head to head · open source
GDevelop vs Pumpkin
GDevelop has 26,665 GitHub stars, 1,557 forks, 633 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Pumpkin has 11,292 stars, 813 forks, 452 open issues and last shipped yesterday. GDevelop leads on adoption by 136% (26,665 vs 11,292 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 7%. 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 | ★ 27K | ★ 11K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-09-19 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 813 |
| 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 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 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 Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a Minecraft server implementation written entirely in Rust that aims to let anyone host fast and efficient Java and Bedrock Edition servers, and it is built for server operators and plugin developers who want vanilla compatible gameplay without the official Java server.
read the full Pumpkin overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is GDevelop or Pumpkin more popular?
GDevelop has 26,665 GitHub stars and Pumpkin has 11,292. 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 (26,665 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.