Castle Game Engine vs Defold
Castle Game Engine
castle-engine.ioDefold
defold.comSide by side
| Figure | Castle Game Engine | Defold |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Development Software | 8.6 (#12) | 8.7 (#8) |
| Spec score · Game Engine Software | 8.2 (#50) | 8.9 (#8) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | The project lists Visual Studio Code, Lazarus, Delphi, Blender and Sketchfab among supported tools and services. | Officially supported integrations include Firebase Analytics, AdMob, in-app purchases, push notifications, Google Play services, and game backends such as Nakama and PlayFab. |
| Mobile export | Yes | Yes |
| Scripting languages | Object Pascal (Free Pascal/Lazarus) | Lua,Teal,C,C++,C#,Objective-C,Java,JavaScript |
| Source code model | open_source | source_available |
| Support | The maker invites questions and feedback on its forum and offers meetings with the engine lead to discuss use, bugs, feature requests and cooperation. | Defold offers community help through its forum and says technical support contracts are available if needed. |
| Target platforms | Windows,Linux,macOS,Android,iOS | Windows,macOS,Linux,iOS,Android,HTML5,PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,Nintendo Switch |
Plans
In their own words
Castle Game Engine
Castle Game Engine is a free, open-source engine for building 2D and 3D games with a visual editor and an Object Pascal API. The editor supports designing game worlds and interfaces, then building projects for multiple platforms. Listed targets include Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS, with mobile export, console export, and multiplayer tools. Graphics capabilities include shader effects, physically based rendering, shadows, mirrors, bump mapping, and post-processing. Supported formats include glTF, X3D, sprite sheets, and Spine 2D animations. The project lists Visual Studio Code, Lazarus, Delphi, Blender, and Sketchfab among supported tools and services. A command-line build tool, Docker image, and CI setup documentation support automation. The engine can be used for proprietary applications. Provided Linux binaries require GLIBC 2.34 or newer; older systems can compile from source. Supported operating systems must still receive vendor security support, with Windows 10 temporarily supported as of 2026.
Defold
Defold is a game engine for building cross-platform 2D and 3D games. Its toolchain combines an editor, runtime, scripting workflow, build pipeline, and deployment flow. Game logic is written in Lua; native extensions can use C, C++, Objective-C, Java, or JavaScript. Visual editors, a debugger, profiler, particle effects, animation, and integrated 2D and 3D physics are included. Target platforms listed are Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, HTML5, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. Integrations include Firebase Analytics, AdMob, in-app purchases, push notifications, Google Play services, Nakama, and PlayFab. The Asset Portal offers reusable components and extensions. Live Update can provide additional game content after the initial download, with customizable content verification. Source code for the engine, editor, and build tools is available on GitHub under a developer-friendly license derived from Apache 2.0. Defold costs nothing, with no licensing fees, royalties, or runtime fees. Community help is available through a forum, and technical support contracts are available if needed.