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Game Development · head to head

GDevelop vs PlayCanvas

GDevelop logo

GDevelop

Game Development

Create games without coding

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PlayCanvas logo

PlayCanvas

Game Development

Cloud-based WebGL game development platform

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; PlayCanvas private projects require a paid plan; the Free plan only allows public projects
  • They diverge on capability: GDevelop covers Visual event editor, PlayCanvas covers Cloud-based editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GDevelop and PlayCanvas actually diverge.

Attributes where GDevelop and PlayCanvas differ
AttributeGDevelopPlayCanvas
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebWeb, Mobile
Founded20102013

Identical on both: starting price (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 GDevelop

  • Visual event editor
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Particle effects
  • Sprite editor
  • Sound editor
  • Scene editor
  • Extensions support
  • Firebase

Only in PlayCanvas

  • Cloud-based editor
  • Real-time collaboration
  • WebGL rendering
  • Visual scripting
  • Asset library
  • Version control
  • Instant deployment
  • Slack

Both cover

  • Physics engine
  • GitHub
  • Web deployment

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 PlayCanvas
  • Exporting one project to web, desktop, Android and iOSnot PlayCanvas

PlayCanvas

  • Building WebGL games and interactive 3D that run in a browsernot GDevelop
  • Browser based collaborative 3D editing across a teamnot GDevelop
  • Web AR and VR experiences, product configurators and playable adsnot 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

PlayCanvas

  • Private projects require a paid plan; the Free plan only allows public projects
  • The Free plan is capped at 1GB of storage, Personal at 10GB and Organization at 50GB
  • Personal costs $15 per month and Organization costs $50 per seat per month
  • Team management is only available on the Organization plan
  • Private projects become locked and inaccessible if the subscription is cancelled, unless they are made public
  • There is no formal educational discount
  • There is no self serve trial of the Personal or Organization plan; an upgrade code must be requested from sales

Pricing, plan by plan

GDevelop

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

PlayCanvas

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Cloud editor
    • WebGL export
    • Community projects
  • Pro$19/month
    • Private projects
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support

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 PlayCanvas if

  • You need cloud-based editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
PlayCanvas review

Questions people ask

Is GDevelop or PlayCanvas better?
Neither clearly leads. GDevelop starts at Free and PlayCanvas at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GDevelop or PlayCanvas?
GDevelop starts at Free and PlayCanvas at Free.
Does GDevelop or PlayCanvas run on more platforms?
GDevelop runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. PlayCanvas runs on Web, Mobile.
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 PlayCanvas is typically brought in for.
What can GDevelop do that PlayCanvas cannot?
GDevelop covers Visual event editor, Drag-and-drop interface, Particle effects, Sprite editor. PlayCanvas covers Cloud-based editor, Real-time collaboration, WebGL rendering, Visual scripting. Both handle Physics engine, GitHub, Web deployment.
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