head to head · open source
GDevelop vs kaplay
GDevelop has 28,824 GitHub stars, 1,660 forks, 633 open issues and last shipped yesterday. kaplay has 1,828 stars, 132 forks, 76 open issues and last shipped yesterday. GDevelop leads on adoption by 1,477% (28,824 vs 1,828 stars). GDevelop is written in JavaScript under a custom or non-standard licence; kaplay is written in TypeScript under MIT. GDevelop has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, kaplay 7%. GDevelop was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (game-development, 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 | kaplay | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 29K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-13 | 2026-11-13 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.7K | ⑂ 132 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick GDevelop if
- You weight community size — 29K 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 kaplay if
- You want the kaplay feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and kaplay fits your workflow better
About GDevelop
GDevelop is a full featured, no code, open source game development software. You can build 2D, 3D and multiplayer games for mobile (iOS, Android), desktop and the web. GDevelop is designed to be fast and incredibly intuitive: make games using an easy to understand yet powerful event based system and modular behaviors. Create with AI that assists or builds alongside you. Getting started Are you interested in contributing to GDevelop for the first time? Take a look at the list of good first issues , good first contributions or the "🏐 not too hard" cards on the Roadmap. Games made with GDevelop Find GDevelop games…
read the full GDevelop overview →
About kaplay
🎮 KAPLAY.js — A JavaScript & TypeScript Game Library KAPLAY is the fun first , 2D game library for JavaScript and TypeScript . It’s made to feel like a game while you're making games. Simple. Fast. Powerful. ✨ Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced dev, KAPLAY comes with its own web based editor — the KAPLAYGROUND — so you can try code instantly, and learn with more than 90 examples ! 🎲 Quick Overview Game objects are composed from simple, powerful components: Blocky imperative syntax for describing behaviors 🖥️ Installation 🚀 Using create kaplay The fastest way to get started: Then open and edit…
read the full kaplay overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is GDevelop or kaplay more popular?
GDevelop has 28,824 GitHub stars and kaplay has 1,828. GDevelop has the larger community by that measure.
Are GDevelop and kaplay free?
Both are open source. GDevelop has no licence declared in this registry, and kaplay is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between GDevelop and kaplay?
GDevelop is written in JavaScript and kaplay 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 kaplay?
Choose GDevelop if you want the larger community (28,824 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose kaplay if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.