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Game Development · head to head

GDevelop vs Stencyl

GDevelop logo

GDevelop

Game Development

Create games without coding

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stencyl logo

Stencyl

Game Development

Create games with visual programming

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; Stencyl the free Starter tier can publish to the web only
  • They diverge on capability: GDevelop covers Visual event editor, Stencyl covers Visual block programming.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GDevelop and Stencyl actually diverge.

Attributes where GDevelop and Stencyl differ
AttributeGDevelopStencyl
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Flash
Founded20102011

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 GDevelop

  • Visual event editor
  • Particle effects
  • Sprite editor
  • Sound editor
  • Scene editor
  • Extensions support
  • Firebase
  • Discord

Only in Stencyl

  • Visual block programming
  • Sprite animation
  • Sound and music
  • Tilemap editor
  • Actor system
  • Haxe support
  • Dropbox
  • Visual Studio Code

Both cover

  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Physics engine
  • GitHub
  • Local deployment
  • Web deployment
  • Mobile 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.

GDevelop

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

Stencyl

  • Building 2D games with visual block based logicnot GDevelop
  • Publishing the same project to web, desktop and mobilenot 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

Stencyl

  • The free Starter tier can publish to the web only
  • Desktop publishing requires the Indie plan at $99 a year
  • iOS and Android publishing require the Studio plan at $199 a year
  • Licences are annual, so continuing to publish means continuing to pay

Pricing, plan by plan

GDevelop

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

Stencyl

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor access
    • Desktop export
    • Mobile export

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 particle effects.
GDevelop review

Choose Stencyl if

  • You need visual block programming.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Flash.
  • You also want sprite animation.
Stencyl review

Questions people ask

Is GDevelop or Stencyl better?
Neither clearly leads. GDevelop starts at Free and Stencyl at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GDevelop or Stencyl?
GDevelop starts at Free and Stencyl at Free.
Does GDevelop or Stencyl run on more platforms?
GDevelop runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. Stencyl runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Flash.
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 Stencyl is typically brought in for.
What can GDevelop do that Stencyl cannot?
GDevelop covers Visual event editor, Particle effects, Sprite editor, Sound editor. Stencyl covers Visual block programming, Sprite animation, Sound and music, Tilemap editor. Both handle Drag-and-drop interface, Physics engine, GitHub, Local deployment.
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