Flowlab vs Stencyl

Flowlab is a browser-based platform for making 2D games with visual, node-based behavior logic instead of written code. Its editor includes sprite editing, animation, physics, sound tools, shader effects, and visual debugging. Games run as HTML5 in a browser and receive hosted pages that can be shared or embedded on other sites. Paid plans can export games for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac through Flowlab's build service. The Free plan costs nothing and permits three games, five levels per game, and 50 game objects, with no exports. Classroom connections include Clever SSO and roster import, Google Classroom SSO and course import, and LTI for Canvas, Blackboard, and Moodle. Teachers can create student accounts without email addresses and set school-level visibility and community controls. Online multiplayer is limited to browser games. The platform is listed for Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows.

Stencyl is game creation software for making mobile, web, and desktop games with visual logic or custom code. Its drag-and-drop designer uses snapping blocks and includes hundreds of ready-to-use blocks. Creators can also make and share blocks, import libraries, extend the engine with code, and write Haxe classes that work with block-based Behaviors. The Scene Designer provides selection, zooming, grid-snapping, and flood fill; the Actor Editor adjusts appearance, behaviors, and physical properties. Stencyl targets iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, and HTML5. The free Starter edition publishes HTML5 games and lets users test games on paid target platforms, but cannot publish desktop, iOS, or Android games and displays Stencyl branding. Indie costs $99 a year and adds web and desktop publishing without watermarks. Studio costs $199 a year and includes publishing to iOS and Android, ads, leaderboards, in-app purchases, and third-party plugins. Publishing iOS games to the App Store requires an active Apple developer license and a Mac. Stencyl says it collects no royalties on games.