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Defold vs Pico-8

Defold logo

Defold

Software

The game engine for the creators of King

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pico-8 logo

Pico-8

Software

A fantasy console for making, sharing and playing tiny games

From
$14.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Defold has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Pico-8 extremely limited display resolution of 128x128 pixels with 16-colour palette
  • They diverge on capability: Defold covers Physics engine, Pico-8 covers Pixel art editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Defold and Pico-8 actually diverge.

Attributes where Defold and Pico-8 differ
AttributeDefoldPico-8
Starting priceFree$14.99/one-time
Pricing modelfreeone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebWindows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2005).

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

  • Physics engine
  • Particle effects
  • Sound management
  • Collection editor
  • Mobile optimization
  • Lightweight
  • Visual Studio Code
  • Bob build system

Only in Pico-8

  • Pixel art editor
  • Music composer
  • Built-in palette
  • Map editor
  • Code editor
  • Game cartridges
  • Lexaloffle BBS
  • Cartridge sandboxing

Both cover

  • Lua scripting
  • Sprite system
  • GitHub
  • Local deployment
  • Web deployment
  • Windows support
  • Macos support
  • Linux 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 Pico-8
  • Shipping small-footprint HTML5 gamesnot Pico-8
  • Teams wanting a free engine with no revenue share on gamesnot Pico-8

Pico-8

  • Retro-style indie game developmentnot Defold
  • Educational game programmingnot Defold
  • Game jam participationnot Defold
  • Pixel art game creation with strict creative constraintsnot 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

Pico-8

  • Extremely limited display resolution of 128x128 pixels with 16-colour palette
  • Cart size capped at 32 kilobytes
  • Only 256 sprites of 8x8 pixels available
  • Map limited to 128x32 tiles
  • Monophonic sound synthesis with 4-channel chip synthesis only
  • Lua programming language exclusively; no other language support

Pricing, plan by plan

Defold

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

Pico-8

$14.99/one-time

No published plan breakdown. See the Pico-8 review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Defold if

  • You need physics engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want particle effects.
Defold review

Choose Pico-8 if

  • You need pixel art editor.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi.
  • You also want music composer.
Pico-8 review

Questions people ask

Is Defold or Pico-8 better?
Neither clearly leads. Defold starts at Free and Pico-8 at $14.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Defold or Pico-8?
Defold has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Defold and $14.99/one-time for Pico-8.
Does Defold or Pico-8 run on more platforms?
Defold runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. Pico-8 runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi.
Can I use Defold for free?
Yes. Defold has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pico-8 starts at $14.99/one-time.
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 Pico-8 is typically brought in for.
What can Defold do that Pico-8 cannot?
Defold covers Physics engine, Particle effects, Sound management, Collection editor. Pico-8 covers Pixel art editor, Music composer, Built-in palette, Map editor. Both handle Lua scripting, Sprite system, GitHub, Local deployment.
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