3D & CAD · head to head
D5 Render vs Defold
The short version
- Each has a real cost: D5 Render windows-only application with no macOS support; Defold the Defold License requires you to include the Defold license and copyright notice in any work you create with the engine
- They diverge on capability: D5 Render covers Real-time ray tracing, Defold covers Lua scripting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which D5 Render and Defold actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 D5 Render
- Real-time ray tracing
- GI
- Asset library
- Video export
- LiveSync
- Geo-location
- SketchUp
- Revit
Only in Defold
- Lua scripting
- Physics engine
- Sprite system
- Particle effects
- Sound management
- Collection editor
- Mobile optimization
- Lightweight
Both cover
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
D5 Render
- Architectural visualizationnot Defold
- Interior rendersnot Defold
Defold
- Building 2D games for mobile, desktop, web and console from a single projectnot D5 Render
- Shipping small-footprint HTML5 gamesnot D5 Render
- Teams wanting a free engine with no revenue share on gamesnot D5 Render
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
D5 Render
- Windows-only application with no macOS support
- Requires dedicated NVIDIA GPU, limiting hardware compatibility
- Community edition restricted to non-commercial use only
- Teams plan at USD 75/seat/month becomes expensive for larger organizations
Defold
- The Defold License requires you to include the Defold license and copyright notice in any work you create with the engine
- The licence forbids commercialising original or modified versions of the Defold editor or engine itself
- Significant changes made to the Defold source must be documented under the licence terms
Pricing, plan by plan
D5 Render
Free- CommunityFree
- Full rendering engine with real-time ray tracing
- Unlimited projects
- High-resolution image and panorama output
- Pro$38/month
- 16K stills and panoramas
- 4K video
- Frame sequence rendering
- Teams$75/month
- All Pro features
- Multi-seat licensing
- Team collaboration
Defold
Free- FreeFree
- Full editor
- Lua scripting
- Physics engine
Which should you pick?
Choose D5 Render if
- You need real-time ray tracing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want gi.
Choose Defold if
- You need lua scripting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want physics engine.
Questions people ask
- Is D5 Render or Defold better?
- Neither clearly leads. D5 Render starts at Free and Defold at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, D5 Render or Defold?
- D5 Render starts at Free and Defold at Free.
- Does D5 Render or Defold run on more platforms?
- D5 Render runs on Windows. Defold runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- Can I use D5 Render for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is D5 Render best used for?
- D5 Render is most often used for architectural visualization, interior renders. Of those, architectural visualization and interior renders are not what Defold is typically brought in for.
- What can D5 Render do that Defold cannot?
- D5 Render covers Real-time ray tracing, GI, Asset library, Video export. Defold covers Lua scripting, Physics engine, Sprite system, Particle effects. Both handle Windows support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
D5 Render: What is the pricing for D5 Render Pro?
D5 Render Pro costs USD 38/month or USD 360/year. Annual billing saves 20-21% compared to monthly payments.
SourceD5 Render: Is there a free version of D5 Render?
Yes. D5 Render Community edition is free for non-commercial use. It includes the full rendering engine with real-time ray tracing, unlimited projects, and approximately 2,000 library models and materials.
SourceD5 Render: Does D5 Render work on macOS?
No. D5 Render is a Windows-only application that requires a dedicated NVIDIA GPU. There is no Mac version available.
D5 Render: What are the output resolution capabilities in Pro?
D5 Render Pro supports 16K stills and panoramas, 4K video, frame sequence rendering, and VR output with full Showreel capabilities.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- D5 Render vs Enscape
- D5 Render vs V-Ray
- D5 Render vs FreeCAD
- D5 Render vs KeyShot
- D5 Render vs Lumion
- D5 Render vs Houdini
- D5 Render vs Arnold
- D5 Render vs Inventor
- D5 Render vs Mudbox
- D5 Render vs Corona Renderer
- D5 Render vs Twinmotion
- D5 Render vs LightWave 3D
- D5 Render vs OpenSCAD
- D5 Render vs PrusaSlicer
- D5 Render vs Siemens NX
- D5 Render vs ZBrush
- D5 Render vs 3D-Coat
- D5 Render vs Alibre Design
- D5 Render vs DragonBones
- D5 Render vs Unity
- D5 Render vs Aseprite
- D5 Render vs Godot Engine
- D5 Render vs Cascadeur
- D5 Render vs Construct 3
- D5 Render vs GameMaker Studio 2
- D5 Render vs Mixamo
- D5 Render vs Pico-8
- D5 Render vs Substance 3D Painter
- D5 Render vs Adventure Game Studio
- D5 Render vs AppGameKit
- D5 Render vs Armory3D
- D5 Render vs Bevy
- D5 Render vs Buildbox
- D5 Render vs Clickteam Fusion
- D5 Render vs Cocos2d-x
- D5 Render vs CryEngine
- Defold vs Enscape
- Defold vs V-Ray
- Defold vs FreeCAD
- Defold vs KeyShot
- Defold vs Lumion
- Defold vs Houdini
- Defold vs Arnold
- Defold vs Inventor
- Defold vs Mudbox
- Defold vs Corona Renderer
- Defold vs Twinmotion
- Defold vs LightWave 3D
- Defold vs OpenSCAD
- Defold vs PrusaSlicer
- Defold vs Siemens NX
- Defold vs ZBrush
- Defold vs 3D-Coat
- Defold vs Alibre Design
- Defold vs DragonBones
- Defold vs Unity
- Defold vs Aseprite
- Defold vs Godot Engine
- Defold vs Cascadeur
- Defold vs Construct 3
- Defold vs GameMaker Studio 2
- Defold vs Mixamo
- Defold vs Pico-8
- Defold vs Substance 3D Painter
- Defold vs Adventure Game Studio
- Defold vs AppGameKit
- Defold vs Armory3D
- Defold vs Bevy
- Defold vs Buildbox
- Defold vs Clickteam Fusion
- Defold vs Cocos2d-x
- Defold vs CryEngine