Data-driven engine comparisons

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Honest, side-by-side comparisons of the engines that matter. No hype. Just the data you need to ship your game.

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Showing all 8 engines

Godot

The game engine you've been waiting for
5/5

Free and open-source 2D and 3D game engine with its own scripting language and a thriving community.

Languages GDScript, C#
2D Native
3D Native
Cost Completely free, MIT license
License Open-source
Windows macOS Linux iOS Android Web Steam PlayStation Xbox Switch
2D Games Indie Rapid Prototyping Open Source Mobile Learning
Cassette Beasts · Brotato · Dome Keeper · Cruelty Squad
Full profile

Unity

The world's leading platform for interactive content
3/5

Industry-standard engine for mobile, indie, and mid-tier games with the largest asset marketplace.

Languages C#
2D Native
3D Native
Cost Free (Personal) under $200K revenue, then $2,200/yr/seat (Pro)
License Freemium
Visual Scripting Visual Scripting (Bolt)
Windows macOS Linux iOS Android Web Steam PlayStation Xbox Switch
Mobile Indie 3D Games AR/VR Cross-Platform
Hollow Knight · Cuphead · Genshin Impact · Among Us · Beat Saber
Full profile

Unreal Engine

The most powerful creation engine
2/5

Industry-leading engine for AAA and high-fidelity projects with Blueprints visual scripting and Nanite/Lumen tech.

Languages C++, Blueprints
2D Limited
3D Native
Cost Free until $1M revenue, then 5% royalty
License Royalty
Visual Scripting Blueprints
Windows macOS Linux iOS Android Web Steam PlayStation Xbox Switch
AAA 3D Games Arch Viz Film Open World High Fidelity
Fortnite · Final Fantasy VII Remake · Hellblade II · Rocket League
Full profile

GameMaker

Making games is for everyone
4/5

Veteran 2D-focused engine with its own language (GML), beloved for rapid prototyping and pixel-perfect 2D games.

Languages GML
2D Native
3D Limited
Cost Free for non-commercial; Commercial license from $9.99/mo
License Freemium
Visual Scripting DnD (Drag and Drop)
Windows macOS Linux iOS Android Web Steam PlayStation Xbox Switch
2D Games Pixel Art Rapid Prototyping Beginners Platformers
Undertale · Hotline Miami · Hyper Light Drifter · Katana ZERO
Full profile

Defold

Free cross-platform game engine
4/5

Lightweight, free engine backed by the Defold Foundation, excellent for mobile and web 2D games with tiny build sizes.

Languages Lua
2D Native
3D Limited
Cost Completely free, no royalties, no fees
License Free
Windows macOS Linux iOS Android Web Steam PlayStation Xbox Switch
Mobile Web 2D Games Small Teams Tiny Builds
War Brokers · Family Island · Fates of Ort
Full profile

Construct

Make games. No code required.
3/5

No-code 2D game engine with visual event sheets and block-based logic, strong in browser and web export.

Languages JavaScript
2D Native
3D None
Cost Free tier; paid plans for commercial use and export
License Freemium
Visual Scripting Event sheets
Windows macOS Linux iOS Android Web Steam PlayStation Xbox Switch
2D Games Web Beginners Rapid Prototyping Small Teams
Scratch-like projects · browser games · game jam entries
Full profile

Cocos

One-stop solution for 2D and 3D game development
4/5

Cocos Creator: TypeScript/JavaScript engine for 2D and 3D games with strong web and mobile export.

Languages TypeScript, JavaScript
2D Native
3D Native
Cost Free for development; commercial terms for some exports
License Freemium
Windows macOS Linux iOS Android Web Steam PlayStation Xbox Switch
2D Games 3D Games Web Mobile Indie
Cross-platform mobile and web titles
Full profile

Phaser

A fast, free and fun open source HTML5 game framework
5/5

MIT-licensed 2D framework for canvas and WebGL games; JavaScript/TypeScript, widely used for web and wrappers.

Languages JavaScript, TypeScript
2D Native
3D None
Cost Completely free, MIT license
License Open-source
Windows macOS Linux iOS Android Web Steam PlayStation Xbox Switch
2D Games Web Open Source Rapid Prototyping Learning
Thousands of browser and mobile games
Full profile

Engine Comparison

All engines at a glance. Click any engine name for the full breakdown.

Key: Native Supported Limited None
Engine Languages Visual 2D 3D Platforms Cost AI Best For
Godot GDScript, C#
Completely free, MIT license 5
2D Games Indie Rapid Prototyping
Unity C#
Free (Personal) under $200K revenue, then $2,200/yr/seat (Pro) 3
Mobile Indie 3D Games
Unreal Engine C++, Blueprints
Free until $1M revenue, then 5% royalty 2
AAA 3D Games Arch Viz
GameMaker GML
Free for non-commercial; Commercial license from $9.99/mo 4
2D Games Pixel Art Rapid Prototyping
Defold Lua
Completely free, no royalties, no fees 4
Mobile Web 2D Games
Construct JavaScript
Free tier; paid plans for commercial use and export 3
2D Games Web Beginners
Cocos TypeScript, JavaScript
Free for development; commercial terms for some exports 4
2D Games 3D Games Web
Phaser JavaScript, TypeScript
Completely free, MIT license 5
2D Games Web Open Source

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