{
    "products": [
        {
            "slug": "defold",
            "name": "Defold",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://defold.com/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/defold",
            "tagline": "Free game engine with Lua scripting and a small runtime footprint",
            "summary": "Defold is a free 2D and 3D game engine from the Defold Foundation, scripted in Lua and built for publishing to desktop, mobile, web and console platforms. Its source is available, and the Defold License allows you to sell the games you make with it.",
            "developer": "Defold Foundation",
            "platforms": [
                "windows",
                "macos",
                "linux"
            ],
            "pricing": "free",
            "price_note": "Free forever with no runtime fees; source available under the Defold License",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": false,
            "strengths": [
                "Free forever with no runtime fees",
                "Small engine footprint with Live Update support",
                "Publishes to consoles, Steam and web from one project"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Game logic uses Lua, which limits the choice of languages",
                "Modified editor or engine builds cannot be sold"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Defold combines a small engine with an editor for Windows, macOS and Linux. Game logic is written in Lua, native extensions can be added, and hot reload and a profiler speed up iteration. The publishing list on the vendor's site includes PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Steam, Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and HTML5.\n\nDefold is free forever with no runtime fees, and its source code is published under the Defold License. That license is derived from Apache 2.0 but limits commercial use of the editor and engine: you may sell games and tools built with Defold, but you may not sell original or modified copies of the editor or engine itself. Teams that want a light engine and Lua will find it a direct alternative to GameMaker and Godot for 2D work."
        },
        {
            "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": [
        "Godot Engine is open source; Defold is not.",
        "Defold: free. Godot Engine: free and open source."
    ],
    "shared_rankings": [
        {
            "list": "game-engines",
            "name": "Game engines",
            "page": "https://listme.name/best/game-engines",
            "of": 12,
            "results": [
                {
                    "product": "defold",
                    "rank": 4,
                    "score": 89.5,
                    "verdict": "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",
                    "spec": {
                        "language": "Lua",
                        "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/defold-vs-godot",
    "json": "https://listme.name/api/v1/compare/defold-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"
}