B4X vs Cocos Creator

B4X is a suite of rapid application development tools for Android, iOS, desktop, server, and IoT projects. Its B4X language is described as a modern version of Visual Basic, and B4A, B4J, and B4i projects can share 90%+ of their code through cross-platform libraries. B4A includes a GUI designer for multiple screens and orientations and supports device debugging over USB or a wireless bridge. B4J creates desktop interfaces, console programs, and server solutions that can run on Windows, Mac, Linux, and ARM boards such as Raspberry Pi. B4R targets Arduino, ESP8266, and ESP32. The maker says compiled iOS, Android, Arduino, and ESP8266 applications are native and have no dependencies. B4A, B4R, and B4J are free, including for commercial purposes. Standard B4A and B4i licenses cost 59.00 USD once per developer. B4i requires an Apple developer account costing $99 per year, an iOS 11+ device, and Windows 7 64-bit or a VM for its IDE.

Cocos Creator is an open-source, cross-platform graphics engine and real-time 3D content-creation platform for 2D and 3D games and other interactive content. Its editor targets artists, game planners, and developers, and includes a plug-in system, animation editor, and visual scripting. JavaScript and TypeScript are supported, with TypeScript described as easy to use and debug. Projects can publish to the web and deploy natively to Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows. Native projects can be opened in Xcode, Android Studio, or Visual Studio for compiling, running, debugging, and publishing; some publishing options depend on the corresponding operating system. Extensions are available through Dashboard or the Cocos Store, or can be packaged and shared. Native builds can encrypt scripts into .jsc files and compress them. The editor and runtime are available at no charge, with official documentation, API references, tutorials, forums, and technical consultation listed.