head to head · open source
GDevelop vs OpenRA
GDevelop has 26,730 GitHub stars, 1,556 forks, 633 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenRA has 17,408 stars, 3,048 forks, 1,598 open issues and last shipped 8 days ago. GDevelop leads on adoption by 54% (26,730 vs 17,408 stars). GDevelop is written in JavaScript under a custom or non-standard licence; OpenRA is written in C# under GPL-3.0. GDevelop has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, OpenRA 18%. GDevelop was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (game, game-engine, hacktoberfest), 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 | OpenRA | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 27K | ★ 17K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | C# |
| Last push | 2026-09-21 | 2026-09-14 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 3.0K |
| 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 OpenRA if
- You want the OpenRA feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You evaluated both and OpenRA 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 OpenRA
OpenRA is a libre, free and open source real time strategy game engine written in C with SDL and OpenGL, built for players, mappers and modders who want to run and extend early Westwood classics such as Command & Conquer: Red Alert, Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn and Dune 2000 on Windows, Linux, BSD and Mac OS X.
read the full OpenRA overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is GDevelop or OpenRA more popular?
GDevelop has 26,730 GitHub stars and OpenRA has 17,408. GDevelop has the larger community by that measure.
Are GDevelop and OpenRA free?
Both are open source. GDevelop has no licence declared in this registry, and OpenRA is licensed under GPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between GDevelop and OpenRA?
GDevelop is written in JavaScript and OpenRA in C#. 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 OpenRA?
Choose GDevelop if you want the larger community (26,730 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose OpenRA if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.