head to head · open source
GDevelop vs OpenRA
GDevelop has 28,479 GitHub stars, 1,645 forks, 633 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenRA has 17,736 stars, 3,112 forks, 1,598 open issues and last shipped 9 days ago. GDevelop leads on adoption by 61% (28,479 vs 17,736 stars). GDevelop is written in JavaScript under a custom or non-standard licence; OpenRA is written in C# under GPL-3.0. GDevelop has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, OpenRA 18%. GDevelop was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (game, game-engine, hacktoberfest), 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 | OpenRA | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 28K | ★ 18K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | C# |
| Last push | 2026-11-05 | 2026-10-28 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 3.1K |
| 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 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 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 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 GDevelop or OpenRA more popular?
GDevelop has 28,479 GitHub stars and OpenRA has 17,736. GDevelop has the larger community by that measure.
Are GDevelop and OpenRA free?
Both are open source. GDevelop has no licence declared in this registry, and OpenRA is licensed under GPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between GDevelop and OpenRA?
GDevelop is written in JavaScript 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, GDevelop or OpenRA?
Choose GDevelop if you want the larger community (28,479 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose OpenRA if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.