Game Development · head to head
Pygame vs GDevelop
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Pygame licensed under GNU LGPL v2.1, free to use even in closed-source and commercial games, no paid tier; GDevelop the free tier allows 3 cloud projects and one desktop or Android build per day
- They diverge on capability: Pygame covers Graphics rendering, GDevelop covers Visual event editor.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Pygame and GDevelop actually diverge.
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 Pygame
- Graphics rendering
- Audio playback
- Input handling
- Sprite system
- Collision detection
- Font rendering
- Animation support
- Event system
Only in GDevelop
- Visual event editor
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Physics engine
- Particle effects
- Sprite editor
- Sound editor
- Scene editor
- Extensions support
Both cover
- Open-source
- Local deployment
- Windows support
- Macos support
- Linux support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Pygame
- 2D game developmentnot GDevelop
- Game prototypingnot GDevelop
- Educational gamesnot GDevelop
- Learning game developmentnot GDevelop
GDevelop
- Building 2D games with visual event logic rather than codenot Pygame
- Exporting one project to web, desktop, Android and iOSnot Pygame
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Pygame
- Licensed under GNU LGPL v2.1, free to use even in closed-source and commercial games, no paid tier
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
Pygame
Free- FreeFree
- Full library
- Python support
- Graphics rendering
GDevelop
Free- FreeFree
- Full editor
- Cross-platform export
- Asset library
Which should you pick?
Choose Pygame if
- You need graphics rendering.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Android.
- You also want audio playback.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Pygame or GDevelop better?
- Neither clearly leads. Pygame 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, Pygame or GDevelop?
- Pygame starts at Free and GDevelop at Free.
- Does Pygame or GDevelop run on more platforms?
- Pygame runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Android. GDevelop runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- Can I use Pygame for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Pygame best used for?
- Pygame is most often used for 2d game development, game prototyping, educational games, learning game development. Of those, 2d game development and game prototyping are not what GDevelop is typically brought in for.
- What can Pygame do that GDevelop cannot?
- Pygame covers Graphics rendering, Audio playback, Input handling, Sprite system. GDevelop covers Visual event editor, Drag-and-drop interface, Physics engine, Particle effects. Both handle Open-source, Local deployment, Windows support, Macos support.