head to head · open source
Babylon.js vs OpenRA
Babylon.js has 26,299 GitHub stars, 3,722 forks, 22 open issues and last shipped today. OpenRA has 17,736 stars, 3,112 forks, 1,598 open issues and last shipped 9 days ago. Babylon.js leads on adoption by 48% (26,299 vs 17,736 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 | ★ 18K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | C# |
| Last push | 2026-11-06 | 2026-10-28 |
| 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 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 Getting started? Play directly with the Babylon.js API using our playground. It also contains a lot of samples to learn how to use it. Any questions? Here is our official forum. CDN ⚠️ WARNING: The CDN should not be used in production environments. The purpose of our CDN is to serve Babylon packages to users learning how to use the platform or running small experiments. Once you've built an application and are ready to share it with the world at large, you should serve all packages from your own CDN. For the preview release, use the following URLs: A list of additional references can be found here…
read the full Babylon.js overview →
About OpenRA
OpenRA A Libre/Free Real Time Strategy game engine supporting early Westwood classics. Website: Chat: openra on Libera (web) or Discord Repository: Please read the FAQ in our Wiki and report problems at Join the Forum for discussion. Play Distributed mods include a reimagining of Command & Conquer: Red Alert Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn Dune 2000 EA has not endorsed and does not support this product. Check our Playing the Game Guide to win multiplayer matches. Contribute Please read INSTALL.md and Compiling on how to set up an OpenRA development environment. See Hacking for a (now very outdated) overview of…
read the full OpenRA overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Babylon.js or OpenRA more popular?
Babylon.js has 26,299 GitHub stars and OpenRA has 17,736. 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 (26,299 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.