head to head · open source
Babylon.js vs OpenRA
Babylon.js has 26,095 GitHub stars, 3,689 forks, 22 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenRA has 17,408 stars, 3,048 forks, 1,598 open issues and last shipped 8 days ago. Babylon.js leads on adoption by 50% (26,095 vs 17,408 stars). Babylon.js is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; OpenRA is written in C# under GPL-3.0. Babylon.js has attracted 14% as many forks as stars, OpenRA 18%. Babylon.js 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
| Babylon.js | OpenRA | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 26K | ★ 17K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | C# |
| Last push | 2026-09-21 | 2026-09-14 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.7K | ⑂ 3.0K |
| 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 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 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 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 Babylon.js or OpenRA more popular?
Babylon.js has 26,095 GitHub stars and OpenRA has 17,408. Babylon.js has the larger community by that measure.
Are Babylon.js and OpenRA free?
Both are open source. Babylon.js is licensed under Apache-2.0 and OpenRA under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Babylon.js and OpenRA?
Babylon.js is written in TypeScript 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, Babylon.js or OpenRA?
Choose Babylon.js if you want the larger community (26,095 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose OpenRA if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.