head to head · open source
raylib vs ferrumc
raylib has 35,587 GitHub stars, 3,377 forks, 16 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. ferrumc has 2,473 stars, 105 forks, 27 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. raylib leads on adoption by 1,339% (35,587 vs 2,473 stars). raylib is written in C under Zlib; ferrumc is written in Rust under MIT. raylib has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, ferrumc 4%. raylib was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (game-development, 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
| raylib | ferrumc | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 36K | ★ 2.5K |
| License | Zlib | MIT |
| Written in | C | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-07 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.4K | ⑂ 105 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick raylib if
- You weight community size — 36K stars and counting
- You want the Zlib license terms
- Your stack matches C
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick ferrumc if
- You want the ferrumc feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and ferrumc fits your workflow better
About raylib
raylib is a simple and easy to use library to enjoy videogames programming. raylib is highly inspired by Borland BGI graphics lib and by XNA framework and it's especially well suited for prototyping, tooling, graphical applications, embedded systems and education. NOTE for ADVENTURERS: raylib is a programming library to enjoy videogames programming; no fancy interface, no visual helpers, no debug button... just coding in the most pure spartan programmers way. Ready to learn? Jump to code examples! features NO external dependencies , all required libraries are included in raylib Multiple platforms supported…
read the full raylib overview →
About ferrumc
[!IMPORTANT] 🚧 A fresh rewrite of FerrumC is in the works We're rebuilding FerrumC from scratch on the rework/v2 skeleton branch, and we plan to merge it into master soon. What works so far: A cleaner, faster core that's much easier to build on. A flat creative world you can join with a normal Minecraft 1.21.8 client. Blocks like logs, slabs, stairs, fences, and doors place facing the right way, and signs and chests work. Area edit commands such as /fill , /replace , and /undo . A day and night cycle, and you can watch other players turn, look around, and hold items and armor. Your builds are saved when you…
read the full ferrumc overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is raylib or ferrumc more popular?
raylib has 35,587 GitHub stars and ferrumc has 2,473. raylib has the larger community by that measure.
Are raylib and ferrumc free?
Both are open source. raylib is licensed under Zlib and ferrumc under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between raylib and ferrumc?
raylib is written in C and ferrumc 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, raylib or ferrumc?
Choose raylib if you want the larger community (35,587 stars) or its Zlib licence terms. Choose ferrumc if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.