head to head · open source
raylib vs Overload
raylib has 35,422 GitHub stars, 3,357 forks, 16 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Overload has 2,498 stars, 288 forks, 107 open issues and last shipped 22 days ago. raylib leads on adoption by 1,318% (35,422 vs 2,498 stars). raylib is written in C under Zlib; Overload is written in C++ under MIT. raylib has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, Overload 12%. raylib was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 4 topic tags (game-engine, gamedev, graphics, linux), 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 | Overload | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 35K | ★ 2.5K |
| License | Zlib | MIT |
| Written in | C | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-10-25 | 2026-10-05 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.4K | ⑂ 288 |
| 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 Overload if
- You want the Overload feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and Overload 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 Overload
Releases Screenshots Features Wiki Contributing [!IMPORTANT] Overload is not currently accepting external contributions. Until further notice, issues and pull requests are disabled for external users. Looking for community driven development? Try one of these active forks. ⚠️ WARNING: Overload Technologies does not vet, monitor, or endorse these forks, and is not responsible for any damage they may cause. Use them at your own risk. What's Overload? Overload is a free, open source 3D game engine made in C++ with Lua as its scripting language. Originally created in 2019 by Benjamin VIRANIN, Max BRUN, and Adrien…
read the full Overload overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is raylib or Overload more popular?
raylib has 35,422 GitHub stars and Overload has 2,498. raylib has the larger community by that measure.
Are raylib and Overload free?
Both are open source. raylib is licensed under Zlib and Overload under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between raylib and Overload?
raylib is written in C and Overload in C++. 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 Overload?
Choose raylib if you want the larger community (35,422 stars) or its Zlib licence terms. Choose Overload if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.