Software · head to head
Construct 3 vs PlayCanvas
Construct 3
Software
Create games without coding. Powered by the Scirra engine.
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Construct 3 the free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account; PlayCanvas private projects require a paid plan; the Free plan only allows public projects
- They diverge on capability: Construct 3 covers Visual event system, PlayCanvas covers Cloud-based editor.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Construct 3 and PlayCanvas actually diverge.
| Attribute | Construct 3 | PlayCanvas |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web | Web, Mobile |
| Founded | 2007 | 2013 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 Construct 3
- Visual event system
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Sprite editor
- Particle effects
- Sound effects
- Web-based
- HTML5 support
- Dropbox
Only in PlayCanvas
- Cloud-based editor
- Real-time collaboration
- WebGL rendering
- Visual scripting
- Asset library
- Version control
- Instant deployment
- Slack
Both cover
- Physics engine
- GitHub
- Project encryption
- Web deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Construct 3
- Building 2D browser games without writing codenot PlayCanvas
- Publishing HTML5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one projectnot PlayCanvas
PlayCanvas
- Building WebGL games and interactive 3D that run in a browsernot Construct 3
- Browser based collaborative 3D editing across a teamnot Construct 3
- Web AR and VR experiences, product configurators and playable adsnot Construct 3
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Construct 3
- The free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account
- Free projects are limited to 2 layers, 2 special effects, 1 timeline animation of up to 5 seconds and 1 web font
- The free version can only publish to HTML5 and the Construct Arcade, so desktop, Android, iOS and Facebook Instant Games all need a paid plan
- Licences are per seat and annual, at $129.99 for Personal, $168.99 for Startup Business and $468.99 for Business
PlayCanvas
- Private projects require a paid plan; the Free plan only allows public projects
- The Free plan is capped at 1GB of storage, Personal at 10GB and Organization at 50GB
- Personal costs $15 per month and Organization costs $50 per seat per month
- Team management is only available on the Organization plan
- Private projects become locked and inaccessible if the subscription is cancelled, unless they are made public
- There is no formal educational discount
- There is no self serve trial of the Personal or Organization plan; an upgrade code must be requested from sales
Pricing, plan by plan
Construct 3
Free- FreeFree
- Web-based editor
- HTML5 export
- Asset library
- Personal$99/year
- All Free features
- Offline editor
- Advanced export
PlayCanvas
Free- FreeFree
- Cloud editor
- WebGL export
- Community projects
- Pro$19/month
- Private projects
- Advanced features
- Priority support
Which should you pick?
Choose Construct 3 if
- You need visual event system.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want drag-and-drop editor.
Choose PlayCanvas if
- You need cloud-based editor.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want real-time collaboration.
Questions people ask
- Is Construct 3 or PlayCanvas better?
- Neither clearly leads. Construct 3 starts at Free and PlayCanvas at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Construct 3 or PlayCanvas?
- Construct 3 starts at Free and PlayCanvas at Free.
- Does Construct 3 or PlayCanvas run on more platforms?
- Construct 3 runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. PlayCanvas runs on Web, Mobile.
- Can I use Construct 3 for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Construct 3 best used for?
- Construct 3 is most often used for building 2d browser games without writing code, publishing html5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one project. Of those, building 2d browser games without writing code and publishing html5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one project are not what PlayCanvas is typically brought in for.
- What can Construct 3 do that PlayCanvas cannot?
- Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Drag-and-drop editor, Sprite editor, Particle effects. PlayCanvas covers Cloud-based editor, Real-time collaboration, WebGL rendering, Visual scripting. Both handle Physics engine, GitHub, Project encryption, Web deployment.