Command & Conquer: Red Alert: 5 Open Source Clones Compared

These five projects take different approaches to reviving Red Alert. Electronic Arts' own open-sourced release is the official engine code, but as published it doesn't fully compile and needs restoration work, and playing the compiled binaries still requires owning the game via EA App or Steam. OpenRA doesn't attempt a straight reimplementation at all — it's a separate engine that ships its own reworked mods (including a Red Alert-inspired one) with no original assets needed, active development, and online multiplayer. Vanilla-Conquer and OpenRedAlert both aim for closer fidelity to the original executables and need original data files (a freeware Gold CD/demo for Vanilla-Conquer, the CD's MAIN.MIX/REDALERT.MIX for OpenRedAlert), while Chronoshift is tied to a specific compiler (Watcom) and a specific patch (English 3.03 beta) and has had no development activity in years.

Comparison table

OpenRA

Availability

Status: Playable
Platforms: Windows, Linux, OSX
Play in browser: No
Mobile: No

Project health

Development status: Active
Last updated: today
Stars: 17,376
Contributors: 448
License: GPL-3.0
Engine: —

Compatibility

Requires original assets: NoDistributes its own mods including reimaginings of Command & Conquer games.
Modding support: YesSupports custom map creation, scripted missions via Lua API, and mod development through OpenRA Mod SDK.
Multiplayer: Online

Command and Conquer: Red Alert

Availability

Status: Playable
Platforms: Windows
Play in browser: No
Mobile: No

Project health

Development status: Archived
Last updated: 2y ago
Stars: 6,702
Contributors: 1
License: —
Engine: —

Compatibility

Requires original assets: NoCompiled binaries require owning the game, available on EA App or Steam.
Modding support: —
Multiplayer: —

Vanilla-Conquer

Availability

Status: Playable
Platforms: Windows, Linux, OSX
Play in browser: YesPlay in Browser
Mobile: No

Project health

Development status: Active
Last updated: 2mo ago
Stars: 462
Contributors: 38
License: —
Engine: SDL2

Compatibility

Requires original assets: YesThe freeware Gold CD release for Tiberian Dawn or the freeware Red Alert CD release/demo is required to play the games.
Modding support: —
Multiplayer: Multiplayer

Chronoshift

Availability

Status: Playable
Platforms: Windows
Play in browser: No
Mobile: No

Project health

Development status: Archived
Last updated: 6y ago
Stars: 175
Contributors: 6
License: GPL-2.0
Engine: —

Compatibility

Requires original assets: YesThis project uses the original binary to provide functions not yet implemented, and requires an original copy of the game.
Modding support: —
Multiplayer: —

OpenRedAlert

Availability

Status: Semi-playable
Platforms: Windows, Linux
Play in browser: No
Mobile: No

Project health

Development status: Halted
Last updated: 11y ago
Stars: 25
Contributors: 4
License: GPL-2.0
Engine: SDL2

Compatibility

Requires original assets: YesRequires MAIN.MIX and REDALERT.MIX files from original Red Alert CD.
Modding support: —
Multiplayer: —

Title	OpenRA	Command and Conquer: Red Alert	Vanilla-Conquer	Chronoshift	OpenRedAlert
Status	Playable	Playable	Playable	Playable	Semi-playable
Platforms	Windows, Linux, OSX	Windows	Windows, Linux, OSX	Windows	Windows, Linux
Play in browser	No	No	YesPlay in Browser	No	No
Mobile	No	No	No	No	No
Project health
Development status	Active	Archived	Active	Archived	Halted
Last updated	today	2y ago	2mo ago	6y ago	11y ago
Stars	17,376	6,702	462	175	25
Contributors	448	1	38	6	4
License	GPL-3.0	—	—	GPL-2.0	GPL-2.0
Engine	—	—	SDL2	—	SDL2
Compatibility
Requires original assets	NoDistributes its own mods including reimaginings of Command & Conquer games.	NoCompiled binaries require owning the game, available on EA App or Steam.	YesThe freeware Gold CD release for Tiberian Dawn or the freeware Red Alert CD release/demo is required to play the games.	YesThis project uses the original binary to provide functions not yet implemented, and requires an original copy of the game.	YesRequires MAIN.MIX and REDALERT.MIX files from original Red Alert CD.
Modding support	YesSupports custom map creation, scripted missions via Lua API, and mod development through OpenRA Mod SDK.	—	—	—	—
Multiplayer	Online	—	Multiplayer	—	—
Preview

Known limitations

Command and Conquer: Red Alert

compatibility: Source code does not fully compile; restoration effort required.

Chronoshift

platform: Currently only builds correctly with Watcom compiler; MinGW-w64 and MSVC may generate DLLs incompatible with the original game binary.
platform: Native support for Linux and macOS is planned for the future but not currently available; Wine usage is untested.

Frequently asked questions

Are the Command & Conquer: Red Alert clones on this page open source?

Yes — every clone catalogued here is an open-source project. Availability, license, and development-status details for each one are listed in the comparison table above.

What license do these Command & Conquer: Red Alert clones use?

OpenRA (GPL-3.0); Chronoshift and OpenRedAlert (GPL-2.0).

Do I need to own the original Command & Conquer: Red Alert to play these clones?

OpenRA and Command and Conquer: Red Alert run standalone, no original files needed; Vanilla-Conquer, Chronoshift, and OpenRedAlert require original game assets to play.

Can I play any of these Command & Conquer: Red Alert clones directly in a browser?

Yes — Vanilla-Conquer has a browser-playable build linked in the comparison table above, no install required.

Which Command & Conquer: Red Alert clone is the most actively maintained?

OpenRA and Vanilla-Conquer are currently under active development, based on recent commit activity. See the "Development status" row above for every clone's current status.

See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to Command & Conquer: Red Alert.