channel. |
| What it does | Nearcade is an open-source, self-hosted platform for playing local co-op games over the internet with friends. | WolvenKit is a community mod editor for REDengine games, currently focused on Cyberpunk 2077. |
Plans
In their own words
Nearcade
Nearcade is a free, open-source, self-hosted platform for playing local co-op games over the internet with friends. A host runs the game, while viewers join from a desktop or mobile web browser without installing a client. Streaming uses WebCodecs or WebRTC and peer-to-peer connections. Hosts can allow gamepad input, raw keyboard and mouse, or keyboard and mouse mapped to a virtual gamepad; mobile viewers get touch controls and a virtual joystick. Sessions can use private Cloudflare or Zrok tunnels, or appear in the public Nearcade Arcade lobby. Public Arcade sessions are limited to 80 minutes and require a verified tunneling provider. A host needs Node.js 18 or newer and Python 3. Linux also requires PipeWire and the uinput module, while Windows gamepad support requires ViGEmBus. Linux is listed as production-stable; Windows and macOS are experimental, and macOS lacks gamepad support. The project is published under GPL-3.0 and provides setup, usage, API, and VPS server documentation.
WolvenKit
WolvenKit is a free, open-source modding tool focused on Cyberpunk 2077 and REDengine 4. It can browse, extract, modify and repack game files into archives for use in the game. The Asset Browser previews meshes and textures from base-game or user-generated archives. Its RTTI-based File Editor reads and saves REDengine files, handles in-place buffer data, and converts game files to human-readable JSON and back. Project Explorer organizes files and opens source assets such as blend, PSD and XCF files. Asset conversion tools cover listed texture and model formats, with Blender one-click imports for shaded Cyberpunk meshes. Stable and nightly builds come through GitHub releases. Windows 10/11 64-bit and Linux are supported, although Linux compatibility is described as unstable and not guaranteed. The latest .NET 10.0 runtime and x64 architecture are required.