Sign in

Browse by category

More

Alternatives

Best RPG Maker MZ alternatives in 2026

RPG Maker MZ is paid tool for making role-playing games on Windows and macOS. These 11 alternatives come from the same rankings, ordered by editorial score. Connected products carry a small, disclosed lift.

11 alternatives From best game engines How we rank Share

Ranked alternatives

  1. Godot Engine

    Has a free option; is open source; also runs on Linux. MIT license with no royalties, an editor for Windows, macOS and Linux, and export to Android and the web. Store builds of the editor leave out C#, so check that before choosing it.

    Best for Free open-source 2D and 3D games with no royalties

    WindowsmacOSLinuxFree and open sourceOpen source

    94.0of 100
    Visit Alternatives

  2. Unity

    Has a free option; also runs on Linux. Widest platform reach and a free Personal plan under the revenue threshold. Larger businesses pay a subscription, and the pricing page lists no per-game royalty.

    Best for Cross-platform teams that can accept a subscription

    WindowsmacOSLinuxFree plan, paid upgrades

    92.5of 100
    Visit Alternatives

  3. Unreal Engine

    Has a free option; also runs on Linux. Free under $1 million in revenue with source access and strong high-end 3D. Above that, a 5% royalty applies, unlike the royalty-free Godot and Defold licenses.

    Best for High-end 3D games and real-time film work

    WindowsmacOSLinuxFree plan, paid upgrades

    91.5of 100
    Visit Alternatives

  4. Defold

    Has a free option; also runs on Linux. Free forever with no runtime fees and a small footprint, but the source-available license bars selling modified editor or engine builds. Game logic is written in Lua, which narrows the choice.

    Best for Small Lua-based games that ship to many platforms

    WindowsmacOSLinuxFree

    89.5of 100
    Visit Alternatives

  5. GameMaker

    Has a free option. Free tier with tutorials and asset bundles, and a clear path for 2D beginners. Commercial release needs the paid Professional tier, and the editor runs only on Windows and macOS.

    Best for Beginners making 2D games with a free tier

    WindowsmacOSFree plan, paid upgrades

    88.0of 100
    Visit Alternatives

  6. Cocos Creator

    Has a free option; is open source. MIT-licensed engine with a wide target list, including WeChat and HarmonyOS. Editor downloads are listed for Windows and macOS only, and professional support costs extra.

    Best for 2D and 3D games for WeChat and web platforms

    WindowsmacOSFree and open sourceOpen source

    86.5of 100
    Visit Alternatives

  7. Bevy

    Has a free option; is open source; also runs on Linux, Web, iOS. Free, MIT or Apache-2.0 licensed Rust engine with an entity component system and active development. The Rust requirement and changing APIs make it a choice for programmers only.

    Best for Rust programmers building data-driven games

    WindowsmacOSLinuxWebiOSAndroidFree and open sourceOpen source

    85.5of 100
    Visit Alternatives

  8. MonoGame

    Has a free option; is open source; also runs on Linux, Android, iOS. Ms-PL licensed C# framework covering desktop, mobile and consoles from one codebase. Console access requires platform authorization, and it is a framework rather than an editor.

    Best for C# developers targeting desktop, mobile and consoles

    WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS, iPadOSFree and open sourceOpen source

    84.5of 100
    Visit Alternatives

  9. O3DE

    Has a free option; is open source; also runs on Linux. Apache 2.0 engine with modular Gems and documented Windows, Linux and macOS requirements. Setup needs Visual Studio and CMake, so it suits teams that can handle a heavier install.

    Best for Teams wanting an Apache-licensed 3D engine

    WindowsLinuxmacOSFree and open sourceOpen source

    81.5of 100
    Visit Alternatives

  10. Phaser

    Has a free option; is open source; also runs on Web. MIT-licensed 2D framework for browser games, with templates for popular frameworks. It has no native console builds and needs JavaScript skills, so it suits web-first teams.

    Best for Browser-based 2D games in JavaScript

    WebFree and open sourceOpen source

    80.5of 100
    Visit Alternatives

  11. LÖVE

    Has a free option; is open source; also runs on Linux, Android, iOS. Free zlib/libpng framework for 2D games in Lua, running on desktop and mobile. It has no visual level editor, so it suits developers who want to write everything in code.

    Best for Lua developers making 2D games and game jam entries

    WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSFree and open sourceOpen source

    78.5of 100
    Visit Alternatives

Narrow the alternatives

Free alternatives to RPG Maker MZ

Open-source alternatives to RPG Maker MZ

RPG Maker MZ alternatives for Linux

RPG Maker MZ alternatives for Android

RPG Maker MZ alternatives for iOS

About RPG Maker MZ alternatives

What is the best alternative to RPG Maker MZ?
On listme.name the highest-scored alternative is Godot Engine, followed by Unity. The right choice depends on price, platform and whether you need open source.
Is there a free alternative to RPG Maker MZ?
Yes. Free options include Godot Engine, Unity, Unreal Engine.

Before you switch

Learning Center
1:16Intermediate · 6 min readLock-in and exit costs: check how you leave before you commitLearn what lock-in is, run an export test on real data, compare open formats and local versus hosted storage, and plan an exit with your EU data rights in mind.1:20Beginner · 5 min readHow to run a software trial that tells you somethingRun a software trial that answers your question. Set criteria first, use real files, test import, export and sharing, then decide before the end date.

Articles that mention RPG Maker MZ

All articles