Softwr

Game Development · head to head

GDevelop vs libGDX

GDevelop logo

GDevelop

Game Development

Create games without coding

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
libGDX logo

libGDX

Game Development

Java-based game development framework

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GDevelop the free tier allows 3 cloud projects and one desktop or Android build per day; libGDX libGDX is a Java framework built on OpenGL ES, so projects are tied to the JVM toolchain
  • They diverge on capability: GDevelop covers Visual event editor, libGDX covers Java language support.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GDevelop and libGDX actually diverge.

Attributes where GDevelop and libGDX differ
AttributeGDeveloplibGDX

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), founded (2010).

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 GDevelop

  • Visual event editor
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Physics engine
  • Sprite editor
  • Sound editor
  • Scene editor
  • Extensions support
  • GitHub

Only in libGDX

  • Java language support
  • Graphics rendering
  • Audio engine
  • Input handling
  • Physics integration (Box2D)
  • Animation system
  • 2D and 3D rendering
  • Java

Both cover

  • Particle effects
  • Open-source
  • Local deployment
  • Web 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.

GDevelop

  • Building 2D games with visual event logic rather than codenot libGDX
  • Exporting one project to web, desktop, Android and iOSnot libGDX

libGDX

  • Writing 2D or 3D games in Java from a single codebasenot GDevelop
  • Publishing a Java game to desktop, Android, iOS and HTML5not GDevelop
  • Rapid prototyping where an opinionated engine workflow is unwantednot GDevelop

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

libGDX

  • libGDX is a Java framework built on OpenGL ES, so projects are tied to the JVM toolchain
  • Publishing targets are limited to Windows, macOS, Linux including Raspberry Pi, Android, iOS and HTML5
  • libGDX is a community-maintained Apache 2.0 project with no vendor and no paid support tier
  • libGDX ships as a framework rather than an editor, so there is no visual scene editor included

Pricing, plan by plan

GDevelop

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor
    • Cross-platform export
    • Asset library

libGDX

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full framework
    • Java support
    • Cross-platform

Which should you pick?

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.
GDevelop review

Choose libGDX if

  • You need java language support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want graphics rendering.
libGDX review

Questions people ask

Is GDevelop or libGDX better?
Neither clearly leads. GDevelop starts at Free and libGDX at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GDevelop or libGDX?
GDevelop starts at Free and libGDX at Free.
Does GDevelop or libGDX 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 GDevelop for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is GDevelop best used for?
GDevelop is most often used for building 2d games with visual event logic rather than code, exporting one project to web, desktop, android and ios. Of those, building 2d games with visual event logic rather than code and exporting one project to web, desktop, android and ios are not what libGDX is typically brought in for.
What can GDevelop do that libGDX cannot?
GDevelop covers Visual event editor, Drag-and-drop interface, Physics engine, Sprite editor. libGDX covers Java language support, Graphics rendering, Audio engine, Input handling. Both handle Particle effects, Open-source, Local deployment, Web deployment.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on GDevelop

More on libGDX

Keep looking

Other head to heads