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Game Development · head to head

GDevelop vs Perforce Helix Core

GDevelop logo

GDevelop

Game Development

Create games without coding

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Perforce Helix Core logo

Perforce Helix Core

Game Development

Centralised version control for multi-terabyte binary game projects

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; Perforce Helix Core the free tier covers only a handful of users, which maps badly onto how the product is actually used, because asset version control is needed by the whole studio, artists and audio staff included, not by the engineers alone.
  • They diverge on capability: GDevelop covers Visual event editor, Perforce Helix Core covers Exclusive checkout.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GDevelop and Perforce Helix Core actually diverge.

Attributes where GDevelop and Perforce Helix Core differ
AttributeGDevelopPerforce Helix Core
Pricing modelfreequote
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebWindows, macOS, Linux
Founded2010Unknown

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
  • Physics engine
  • Particle effects
  • Sprite editor
  • Sound editor
  • Scene editor
  • Extensions support

Only in Perforce Helix Core

  • Exclusive checkout
  • Very large depots
  • Streams branching
  • Proxies and edge servers
  • Unreal and Unity integration
  • Fine grained permissions

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 Perforce Helix Core
  • Exporting one project to web, desktop, Android and iOSnot Perforce Helix Core

Perforce Helix Core

  • A studio where artists and designers version hundreds of gigabytes of uncompressed assetsnot GDevelop
  • Unreal Engine projects that want the engine to talk to source control directlynot GDevelop
  • Console development where platform holders and publishers expect an auditable centralised depotnot GDevelop
  • Distributed teams with outsourcing partners who need path-level access to part of the project onlynot 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

Perforce Helix Core

  • The free tier covers only a handful of users, which maps badly onto how the product is actually used, because asset version control is needed by the whole studio, artists and audio staff included, not by the engineers alone.
  • Beyond the free tier pricing is quoted per seat and renewed annually, and it does not scale down for contractors or outsourcing partners who touch the depot for a single milestone and still consume a full licence.
  • It is centralised, so when the server or the connection to it is unavailable, work stops for everyone; edge servers reduce this but add another system to run.
  • Administration is a genuine role. Depot layout, streams, protections, proxies, checkpoints and backups all need someone who knows Perforce, and that person is expensive and hard to replace.
  • Exclusive checkout prevents merge conflicts on binaries but blocks colleagues outright; a file locked by someone on leave needs administrator intervention, which turns a holiday into a production stoppage.

Pricing, plan by plan

GDevelop

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

Perforce Helix Core

Free
  • Helix Core$undefined/year
    • Free for a small number of users and workspaces, intended for evaluation and very small teams
    • Beyond that, per user licensing quoted annually by Perforce sales
    • Cloud-hosted and self-managed deployments both available

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 Perforce Helix Core if

  • You need exclusive checkout.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want very large depots.
Perforce Helix Core review

Questions people ask

Is GDevelop or Perforce Helix Core better?
Neither clearly leads. GDevelop starts at Free and Perforce Helix Core at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GDevelop or Perforce Helix Core?
GDevelop starts at Free and Perforce Helix Core at Free.
Does GDevelop or Perforce Helix Core run on more platforms?
GDevelop runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. Perforce Helix Core runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
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 Perforce Helix Core is typically brought in for.
What can GDevelop do that Perforce Helix Core cannot?
GDevelop covers Visual event editor, Drag-and-drop interface, Physics engine, Particle effects. Perforce Helix Core covers Exclusive checkout, Very large depots, Streams branching, Proxies and edge servers.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GDevelop: How much does GDevelop cost?

GDevelop offers a free plan. Silver, Gold, and Pro tiers are available with monthly and yearly billing options that provide up to 40% savings for annual commitment, but specific prices are not displayed on their website.

Source
Perforce Helix Core: Why not just use Git with LFS?

Git assumes text files that merge and a full local history. Game projects have terabytes of unmergeable binaries. LFS handles the size but not the locking or the clone time, which is why studios past a certain size move to Perforce.

GDevelop: What does GDevelop's free plan include?

The free plan includes a fully featured, open-source game engine with 3 cloud projects, 40 free AI credits per month, and limited publishing of 1 per day for desktop and Android.

Source
Perforce Helix Core: How much does it cost?

Perforce does not publish prices. It is free for a small number of users and workspaces, after which licensing is quoted per user annually and depends on volume and support level.

Perforce Helix Core: Can programmers keep working in Git?

Partly. Helix4Git bridges Git repositories into the Helix Core depot, but it is another component to run and does not remove the difference in workflow between the two systems.

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