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FTEQW

Free plan AndroidLinuxMacSelf-hostedWindows

Visit FTEQW Alternatives Pricing

FTEQW's own site

What FTEQW is

FTEQW is a portable, free and open-source Quake engine for idTech-based games and games created for the engine. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, with source code provided under the GNU General Public License version 2. The engine supports single-player and multiplayer play, including split-screen local multiplayer, and lists Quake, QuakeWorld, Quake II, Quake III Arena and Hexen II. It handles many map, model and image formats, while plugins can add FFMPEG and Bullet or ODE physics. Developer features include QuakeC, entity debugging and integration with FTEQCC, which can run in-game. Voice chat uses Opus and Speex. The project says a single server can support hundreds of players, and documents building a dedicated server with `make sv-rel`. Windows builds can use MSYS2 or Cygwin; Linux and BSD builds use make targets. Hosted binaries statically link many dependencies for portability and link recent libc versions for security. Contact channels include Matrix, IRC, Discord and XMPP.

Who it suits

FTEQW suits players and developers who want a portable Quake engine across desktop and Android systems. Its multiplayer, modding, plugin and dedicated-server features also fit community or game-development projects.

What it does well

  • Free and open source under GPLv2
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android
  • Supports split-screen local multiplayer
  • Includes QuakeC and entity debugging
  • Dedicated server build is documented

What to know first

  • Builds require platform-specific dependencies
  • It focuses on listed Quake and idTech games
  • No separate paid support is listed

Plans

PlanBilled and limitsPrice
Free/open-source downloadQuakeWorld-compatible client and server · Source code availableFree

As fteqw.org lists them, read 24 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

FTEQW combines broad platform support with single-player, multiplayer and developer tooling for Quake-related games. Its open-source code, plugin support and documented server build make it suitable for both playing and extending these engines.

Facts from FTEQW's own pages

Build dependencies
The compiling guide says Windows builds can use MSYS2 or Cygwin, and Linux/BSD builds use make targets. · fteqw.org, 11 Oct 2026
Dedicated server
The compiling guide documents building a dedicated server binary with `make sv-rel`. · fteqw.org, 11 Oct 2026
Developer tools
FTEQW includes QuakeC and entity debugging features and integrates with FTEQCC, which can run in-game. · fteqw.org, 11 Oct 2026
Formats
The engine supports a wide range of map, model, and image formats. · fteqw.org, 11 Oct 2026
Free plan
Yes · fteqw.org, 24 Sept 2026
Game support
The site lists Quake, QuakeWorld, Quake II, Quake III Arena, and Hexen II. · fteqw.org, 11 Oct 2026
License
The GitHub project README says FTEQW is provided under GNU General Public License version 2. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Mobile export
Yes · fteqw.org, 24 Sept 2026
Multiplayer
It supports single-player and multiplayer, including split-screen local multiplayer. · fteqw.org, 11 Oct 2026
Multiplayer tools
Yes · fteqw.org, 24 Sept 2026
Platforms
The site lists Windows and Linux downloads and says the engine also works on OpenBSD and more. · fteqw.org, 11 Oct 2026
Plugins
Plugin support enables use of FFMPEG, Bullet and ODE physics, among other plugins. · fteqw.org, 11 Oct 2026
Purpose
FTEQW is a portable Quake engine that runs games based on idTech and games created for the engine. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Security and portability
The compiling guide says hosted binaries statically link many dependencies for portability and link recent libc versions for security. · fteqw.org, 11 Oct 2026
Server capacity
The site says FTEQW supports hundreds of players on a single server. · fteqw.org, 11 Oct 2026
Source code model
open_source · fteqw.org, 24 Sept 2026
Support
The project lists Matrix, IRC, Discord, and XMPP contact channels on its site. · fteqw.org, 11 Oct 2026
Target platforms
Windows,macOS,Linux,Android · fteqw.org, 24 Sept 2026
Voice chat
Voice chat uses Opus and Speex. · fteqw.org, 11 Oct 2026

Where FTEQW stands on Freedom251

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