head to head · open source
GDevelop vs permafrost-engine
GDevelop has 27,826 GitHub stars, 1,607 forks, 633 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. permafrost-engine has 2,768 stars, 121 forks, 3 open issues and last shipped 17 days ago. GDevelop leads on adoption by 905% (27,826 vs 2,768 stars). GDevelop is written in JavaScript under a custom or non-standard licence; permafrost-engine is written in C under GPL-3.0. GDevelop has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, permafrost-engine 4%. 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 | permafrost-engine | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 28K | ★ 2.8K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | C |
| Last push | 2026-10-21 | 2026-10-06 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 121 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick GDevelop if
- You weight community size — 28K 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 permafrost-engine if
- You want the permafrost-engine 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 permafrost-engine 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 permafrost-engine
Support the Development Wishlist EVERGLORY on Steam Permafrost Engine is an OpenGL 3.3 Real Time Strategy game engine written in C. It is made in the image of old classics, but incorporating some modern ideas. Engine Showcase EVERGLORY is the flagship game developed using Permafrost Engine. Download the free demo on Steam. With the demo you also get access to all the scripts powering the gameplay to learn from and modify as you wish. Engine Summary OpenGL 3.3 programmable pipeline (more modern extensions used where available) Custom text model format for interoperability with tools; baked binary format for fast…
read the full permafrost-engine overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is GDevelop or permafrost-engine more popular?
GDevelop has 27,826 GitHub stars and permafrost-engine has 2,768. GDevelop has the larger community by that measure.
Are GDevelop and permafrost-engine free?
Both are open source. GDevelop has no licence declared in this registry, and permafrost-engine is licensed under GPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between GDevelop and permafrost-engine?
GDevelop is written in JavaScript and permafrost-engine 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 permafrost-engine?
Choose GDevelop if you want the larger community (27,826 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose permafrost-engine if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.