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Clickteam Fusion vs Pico-8

C

Clickteam Fusion

Software

Professional visual game development software

From
$99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pico-8 logo

Pico-8

Software

A fantasy console for making, sharing and playing tiny games

From
$14.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Clickteam Fusion listed on Steam, the vendor's own storefront, at $99.99 for a perpetual licence of Clickteam Fusion 2.5, published directly by Clickteam; Pico-8 extremely limited display resolution of 128x128 pixels with 16-colour palette
  • They diverge on capability: Clickteam Fusion covers Visual event system, Pico-8 covers Pixel art editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clickteam Fusion and Pico-8 actually diverge.

Attributes where Clickteam Fusion and Pico-8 differ
AttributeClickteam FusionPico-8
Starting price$99/one-time$14.99/one-time
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebWindows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi
Founded19962005

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Clickteam Fusion

  • Visual event system
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Physics engine
  • Sound and music
  • Sprite animation
  • Extensions support
  • Multi-core support
  • Fast compiler

Only in Pico-8

  • Pixel art editor
  • Music composer
  • Lua scripting
  • Built-in palette
  • Sprite system
  • Map editor
  • Code editor
  • Game cartridges

Both cover

  • Local deployment
  • Web deployment
  • Windows support
  • Macos support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Clickteam Fusion

  • 2D game developmentnot Pico-8
  • Professional gamesnot Pico-8
  • Cross-platform developmentnot Pico-8

Pico-8

  • Retro-style indie game developmentnot Clickteam Fusion
  • Educational game programmingnot Clickteam Fusion
  • Game jam participationnot Clickteam Fusion
  • Pixel art game creation with strict creative constraintsnot Clickteam Fusion

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Clickteam Fusion

  • Listed on Steam, the vendor's own storefront, at $99.99 for a perpetual licence of Clickteam Fusion 2.5, published directly by Clickteam

Pico-8

  • Extremely limited display resolution of 128x128 pixels with 16-colour palette
  • Cart size capped at 32 kilobytes
  • Only 256 sprites of 8x8 pixels available
  • Map limited to 128x32 tiles
  • Monophonic sound synthesis with 4-channel chip synthesis only
  • Lua programming language exclusively; no other language support

Pricing, plan by plan

Clickteam Fusion

$99/one-time
  • Standard$99/one-time
    • Visual event editor
    • Desktop export
    • HTML5 export
  • Premium$199/one-time
    • All Standard features
    • Android export
    • iOS export

Pico-8

$14.99/one-time

No published plan breakdown. See the Pico-8 review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Clickteam Fusion if

  • You need visual event system.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want drag-and-drop interface.
Clickteam Fusion review

Choose Pico-8 if

  • You need pixel art editor.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi.
  • You also want music composer.
Pico-8 review

Questions people ask

Is Clickteam Fusion or Pico-8 better?
Neither clearly leads. Clickteam Fusion starts at $99/one-time and Pico-8 at $14.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clickteam Fusion or Pico-8?
Clickteam Fusion starts at $99/one-time and Pico-8 at $14.99/one-time.
Does Clickteam Fusion or Pico-8 run on more platforms?
Clickteam Fusion runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. Pico-8 runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi.
What is Clickteam Fusion best used for?
Clickteam Fusion is most often used for 2d game development, professional games, cross-platform development. Of those, 2d game development and professional games are not what Pico-8 is typically brought in for.
What can Clickteam Fusion do that Pico-8 cannot?
Clickteam Fusion covers Visual event system, Drag-and-drop interface, Physics engine, Sound and music. Pico-8 covers Pixel art editor, Music composer, Lua scripting, Built-in palette. Both handle Local deployment, Web deployment, Windows support, Macos support.
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