{
    "products": [
        {
            "slug": "cocos-creator",
            "name": "Cocos Creator",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://www.cocos.com/en/creator",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/cocos-creator",
            "tagline": "Open source 2D and 3D engine and editor for cross-platform games",
            "summary": "Cocos Creator is the editor for the Cocos engine, made by Xiamen Yaji Software Co., Ltd. It builds 2D and 3D projects for many platforms, including the web, WeChat mini games and HarmonyOS, and the engine's source is published under the MIT license.",
            "developer": "Xiamen Yaji Software Co., Ltd.",
            "platforms": [
                "windows",
                "macos"
            ],
            "pricing": "open-source",
            "price_note": "Engine is MIT licensed; professional support is sold separately",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": true,
            "license": "MIT",
            "source": "https://github.com/cocos/cocos-engine",
            "strengths": [
                "Engine source published under the MIT license",
                "Wide target list including web, WeChat and HarmonyOS",
                "2D and 3D projects in one editor"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Editor download listed for Windows and macOS",
                "Professional support is a paid, separate service"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Cocos Creator is a real-time 2D and 3D engine and editor for cross-platform content. The engine's source is on GitHub under the MIT license, and the vendor describes the engine as open source. The download page offers Windows and macOS builds of the editor.\n\nThe 3.8.8 release notes list work on WebGL2 and WebGPU rendering, WeChat template updates and game controller support on HarmonyOS, which shows how wide the target list is. Professional support is sold separately from the free tools. Check the release notes for the platform you need, because support differs between targets."
        },
        {
            "slug": "godot",
            "name": "Godot Engine",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://godotengine.org/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/godot",
            "tagline": "Free and open source 2D and 3D game engine under the MIT license",
            "summary": "Godot Engine is a free, open source 2D and 3D game engine maintained by the Godot Foundation and its contributors. Games are scripted in GDScript or C#, and the engine is released under the MIT license with no royalties on the games you make.",
            "developer": "Godot Foundation",
            "platforms": [
                "windows",
                "macos",
                "linux"
            ],
            "pricing": "open-source",
            "price_note": "MIT licensed; no royalties, fees or revenue limits for the engine",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": true,
            "license": "MIT",
            "source": "https://github.com/godotengine/godot",
            "strengths": [
                "MIT license with no royalties or revenue limits",
                "Editor runs on Windows, macOS and Linux",
                "Active releases, including 4.7.2 in August 2026"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Store versions of the editor omit C# and .NET support",
                "Console builds need a separate check of current status"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Godot is an open source engine with an editor for Windows, macOS and Linux. Games are built from scenes and nodes, scripted mainly in GDScript with C# support, and exported to Android, Linux, macOS, Windows and the web, which are the platforms its download page lists as supported.\n\nThe MIT license lets you use, modify and sell games and forks without paying royalties. It asks only that the engine's copyright notice ship with your product. The trade-offs are that the store versions of the editor leave out .NET and C# support, and teams that need console builds should check the current console support status before committing. Maintenance releases for 4.7.2 and 3.6.3 were published in August 2026."
        }
    ],
    "differences": [
        "Only Godot Engine runs on Linux."
    ],
    "shared_rankings": [
        {
            "list": "game-engines",
            "name": "Game engines",
            "page": "https://listme.name/best/game-engines",
            "of": 12,
            "results": [
                {
                    "product": "cocos-creator",
                    "rank": 6,
                    "score": 86.5,
                    "verdict": "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",
                    "spec": {
                        "language": "TypeScript and JavaScript",
                        "three_d": true,
                        "workflow": "Editor and code"
                    }
                },
                {
                    "product": "godot",
                    "rank": 1,
                    "score": 94,
                    "verdict": "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",
                    "spec": {
                        "language": "GDScript and C#",
                        "three_d": true,
                        "workflow": "Editor and code"
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "ranks_higher_in_closest_shared_list": "godot",
    "page": "https://listme.name/compare/cocos-creator-vs-godot",
    "json": "https://listme.name/api/v1/compare/cocos-creator-vs-godot.json",
    "notes": [
        "Scores are editorial and only comparable inside one list. Products with connected_to_publisher true receive a disclosed ranking lift: https://listme.name/methodology"
    ],
    "source": "https://listme.name",
    "license": "Free to read and cite with attribution to listme.name.",
    "docs": "https://listme.name/developers"
}