libGDXvs
DragonBones
DragonBones: Free 2D skeletal animation solution
libGDX
Java-based game development framework
As of 30 August 2026, libGDX is free to use. libGDX is a free, open-source Java framework for cross-platform game development. Softwr lists it under Game Development. libGDX is made by libGDX Community, launched in 2010, available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS.
Overview
What libGDX does
libGDX is a free, open-source Java framework for cross-platform game development. It is widely used for 2D and 3D games on desktop and mobile.
What people use it for
- Writing 2D or 3D games in Java from a single codebase
- Publishing a Java game to desktop, Android, iOS and HTML5
- Rapid prototyping where an opinionated engine workflow is unwanted
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about libGDX.
- libGDX is a Java framework built on OpenGL ES, so projects are tied to the JVM toolchain
- Publishing targets are limited to Windows, macOS, Linux including Raspberry Pi, Android, iOS and HTML5
- libGDX is a community-maintained Apache 2.0 project with no vendor and no paid support tier
- libGDX ships as a framework rather than an editor, so there is no visual scene editor included
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of libGDX
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- libGDXvsUnity
Unity: Create beautiful interactive content with the world's leading real-time engine
- libGDXvsAseprite
Aseprite: Animated sprite editor and pixel art tool
- libGDXvsGodot Engine
Godot Engine: Free and open-source 2D and 3D game engine
Pricing
What libGDX costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Free
Free
- Full framework
- Java support
- Cross-platform
- Graphics rendering
- Audio engine
- Physics libraries
Capabilities
Features
Java language support
Graphics rendering
Audio engine
Input handling
Physics integration (Box2D)
Particle effects
Animation system
2D and 3D rendering
Java
Integration with Java
Maven
Integration with Maven
Gradle
Integration with Gradle
LWJGL
Integration with LWJGL
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Does libGDX cost anything?
libGDX is completely free and open source, licensed under Apache 2.0. There are no pricing tiers or costs.
SourceCan I use libGDX commercially?
Yes, libGDX's Apache 2.0 license permits commercial use at no cost. The license allows usage in both open-source and proprietary projects.
SourceBehind it
Who makes libGDX
- Company
- libGDX Community
- Based in
- Community-driven
Keep looking
Where to go from libGDX
- libGDX alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- libGDX pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- libGDX badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Game Development softwareThe full category
- Best Game Development softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Game Development software for
Compare libGDX with
- Godot Engine
- DragonBones
- Aseprite
- MonoGame
- jMonkeyEngine
- LÖVE
- Raylib
- Cocos2d-x
- Phaser
- Tiled
- Cocos Creator
- Lumberyard
- OGRE
- Panda3D
- Perforce Helix Core
- Photon Engine
- PlayCanvas
- Phaser
Other Game Development software
Fast, free, and fun open source framework for Canvas and WebGL
Free, then $12/mo15 researched notesFree 2D and 3D engine with no royalties, dominant in Chinese mini-game platforms
Open source10 researched notesCentralised version control for multi-terabyte binary game projects
Free plan9 researched notesHosted multiplayer networking billed by concurrent users, not by seat or by player
Free, then $9/mo9 researched notesFast, free, and fun open source framework for Canvas and WebGL
Free, then $12/mo15 researched notes
Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for libGDX, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on libGDX
libGDX alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
libGDX pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare libGDX
Put it head to head with anything we hold
libGDX badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
Best Game Development software alternatives
Hosted multiplayer networking billed by concurrent users, not by seat or by player
Per month by peak concurrent usersFree 2D and 3D engine with no royalties, dominant in Chinese mini-game platforms
Open source, no licence fee
