head to head · open source
aframe vs Pumpkin
aframe has 17,635 GitHub stars, 4,396 forks, 338 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. Pumpkin has 11,301 stars, 815 forks, 452 open issues and last shipped yesterday. aframe leads on adoption by 56% (17,635 vs 11,301 stars). aframe is written in JavaScript under MIT; Pumpkin is written in Rust under GPL-3.0. aframe has attracted 25% 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
| aframe | Pumpkin | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 18K | ★ 11K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-07-13 | 2026-09-21 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 815 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick aframe if
- You weight community size — 18K stars and counting
- You want the MIT 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 aframe
A Frame is an MIT licensed JavaScript web framework built on top of three.js that lets anyone who can write HTML build browser based 3D, augmented reality and virtual reality experiences running on desktop, mobile and any WebXR capable headset.
read the full aframe 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 aframe or Pumpkin more popular?
aframe has 17,635 GitHub stars and Pumpkin has 11,301. aframe has the larger community by that measure.
Are aframe and Pumpkin free?
Both are open source. aframe is licensed under MIT and Pumpkin under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between aframe and Pumpkin?
aframe 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, aframe or Pumpkin?
Choose aframe if you want the larger community (17,635 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Pumpkin if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.