# Best Game Engines for Linux in 2026

Source: https://listme.name/best/game-engines/linux

Game engines differ most in the language you write in, whether they suit 2D or 3D work, and how their licenses take a share of revenue. This ranking weighs licensing and platform reach first, then tooling and maintenance.

## 1. Godot Engine (score 94.0)

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
- Free and open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | open source (MIT)
- Website: https://godotengine.org/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/godot

## 2. Unity (score 92.5)

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
- Free plan, paid upgrades | Windows, macOS, Linux
- Website: https://unity.com/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/unity

## 3. Unreal Engine (score 91.5)

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
- Free plan, paid upgrades | Windows, macOS, Linux
- Website: https://www.unrealengine.com/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/unreal-engine

## 4. Defold (score 89.5)

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
- Free | Windows, macOS, Linux
- Website: https://defold.com/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/defold

## 5. Bevy (score 85.5)

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
- Free and open source | Windows, macOS, Linux, Web, iOS, Android | open source (MIT OR Apache-2.0)
- Website: https://bevy.org/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/bevy

## 6. MonoGame (score 84.5)

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
- Free and open source | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, iPadOS | open source (Ms-PL)
- Website: https://monogame.net/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/monogame

## 7. O3DE (score 81.5)

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
- Free and open source | Windows, Linux, macOS | open source (Apache-2.0)
- Website: https://o3de.org/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/o3de

## 8. LÖVE (score 78.5)

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
- Free and open source | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | open source (zlib)
- Website: https://love2d.org/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/love2d