head to head · open source
GDevelop vs boardgame.io
GDevelop has 26,888 GitHub stars, 1,561 forks, 633 open issues and last shipped yesterday. boardgame.io has 12,443 stars, 832 forks, 67 open issues and last shipped 9 days ago. GDevelop leads on adoption by 116% (26,888 vs 12,443 stars). GDevelop is written in JavaScript under a custom or non-standard licence; boardgame.io is written in TypeScript under MIT. GDevelop has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, boardgame.io 7%. GDevelop was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (game-engine), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| GDevelop | boardgame.io | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 27K | ★ 12K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-26 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 832 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick GDevelop if
- You weight community size — 27K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick boardgame.io if
- You want the boardgame.io feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and boardgame.io fits your workflow better
About GDevelop
GDevelop is an open source, cross platform game engine and editor for creating 2D, 3D, and multiplayer games without writing code. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and targets mobile (iOS, Android), desktop, and web platforms. Built with JavaScript, React, Electron, PixiJS, and Three.js, it combines a visual event based system with AI assisted development to lower the barrier to entry for game creation.
read the full GDevelop overview →
About boardgame.io
boardgame.io is an MIT licensed engine for building turn based games in JavaScript, aimed at developers who want state management, realtime multiplayer and matchmaking handled for them instead of writing their own networking and storage code.
read the full boardgame.io overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is GDevelop or boardgame.io more popular?
GDevelop has 26,888 GitHub stars and boardgame.io has 12,443. GDevelop has the larger community by that measure.
Are GDevelop and boardgame.io free?
Both are open source. GDevelop has no licence declared in this registry, and boardgame.io is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between GDevelop and boardgame.io?
GDevelop is written in JavaScript and boardgame.io in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, GDevelop or boardgame.io?
Choose GDevelop if you want the larger community (26,888 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose boardgame.io if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.