Hexfolk
Hexfolk or colonist.io

Hexfolk as an alternative to colonist.io

Hexfolk is a free alternative to colonist.io: also a settlers game in the browser, but with all expansions and 6 island maps available without a membership, 2 to 8 players and bots on four levels. According to its store, colonist.io offers a membership that gives access to all maps and expansions. This comparison only states facts published on colonist.io itself, as of October 2026.

Two settlers games in the browser

On its homepage colonist.io describes itself as a free online alternative to the well-known board game Catan, playable alone or with others, with no download and no sign-up. Hexfolk follows a similar idea: a settlers game that runs in the browser without installation and starts straight away.

The main verifiable difference lies in the business model and in access to maps and expansions. Hexfolk is an independent game and is affiliated neither with colonist.io nor with CATAN GmbH, Catan Studio or Kosmos.

Side by side

	Hexfolk	colonist.io (according to colonist.io, 13 Oct 2026)
Classic game	free	free
First game without signing up	yes, as a guest against bots	yes, the homepage says no sign-up is required
Platform	browser on phone, tablet and PC	browser, plus its own app
Players	2 to 8	the rules page lists modes for 4 as well as for 5 to 6 and 7 to 8 players
Expansions	Ships & Islands, Knights & Keeps, Chocolate Market, all free and combinable	the rules page lists a seafaring and a knights expansion plus the Colonist Rush mode
Access to all maps and expansions	no membership, 6 island maps free, 17 more with coins earned in games	through the membership
Business model	Ranked as a one-off purchase, Shop only with coins earned in games	monthly or annual membership, store with expansions, maps, colours, avatars and coins
Membership in games with friends	no membership	according to the store, one membership per game is enough
Bots	4 levels: Easy, Medium, Hard, Master	single player possible, according to the homepage
Leaderboards	Ranked with ranks from Bronze to Master	leaderboards available
Custom maps	Map Workshop with a public Map Exchange	no information found
Languages	16	no information found

Prices for the colonist.io membership don't appear in the text served on its store page, so they are left out here. What colonist.io offers may change. The site itself is always authoritative, and the sources are listed below.

What Hexfolk offers

The points below describe Hexfolk. Verified differences from colonist.io are in the table above.

Everything playable is free: expansions, scenarios and games with friends cost nothing. There is no membership and there are no adverts.
Four bot levels: from an easy bot for practice to the planning Master, which also knows the expansions. You can play against bots as a guest too.
Its own expansions and names: Ships & Islands with 7 scenarios, Knights & Keeps and the Chocolate Market with five boards, freely combinable.
Map Workshop: build your own islands, test them against bots and share them with everyone in the Map Exchange.
16 languages: interface, rules and tutorials in 16 languages.

Where colonist.io is a good fit

colonist.io is an established platform. Its homepage shows live how many people are online and how many games are played each day. If you already have friends, leaderboard positions or a membership there, you have good reasons to stay.

If you'd rather install the game as an app on your phone, colonist.io has one of its own. Hexfolk currently runs in the browser. With its Colonist Rush mode, colonist.io also offers a way to play that Hexfolk doesn't have.

Getting started with Hexfolk

Open hexfolk.de and tap "Play as guest" to start a game against bots right away.
Do the tutorial in the main menu. In about five minutes you'll know your way around.
Create a free account to play online with friends.
Open a lobby and share the link or code. Bots fill any empty seats.

If you know the genre, the rules will feel familiar. Where Hexfolk differs in the details is covered in the rules. The FAQ answers questions about accounts and costs.

Sources

All information about colonist.io comes from colonist.io itself, accessed on 13 October 2026. Information about Hexfolk reflects the state as of October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hexfolk a good colonist.io alternative?

If you want to play for free with all expansions, build your own maps or practise against bots on four levels, yes. The classic game and the controls will feel familiar quickly.

Do I need a subscription for Hexfolk?

No. Hexfolk has no membership. The only thing you can buy with money is Ranked, a one-off purchase for rated games.

Can I bring my colonist.io progress with me?

No. Hexfolk and colonist.io are independent games, and accounts and leaderboards can't be transferred.