head to head · open source
raylib vs GDevelop
raylib has 35,538 GitHub stars, 3,370 forks, 16 open issues and last shipped yesterday. GDevelop has 28,355 stars, 1,641 forks, 633 open issues and last shipped yesterday. raylib leads on adoption by 25% (35,538 vs 28,355 stars). raylib is written in C under Zlib; GDevelop is written in JavaScript under a custom or non-standard licence. raylib has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, GDevelop 6%. 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-development, game-engine, 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
| raylib | GDevelop | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 36K | ★ 28K |
| License | Zlib | Custom / other |
| Written in | C | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.4K | ⑂ 1.6K |
| 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 GDevelop if
- You want the GDevelop feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and GDevelop 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 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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is raylib or GDevelop more popular?
raylib has 35,538 GitHub stars and GDevelop has 28,355. raylib has the larger community by that measure.
Are raylib and GDevelop free?
Both are open source. raylib is licensed under Zlib, and GDevelop has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between raylib and GDevelop?
raylib is written in C and GDevelop in JavaScript. 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 GDevelop?
Choose raylib if you want the larger community (35,538 stars) or its Zlib licence terms. Choose GDevelop if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.