GameSalad vs Ren'Py
GameSalad
gamesalad.com
Ren'Py
renpy.orgSide by side
| Figure | GameSalad | Ren'Py |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $2.42/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 8 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Engine Software | 8.5 (#29) | 9.0 (#6) |
| Spec score · Game Development Software | 8.3 (#22) | 8.5 (#17) |
| Founded | 2010 | 2004 |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Mobile export | Yes | Yes |
| Security | GameSalad says it limits personal-data access to people with a business need and uses measures intended to prevent unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. | Ren'Py warns that games can perform harmful actions and that loading untrusted save or persistent files can run arbitrary code. |
| Source code model | closed_source | open_source |
| Support | The education instructor guide lists support by email at [email protected] and by phone at 1-844-837-8387. | Ren'Py directs users to its Discord and Lemma Soft Forums for questions, and to GitHub for bug reports. |
| Target platforms | web,iOS,Android,HTML5,desktop | Windows 10+,macOS 10.10+,Linux x86_64/Arm,Android 5.0+,iOS 11+,HTML5/WebAssembly (beta) |
Plans
GameSalad
- GameSalad Basic$19 a month
- GameSalad Home EduPrice not published
- GameSalad Pro$29 a month
- GameSalad Learn@Home$19 a month
- K-12 Bundle$29 a year
- Higher Ed Bundle$57 a year
- Developer EDU Discount$149 a year
- Site/Building$1,495 a year
In their own words
GameSalad
GameSalad Creator is a visual programming tool for making mobile and web games. GameSalad describes its approach as no-code, and says creators and learners ages 12 and beyond can use it. Creator downloads are available for macOS and Windows; iOS and Android Viewer apps support native-device previews. Publishing depends on the plan: Basic subscribers can use Creator’s behaviors and functions, preview with Viewer, and publish to GameSalad Arcade. Pro subscribers get access to all publishing platforms, including iOS App Store, Android App Store and HTML5 publishing, as well as priority technical support. Plans include GameSalad Basic at $19 a month and GameSalad Pro at $29 a month. Education options include lesson plans, tutorials, classroom management and student progress views through a teacher dashboard. App store publishing requires separate store processes, credentials and fees, which are not included in the education license. GameSalad is based in Austin, Texas, and launched in 2010.
Ren'Py
Ren'Py is a free visual novel engine for making interactive stories and life simulation games with words, images, and sounds. Its script language handles visual-novel writing, while Python can be used for more complex game logic. Default games include menus, automatic saves, rollback, predictive image loading, and mouse, keyboard, or gamepad controls. Creators can customize screens and styles using the screen language and Python. The launcher builds Windows, Mac, and Linux games from any of those desktop systems. Ren'Py also supports Android export and can package games for WebAssembly browsers, though web support is beta and lacks networking and multithreading. It targets Windows 10 or later, macOS 10.10 or later, Linux x86_64 or Arm, Android 5.0 or later, and iOS 11 or later. Building for iOS requires a Mac and Xcode, and that support remains a work in progress. The engine is free for commercial and non-commercial use; most is MIT-licensed, with some LGPL components whose terms distributors must meet.