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PlayCanvas vs GDevelop

PlayCanvas logo

PlayCanvas

Software

Cloud-based WebGL game development platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GDevelop logo

GDevelop

Software

Create games without coding

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PlayCanvas private projects require a paid plan; the Free plan only allows public projects; GDevelop the free tier allows 3 cloud projects and one desktop or Android build per day
  • They diverge on capability: PlayCanvas covers Cloud-based editor, GDevelop covers Visual event editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PlayCanvas and GDevelop actually diverge.

Attributes where PlayCanvas and GDevelop differ
AttributePlayCanvasGDevelop
Pricing modelfreemiumfree
PlatformsWeb, MobileWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web
Founded20132010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 PlayCanvas

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

Only in GDevelop

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

Both cover

  • Physics engine
  • GitHub
  • Web deployment

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

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

GDevelop

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Pricing, plan by plan

PlayCanvas

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

GDevelop

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

Which should you pick?

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

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

Questions people ask

Is PlayCanvas or GDevelop better?
Neither clearly leads. PlayCanvas starts at Free and GDevelop at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PlayCanvas or GDevelop?
PlayCanvas starts at Free and GDevelop at Free.
Does PlayCanvas or GDevelop run on more platforms?
PlayCanvas runs on Web, Mobile. GDevelop runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
Can I use PlayCanvas for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is PlayCanvas best used for?
PlayCanvas is most often used for building webgl games and interactive 3d that run in a browser, browser based collaborative 3d editing across a team, web ar and vr experiences, product configurators and playable ads. Of those, building webgl games and interactive 3d that run in a browser and browser based collaborative 3d editing across a team are not what GDevelop is typically brought in for.
What can PlayCanvas do that GDevelop cannot?
PlayCanvas covers Cloud-based editor, Real-time collaboration, WebGL rendering, Visual scripting. GDevelop covers Visual event editor, Drag-and-drop interface, Particle effects, Sprite editor. Both handle Physics engine, GitHub, Web deployment.
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