head to head · open source
raylib vs GDevelop
raylib has 34,783 GitHub stars, 3,299 forks, 16 open issues and last shipped yesterday. GDevelop has 26,636 stars, 1,555 forks, 633 open issues and last shipped yesterday. raylib leads on adoption by 31% (34,783 vs 26,636 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 | ★ 35K | ★ 27K |
| License | Zlib | Custom / other |
| Written in | C | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.3K | ⑂ 1.6K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick raylib if
- You weight community size — 35K 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 an open source, Zlib licensed C programming library for building videogames and graphical applications, aimed at programmers who would rather write code directly than work inside a visual game engine editor.
read the full raylib overview →
About GDevelop
GDevelop is an open source, cross platform game engine and editor for creating 2D, 3D, and multiplayer games without writing code. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and targets mobile (iOS, Android), desktop, and web platforms. Built with JavaScript, React, Electron, PixiJS, and Three.js, it combines a visual event based system with AI assisted development to lower the barrier to entry for game creation.
read the full GDevelop overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is raylib or GDevelop more popular?
raylib has 34,783 GitHub stars and GDevelop has 26,636. 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 (34,783 stars) or its Zlib licence terms. Choose GDevelop if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.