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Game Development · head to head

Defold vs O3DE

Defold logo

Defold

Game Development

The game engine for the creators of King

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
O3DE logo

O3DE

Game Development

Open 3D Engine - Professional game engine

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; O3DE minimum hardware is a quad-core 2.5 GHz x86 CPU with SSE 4.1, 16 GB RAM and a DirectX 12 or Vulkan GPU with 2 GB VRAM and Shader Model 6.2
  • They diverge on capability: Defold covers Lua scripting, O3DE covers 3D graphics rendering.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Defold and O3DE actually diverge.

Attributes where Defold and O3DE differ
AttributeDefoldO3DE
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Playstation, Xbox
Founded20052021

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (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 Defold

  • Lua scripting
  • Sprite system
  • Sound management
  • Collection editor
  • Mobile optimization
  • Lightweight
  • Visual Studio Code
  • GitHub

Only in O3DE

  • 3D graphics rendering
  • Modular architecture
  • Audio system
  • Animation tools
  • Material system
  • Lighting system
  • Visual scripting
  • C++

Both cover

  • Physics engine
  • Particle effects
  • Local deployment
  • Mobile deployment
  • Windows support
  • Macos support
  • Linux support
  • Ios 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 O3DE
  • Shipping small-footprint HTML5 gamesnot O3DE
  • Teams wanting a free engine with no revenue share on gamesnot O3DE

O3DE

  • Building 3D games and simulations on an open source Apache-licensed enginenot Defold
  • Robotics and industrial simulation using O3DE Gemsnot Defold
  • Projects that need full engine source access with no royaltynot 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

O3DE

  • Minimum hardware is a quad-core 2.5 GHz x86 CPU with SSE 4.1, 16 GB RAM and a DirectX 12 or Vulkan GPU with 2 GB VRAM and Shader Model 6.2
  • Raytracing features require Shader Model 6.3
  • Disk space required is 40 GB using the prebuilt installer and 100 GB or more when building from source
  • Building the engine from source needs 2 GB of RAM per build thread on top of normal system requirements
  • On Windows the editor requires Windows 10 version 20H2 or later plus Visual Studio 2019 16.11.x, 2022 17.3.x or 2026 18.0.x with the Game development with C++ workload
  • The only primary Linux distribution for the editor is Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, and Ubuntu on 64-bit ARMv8 is experimental
  • Linux builds need CMake 3.30.0 or later, which is newer than the 3.22 shipped by default with Ubuntu 22.04
  • Wayland support is experimental, requires building from source, and is limited to the Game Launcher with no editor support until O3DE moves to Qt6
  • Linux requires a long list of additional apt library packages to be installed before building

Pricing, plan by plan

Defold

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor
    • Lua scripting
    • Physics engine

O3DE

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full engine
    • Modular architecture
    • Cross-platform

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.
Defold review

Choose O3DE if

  • You need 3d graphics rendering.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Playstation, Xbox.
  • You also want modular architecture.
O3DE review

Questions people ask

Is Defold or O3DE better?
Neither clearly leads. Defold starts at Free and O3DE at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Defold or O3DE?
Defold starts at Free and O3DE at Free.
Does Defold or O3DE run on more platforms?
Defold runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. O3DE runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Playstation, Xbox.
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 O3DE is typically brought in for.
What can Defold do that O3DE cannot?
Defold covers Lua scripting, Sprite system, Sound management, Collection editor. O3DE covers 3D graphics rendering, Modular architecture, Audio system, Animation tools. Both handle Physics engine, Particle effects, Local deployment, Mobile deployment.
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