Question 1

Is Luanti free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, entirely. Luanti is open-source under LGPL-2.1 with no purchase, subscription, account requirement or advertising. Every game mode in the content browser is also free.

Question 2

Is Luanti the same as Minetest?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Minetest was renamed to Luanti in 2024. It is the same project with the same engine and content ecosystem.

Question 3

Is Luanti a good Minecraft alternative?

Accepted Answer

It is the strongest free one, with important caveats. It is smaller, faster, runs on far weaker hardware, has first-class Lua modding, and cannot be shut down. But it is an engine with hundreds of community game modes rather than one curated game, so the default experience is sparse — install a game mode before judging it.

Question 4

Why does Luanti feel empty when I start it?

Accepted Answer

Because vanilla Luanti is a platform, not a finished game. Open the content browser, install a game mode such as MineClone or a survival pack, and start a world with that instead. The default sandbox is not representative.

Question 5

Can Luanti run on a Raspberry Pi?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Luanti runs on Raspberry Pi and other low-powered hardware, which is one of its clearest practical advantages over Minecraft.

Question 6

Does Luanti have multiplayer?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Luanti has multiplayer. You can join a public community server from the PlayBound server browser, have PlayBound start a dedicated server for your group, and host a game on your own PC. PlayBound Connect handles the setup: start a party with your friends, pick how you want to play, and everyone launches into the same game from the PlayBound launcher, with the dedicated server started for you if you choose one. It also supports cross-play. There is no subscription and no paid multiplayer tier.

Guides

Guides

Luanti