Defold vs libGDX
Defold
defold.comlibGDX
libgdx.comSide by side
| Figure | Defold | libGDX |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | 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 | 0 |
| Spec score · Game Engine Software | 8.9 (#8) | 8.1 (#54) |
| Console export | Yes | No |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | Officially supported integrations include Firebase Analytics, AdMob, in-app purchases, push notifications, Google Play services, and game backends such as Nakama and PlayFab. | The feature page names Google Play Games, Apple Game Center, Firebase, Steamworks API, GameAnalytics, Facebook Graph API and AdMob integrations or third-party support. |
| Mobile export | Yes | Yes |
| Multiplayer tools | Yes | Yes |
| Product | Defold is an all-in-one game engine for building cross-platform 2D and 3D games. | libGDX is a cross-platform Java game development framework based on OpenGL (ES). |
| Scripting languages | Lua,Teal,C,C++,C#,Objective-C,Java,JavaScript | Java,Groovy,Kotlin,Scala |
| Source code model | source_available | open_source |
| Support | Defold offers community help through its forum and says technical support contracts are available if needed. | The project directs users to its Discord community and also identifies Stack Overflow and Reddit as community platforms. |
| Target platforms | Windows,macOS,Linux,iOS,Android,HTML5,PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,Nintendo Switch | Windows,Linux,macOS,Android,iOS,Web |
Plans
In their own words
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.