Game Development · head to head
Construct 3 vs Stride

Construct 3
Game Development
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; Stride free and open source under MIT license, editor and runtime fully open source with no commercial tier
- They diverge on capability: Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Stride covers 3D graphics rendering.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Construct 3 and Stride actually diverge.
| Attribute | Construct 3 | Stride |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web | Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox |
| Founded | 2007 | 2015 |
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 Construct 3
- Visual event system
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Physics engine
- Sprite editor
- Sound effects
- Web-based
- HTML5 support
- GitHub
Only in Stride
- 3D graphics rendering
- Physics engine (Bullet)
- Audio system
- Scene editor
- Material system
- Lighting and shadows
- Skeletal animation
- C# scripting
Both cover
- Particle effects
- Local deployment
- Windows support
- Linux support
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 Stride
- Publishing HTML5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one projectnot Stride
Stride
- 3D game developmentnot Construct 3
- Console gamesnot Construct 3
- Desktop gamesnot 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
Stride
- Free and open source under MIT license, editor and runtime fully open source with no commercial tier
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
Stride
Free- FreeFree
- Full engine
- C# scripting
- 3D graphics
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 Stride if
- You need 3d graphics rendering.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox.
- You also want physics engine (bullet).
Questions people ask
- Is Construct 3 or Stride better?
- Neither clearly leads. Construct 3 starts at Free and Stride at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Construct 3 or Stride?
- Construct 3 starts at Free and Stride at Free.
- Does Construct 3 or Stride run on more platforms?
- Construct 3 runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. Stride runs on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox.
- 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 Stride is typically brought in for.
- What can Construct 3 do that Stride cannot?
- Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Drag-and-drop editor, Physics engine, Sprite editor. Stride covers 3D graphics rendering, Physics engine (Bullet), Audio system, Scene editor. Both handle Particle effects, Local deployment, Windows support, Linux support.
Related pages
More on Construct 3
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- Stride vs Unity
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- Stride vs Godot Engine
- Stride vs Cascadeur
- Stride vs GameMaker Studio 2
- Stride vs Mixamo
- Stride vs Pico-8
- Stride vs Substance 3D Painter
- Stride vs Adventure Game Studio
- Stride vs AppGameKit
- Stride vs Armory3D
- Stride vs Bevy
- Stride vs Buildbox
- Stride vs Clickteam Fusion
- Stride vs Cocos2d-x
- Stride vs CryEngine
- Stride vs Defold
