head to head · open source
GDevelop vs Pumpkin
GDevelop has 28,411 GitHub stars, 1,644 forks, 633 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Pumpkin has 12,827 stars, 986 forks, 452 open issues and last shipped yesterday. GDevelop leads on adoption by 121% (28,411 vs 12,827 stars). GDevelop is written in JavaScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Pumpkin is written in Rust under GPL-3.0. GDevelop has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Pumpkin 8%. Pumpkin was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (gamedev), 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 | Pumpkin | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 28K | ★ 13K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 986 |
| 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 Pumpkin if
- You want the Pumpkin feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and Pumpkin 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 Pumpkin
Pumpkin Pumpkin is a Minecraft server built entirely in Rust, offering a fast, efficient, and customizable experience. It prioritizes performance and player enjoyment while adhering to the core mechanics of the game. Goals Performance : Leveraging multi threading for maximum speed and efficiency. Compatibility : Supports the latest Java & Bedrock Minecraft server version while adhering to Vanilla game mechanics. Security : Prioritizes security by preventing known security exploits. Flexibility : Highly configurable, with the ability to disable unnecessary features. Extensibility : Provides a foundation for…
read the full Pumpkin overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is GDevelop or Pumpkin more popular?
GDevelop has 28,411 GitHub stars and Pumpkin has 12,827. GDevelop has the larger community by that measure.
Are GDevelop and Pumpkin free?
Both are open source. GDevelop has no licence declared in this registry, and Pumpkin is licensed under GPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between GDevelop and Pumpkin?
GDevelop is written in JavaScript and Pumpkin in Rust. 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 Pumpkin?
Choose GDevelop if you want the larger community (28,411 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Pumpkin if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.