head to head · open source
Babylon.js vs Pumpkin
Babylon.js has 26,293 GitHub stars, 3,722 forks, 22 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Pumpkin has 12,827 stars, 986 forks, 452 open issues and last shipped today. Babylon.js leads on adoption by 105% (26,293 vs 12,827 stars). Babylon.js is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; Pumpkin is written in Rust under GPL-3.0. Babylon.js has attracted 14% as many forks as stars, Pumpkin 8%. Pumpkin was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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 | Pumpkin | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 26K | ★ 13K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.7K | ⑂ 986 |
| 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 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 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 Pumpkin
Pumpkin Pumpkin is a Minecraft server built entirely in Rust, offering a fast, efficient, and customizable experience. It prioritizes performance and player enjoyment while adhering to the core mechanics of the game. Goals Performance : Leveraging multi threading for maximum speed and efficiency. Compatibility : Supports the latest Java & Bedrock Minecraft server version while adhering to Vanilla game mechanics. Security : Prioritizes security by preventing known security exploits. Flexibility : Highly configurable, with the ability to disable unnecessary features. Extensibility : Provides a foundation for…
read the full Pumpkin overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Babylon.js or Pumpkin more popular?
Babylon.js has 26,293 GitHub stars and Pumpkin has 12,827. Babylon.js has the larger community by that measure.
Are Babylon.js and Pumpkin free?
Both are open source. Babylon.js is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Pumpkin under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Babylon.js and Pumpkin?
Babylon.js is written in TypeScript 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, Babylon.js or Pumpkin?
Choose Babylon.js if you want the larger community (26,293 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Pumpkin if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.