Free Catan alternatives, honestly compared
Eight browser games in the same family — ours included — by price, expansions, players, bots, accounts and mobile. Pick by what you actually want.
If you search for a free alternative to Catan or to Colonist you get a page of sites each calling itself the best one. This is a comparison instead. New Shores is on it, and we say plainly where another site is the better pick. Every fact about another game comes from that game’s own site in October 2026; where a site does not state something, the table says “not stated” rather than guessing.
The comparison
| Game | Price | Expansions | Players | Bots | Account | Where it runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Shores | Free — no ads, no membership | 11 seafaring scenarios + full Cities & Knights, all included | 2–6 | Yes — easy / medium / hard | None (Google sign-in optional, for stats only) | Browser, with a purpose-built phone layout |
| Colonist | Free base game; maps and expansions via membership | Behind membership (per its site) | Not stated on its homepage | Yes | Login prominent; guest play exists | Browser + mobile apps |
| TwoSheep | Free | Seafarers and Fishermen, plus 100+ custom rules (per its site) | Not stated | Yes (AI) | Not stated | Browser, no download |
| Hexed | Free | Not stated | Not stated | Yes (fast AI) | Not stated | Browser |
| HexaColony | Free | Not stated | 3–4 free-for-all, 1v1, 2v2 teams | Yes — 17 AI opponents in 5 tiers | Guest play, or Google / Discord / X | Browser on phone and PC |
| Landover II | Free-to-play | Seafarers; daily turn-based games | Up to 8 | Yes — varied skill levels and personalities | Not stated | iOS, Android, PC, browser, Steam |
| Settlr | Free — no paywalls, no ads (per its site) | Cities & Knights | Up to 8 (per its blog) | Not stated | Login / register shown | Browser + iOS app |
| Pioneers of New World | Free | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Browser |
Pick by what you want
- New Shores — Every expansion free, a game with friends in ten seconds.
- Colonist — Finding a game against strangers at any hour — the biggest player pool by far.
- TwoSheep — Custom maps and house rules.
- Hexed — Ranked ladders, tournaments and replays with engine analysis.
- HexaColony — Team modes and a rated solo ladder against AI.
- Landover II — Eight-player tables and native apps.
- Settlr — Cities & Knights with large tables.
- Pioneers of New World — Worldwide multiplayer and free tournaments.
What New Shores is, and is not
Since this is our page, the honest version. New Shores includes every map and both expansions free, needs no account, starts a game with friends from one shared link, runs on a phone without an app, and snapshots tables so a server restart does not end a game. What it does not have: a public matchmaking queue (you play with people you invite, or bots), ranked ladders, tournaments, or a native app. If instant games against strangers are the point, pick Colonist. If every expansion free and a table in ten seconds is the point, this is worth a tab. New Shores vs Colonist →
| Price | Free. No ads, no premium tier, no expansion to unlock. |
|---|---|
| Account | None needed. Signing in with Google is optional and only keeps your stats. |
| Install | None. It runs in the browser on desktop and phone. |
| Maps | Fifteen, across three families — three base boards, eleven seafaring scenarios, and one knights-and-commodities board. All of them → |
| Players | 2 to 6, depending on the map. Play with friends over a shared link. |
| Solo play | Fill any seat with a bot at easy, medium or hard. |
| Not here | No public matchmaking queue, no ranked ladder, no tournaments, no native app, no official artwork. |
How we compared
We read each site’s own homepage and, where it has one, its feature or pricing page, and recorded only what it states. We did not play ranked seasons or count player pools ourselves. If a site has changed since October 2026, or you run one of these games and a row is wrong, tell us through the feedback button and we will correct it.
Common questions
- What is the best free Catan alternative?
- It depends on what you want. For a game against strangers right now, Colonist's player pool is unmatched. For every expansion free with no account, New Shores. For ranked play, Hexed. For eight-player tables or a native app, Landover. For custom house rules, TwoSheep. The table above is built so you can pick by your own need rather than ours.
- Which free alternatives include Cities & Knights?
- Of the sites we checked, New Shores and Settlr state they include Cities & Knights at no cost. Colonist offers expansions through a membership. The others do not state it on their sites.
- Which free alternatives include Seafarers?
- New Shores (eight scenarios), TwoSheep and Landover state seafaring content on their sites. Colonist offers maps through a membership.
- Is there a free Colonist alternative with no account?
- Yes. New Shores needs no account at all — you type a name and share a link. HexaColony offers guest play. Several others show a login but do not state whether it is required.
- Can I play any of these on a phone without an app?
- New Shores and HexaColony both run in a phone browser with a layout built for it. Landover and Settlr also offer native apps.
- Are any of these the official Catan?
- No. Every game here is an independent implementation of the same family of settlement rules. The official digital product is Catan Universe. None of the sites above, including this one, is affiliated with Catan GmbH or Catan Studio.
New Shores is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or connected to Catan GmbH, Catan Studio, Colonist or any other game publisher. Other games are named only to describe what kind of game this is and to compare it honestly.