Comparison
Defold vs GameMaker
| Defold | GameMaker | |
|---|---|---|
| What it says it does | DefoldDefold is a free, cross-platform game engine for building 2D and 3D games on desktop, web, mobile, and consoles with one streamlined workflow. | GameMakerMake a game with GameMaker, the best free video game engine. Perfect for beginners and professionals. Learn to build your own 2D indie games with our simple tutorials. |
| Pricing | DefoldFree: no fees or royalties; source code available under the Defold license (official) | GameMakerFree for non-commercial use (all desktop, web, mobile and GX.games exports, no watermark); Professional $99.99 one-time commercial licence; Enterprise subscription (monthly or yearly) adds console exports and source code access (official) |
| Website | Defoldhttps://defold.com/ | GameMakerhttps://gamemaker.io/en |
Which tool for which job
Defold wins when you want tiny, fast builds and a free engine without royalties.
GameMaker wins when you want a proven 2D engine with a one-time commercial licence and no royalties.
Descriptions in the table come from each vendor's own site. This verdict is a fit call from those official pages as of 5 November 2026, not a shared benchmark or a hands-on score. Prices change, so confirm the pricing row on each tool page. How we review tools.
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