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Game Development · head to head

Stencyl vs GDevelop

Stencyl logo

Stencyl

Game Development

Create games with visual programming

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GDevelop logo

GDevelop

Game Development

Create games without coding

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Stencyl the free Starter tier can publish to the web only; GDevelop the free tier allows 3 cloud projects and one desktop or Android build per day
  • They diverge on capability: Stencyl covers Visual block programming, GDevelop covers Visual event editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Stencyl and GDevelop actually diverge.

Attributes where Stencyl and GDevelop differ
AttributeStencylGDevelop
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, FlashWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web
CategoryGame DevelopmentUnknown
Founded20112010

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

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 Stencyl

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

Only in GDevelop

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

Both cover

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

Stencyl

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

GDevelop

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Stencyl

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

GDevelop

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

Which should you pick?

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

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

Questions people ask

Is Stencyl or GDevelop better?
Neither clearly leads. Stencyl 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, Stencyl or GDevelop?
Stencyl starts at Free and GDevelop at Free.
Does Stencyl or GDevelop run on more platforms?
Stencyl runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Flash. GDevelop runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
Can I use Stencyl for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Stencyl best used for?
Stencyl is most often used for building 2d games with visual block based logic, publishing the same project to web, desktop and mobile. Of those, building 2d games with visual block based logic and publishing the same project to web, desktop and mobile are not what GDevelop is typically brought in for.
What can Stencyl do that GDevelop cannot?
Stencyl covers Visual block programming, Sprite animation, Sound and music, Tilemap editor. GDevelop covers Visual event editor, Particle effects, Sprite editor, Sound editor. Both handle Drag-and-drop interface, Physics engine, GitHub, Local deployment.
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