jMonkeyEngine vs Pygame
jMonkeyEngine
jmonkeyengine.orgPygame
pygame.orgSide by side
| Figure | jMonkeyEngine | Pygame |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Engine Software | 8.8 (#12) | 8.2 (#48) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| License | The engine uses the BSD 3-Clause License and the maker says it has no fees, royalties, splash-screen requirement, or requirement to mention the engine in a game. | Pygame is distributed under GNU LGPL version 2.1, and the project states that closed-source and commercial games are allowed. |
| Mobile export | Yes | Yes |
| Purpose | jMonkeyEngine describes itself as a code-first Java game engine for developers. | Pygame is a Python library for making multimedia applications such as games, built on SDL. |
| Scripting languages | Java | Python |
| Source code model | open_source | open_source |
| Target platforms | Windows,macOS,Linux,Android,iOS | Windows,macOS,Linux,Android |
Plans
In their own words
jMonkeyEngine
jMonkeyEngine is a free, open-source Java game engine for developers. It targets Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, with mobile export and multiplayer foundations. Rendering includes a GLES 3.0 backend and direct OpenGL support from versions 3.2 through 4.5. Java 11 through Java 21, Gradle builds, JVM tooling, and direct Java-library use are listed. Networking foundations cover TCP, UDP, RPC, and synchronization patterns. Physics options include rigid-body, soft-body, and vehicle simulation through Bullet, Box2D, or Jolt Physics integration. Graphics features include PBR, custom materials and shaders, bloom, FXAA, SSAO, and tone mapping. A glTF workflow is described for moving Blender materials, lighting choices, and scene setup. The BSD 3-Clause License includes no runtime fees, royalties, splash-screen requirement, or requirement to mention the engine. Setup uses an initializer, NetBeans-based SDK, or direct Java-library configuration. SDK integrations are maintained separately and may lag engine features.