head to head · open source
Babylon.js vs MonoGame
Babylon.js has 26,087 GitHub stars, 3,687 forks, 22 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. MonoGame has 14,433 stars, 3,108 forks, 766 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. Babylon.js leads on adoption by 81% (26,087 vs 14,433 stars). Babylon.js is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; MonoGame is written in C# under a custom or non-standard licence. Babylon.js has attracted 14% as many forks as stars, MonoGame 22%. Babylon.js was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (3d, 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
| Babylon.js | MonoGame | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 26K | ★ 14K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | C# |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.7K | ⑂ 3.1K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Babylon.js if
- You weight community size — 26K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick MonoGame if
- You want the MonoGame feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You evaluated both and MonoGame fits your workflow better
About Babylon.js
Babylon.js is an open source, Apache 2.0 licensed 3D game and rendering engine written in TypeScript, built for JavaScript and TypeScript developers who want to create browser based 3D games, visualizations and WebXR experiences inside a friendly JavaScript framework.
read the full Babylon.js overview →
About MonoGame
MonoGame is a free, open source C and .NET game framework for building cross platform games. It lives in the .NET game development ecosystem and is positioned as one framework for creating games on desktop PCs, mobile devices, and consoles. It is an open source re implementation of Microsoft's discontinued XNA Framework, used to create games such as Streets of Rage 4, Carrion, Celeste, and Stardew Valley.
read the full MonoGame overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Babylon.js or MonoGame more popular?
Babylon.js has 26,087 GitHub stars and MonoGame has 14,433. Babylon.js has the larger community by that measure.
Are Babylon.js and MonoGame free?
Both are open source. Babylon.js is licensed under Apache-2.0, and MonoGame has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Babylon.js and MonoGame?
Babylon.js is written in TypeScript and MonoGame 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, Babylon.js or MonoGame?
Choose Babylon.js if you want the larger community (26,087 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose MonoGame if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.