Game Development · head to head
Defold vs GDevelop
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Defold the Defold License requires you to include the Defold license and copyright notice in any work you create with the engine; GDevelop the free tier allows 3 cloud projects and one desktop or Android build per day
- They diverge on capability: Defold covers Lua scripting, GDevelop covers Visual event editor.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Defold and GDevelop actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web), 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 Defold
- Lua scripting
- Sprite system
- Sound management
- Collection editor
- Mobile optimization
- Lightweight
- Visual Studio Code
- Bob build system
Only in GDevelop
- Visual event editor
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Sprite editor
- Sound editor
- Scene editor
- Extensions support
- Firebase
- Discord
Both cover
- Physics engine
- Particle effects
- GitHub
- Local deployment
- Mobile deployment
- Web deployment
- Windows support
- Macos support
- Linux support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Defold
- Building 2D games for mobile, desktop, web and console from a single projectnot GDevelop
- Shipping small-footprint HTML5 gamesnot GDevelop
- Teams wanting a free engine with no revenue share on gamesnot GDevelop
GDevelop
- Building 2D games with visual event logic rather than codenot Defold
- Exporting one project to web, desktop, Android and iOSnot Defold
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
Defold
Free- FreeFree
- Full editor
- Lua scripting
- Physics engine
GDevelop
Free- FreeFree
- Full editor
- Cross-platform export
- Asset library
Which should you pick?
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 sprite system.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Defold or GDevelop better?
- Neither clearly leads. Defold 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, Defold or GDevelop?
- Defold starts at Free and GDevelop at Free.
- Does Defold or GDevelop run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Defold for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Defold best used for?
- Defold is most often used for building 2d games for mobile, desktop, web and console from a single project, shipping small-footprint html5 games, teams wanting a free engine with no revenue share on games. Of those, building 2d games for mobile, desktop, web and console from a single project and shipping small-footprint html5 games are not what GDevelop is typically brought in for.
- What can Defold do that GDevelop cannot?
- Defold covers Lua scripting, Sprite system, Sound management, Collection editor. GDevelop covers Visual event editor, Drag-and-drop interface, Sprite editor, Sound editor. Both handle Physics engine, Particle effects, GitHub, Local deployment.