Choosing a donation panel for a Lineage 2 server

Most Lineage 2 donation panels are self-hosted scripts, webshops bundled with a pack, or hosted platforms. The main difference is which parts you maintain.

Self-hosted scripts and pack webshops

The classic route: a PHP panel or a forum-released webshop, running on your own VPS next to the site. You control the code and maintain:

• The payment integration. Your server holds the Stripe or PayPal credentials and exposes the IPN/webhook endpoint. When the processor changes an API (they do), you patch it.
• Delivery correctness. Most scripts deliver by writing SQL into the game database, which can fail in specific, well-documented ways: it doesn't reach an online player, and on retail binaries it doesn't reach anyone without an extender polling a queue.
• Security. A panel that takes cards is the most attacked thing you run, on the same box as your site. Older or unmaintained packages carry additional risk.

None of this is a reason it can't work. Plenty of servers run patched scripts for years. It is a reason to include maintenance time in the comparison. See what a donation panel actually costs for that math.

Hosted platforms

A hosted panel such as Forgeport handles hosting, updates, and platform security. Delivery goes through a connector into the game process or the game's own queue instead of raw SQL. You pay a flat fee for that (€19.99–29.99/month in Forgeport's case, with 0% of sales taken, since payments land in your own Stripe or crypto-gateway account).

For a small or new server, a flat fee can cost more than maintaining a script. The hosted option reduces the work required for delivery, payments, and platform uptime. What the hosted store covers is summarized on the donation store for private game servers page.

How to decide

Compare monthly donations, processor fees, maintenance time, and failed deliveries. Below roughly €150–200/month in donations, a trusted script may cost less. At higher volume, a flat fee may be the cheaper option. The capabilities reference lists what delivery through the connector covers, so you can compare against what your script actually does.