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Game Development · head to head

Cocos Creator vs GDevelop

Cocos Creator logo

Cocos Creator

Game Development

Free 2D and 3D engine with no royalties, dominant in Chinese mini-game platforms

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GDevelop logo

GDevelop

Game Development

Create games without coding

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cocos Creator documentation, forums and release notes are written in Chinese first and the English versions lag or stay incomplete, so an English-only team spends real time on translation and guesswork.; GDevelop the free tier allows 3 cloud projects and one desktop or Android build per day
  • They diverge on capability: Cocos Creator covers TypeScript scripting, GDevelop covers Visual event editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cocos Creator and GDevelop actually diverge.

Attributes where Cocos Creator and GDevelop differ
AttributeCocos CreatorGDevelop
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefree
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Web, iOS, AndroidWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Game Development).

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 Cocos Creator

  • TypeScript scripting
  • Mini-game export
  • Small build sizes
  • 2D and 3D pipelines
  • Open source runtime
  • No royalties

Only in GDevelop

  • Visual event editor
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Physics engine
  • Particle effects
  • Sprite editor
  • Sound editor
  • Scene editor
  • Extensions support

What people use each for

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

Cocos Creator

  • Shipping to WeChat, Douyin or other mini-game platforms where package size limits are enforcednot GDevelop
  • Advertising-funded mobile games where a small download raises install conversionnot GDevelop
  • Small teams that want a free 2D engine with no royalty or per install exposurenot GDevelop
  • Studios targeting Asian mobile publishing where Cocos experience is common in the hiring poolnot GDevelop

GDevelop

  • Building 2D games with visual event logic rather than codenot Cocos Creator
  • Exporting one project to web, desktop, Android and iOSnot Cocos Creator

Where each one falls short

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

Cocos Creator

  • Documentation, forums and release notes are written in Chinese first and the English versions lag or stay incomplete, so an English-only team spends real time on translation and guesswork.
  • Most tutorials and Stack Overflow answers online describe Cocos2d-x, the older runtime, which is now legacy and structured differently from the current editor, so search results actively mislead new users.
  • The 3D pipeline is usable but behind general purpose engines on lighting, terrain, animation tooling and profiling, so an ambitious 3D project writes more of its own tooling.
  • Console publishing is not a supported export from the editor; reaching PlayStation, Xbox or Switch means porting partners or third-party services, which adds cost and schedule to a title that succeeds on mobile.
  • Hiring outside Asia is difficult because few developers have Cocos experience, which raises the cost of growing the team or handing the project to an outside studio later.

GDevelop

  • The free tier allows 3 cloud projects and one desktop or Android build per day
  • Free accounts get one leaderboard per game
  • Publishing to the iOS App Store requires the Gold plan, which caps those exports at 15 a month
  • AI credits are metered per tier, from 40 a month on free to 3,000 a week on Pro

Pricing, plan by plan

Cocos Creator

Free
  • Cocos CreatorFree
    • Free for commercial use with no royalty
    • Open source engine runtime
    • All export targets included

GDevelop

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor
    • Cross-platform export
    • Asset library

Which should you pick?

Choose Cocos Creator if

  • You need typescript scripting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want mini-game export.
Cocos Creator review

Choose GDevelop if

  • You need visual event editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want drag-and-drop interface.
GDevelop review

Questions people ask

Is Cocos Creator or GDevelop better?
Neither clearly leads. Cocos Creator starts at Free and GDevelop at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cocos Creator or GDevelop?
Cocos Creator starts at Free and GDevelop at Free.
Does Cocos Creator or GDevelop run on more platforms?
Cocos Creator runs on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android. GDevelop runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
Can I use Cocos Creator for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cocos Creator best used for?
Cocos Creator is most often used for shipping to wechat, douyin or other mini-game platforms where package size limits are enforced, advertising-funded mobile games where a small download raises install conversion, small teams that want a free 2d engine with no royalty or per install exposure, studios targeting asian mobile publishing where cocos experience is common in the hiring pool. Of those, shipping to wechat, douyin or other mini-game platforms where package size limits are enforced and advertising-funded mobile games where a small download raises install conversion are not what GDevelop is typically brought in for.
What can Cocos Creator do that GDevelop cannot?
Cocos Creator covers TypeScript scripting, Mini-game export, Small build sizes, 2D and 3D pipelines. GDevelop covers Visual event editor, Drag-and-drop interface, Physics engine, Particle effects.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cocos Creator: Does Cocos take a revenue share?

No. It is free for commercial use with no royalty, no revenue threshold and no per install charge.

GDevelop: How much does GDevelop cost?

GDevelop offers a free plan. Silver, Gold, and Pro tiers are available with monthly and yearly billing options that provide up to 40% savings for annual commitment, but specific prices are not displayed on their website.

Source
Cocos Creator: Is it only useful for mini-games?

No, it exports to iOS, Android, desktop and the web. Mini-game platforms are where it has an advantage no other engine matches, because of build size.

GDevelop: What does GDevelop's free plan include?

The free plan includes a fully featured, open-source game engine with 3 cloud projects, 40 free AI credits per month, and limited publishing of 1 per day for desktop and Android.

Source
Cocos Creator: What is the difference from Cocos2d-x?

Cocos2d-x is the older code-first framework. Cocos Creator is the current editor-driven engine with TypeScript scripting. New projects should use Creator even though more tutorials describe Cocos2d-x.

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