Comparison
Defold vs Nakama (Heroic Labs)
| Defold | Nakama (Heroic Labs) | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Nakama (Heroic Labs)Scalable game backend and LiveOps stack for multiplayer games. Nakama from Heroic Labs handles accounts, matchmaking, leaderboards, chat and realtime multiplayer, open source or on managed Heroic Cloud. |
| Pricing | DefoldFree: no fees or royalties; source code available under the Defold license (official) | Nakama (Heroic Labs)Nakama open source: free to self-host; Heroic Cloud (managed, includes Nakama Enterprise, no DAU/MAU/CCU limits): $400 per Nakama CPU + $200 per database CPU per month (about $600/mo for the smallest 1+1 production setup); smaller development tier available; Satori LiveOps from $600/mo (official) |
| Website | Defoldhttps://defold.com/ | Nakama (Heroic Labs)https://heroiclabs.com/ |
Which tool for which job
Defold wins when you want tiny, fast builds and a free engine without royalties.
Nakama (Heroic Labs) wins when you want an open-source backend you control, or predictable CPU-based pricing with no per-player fees.
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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