Defold

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Defold is a free, cross-platform game engine for building 2D and 3D games on desktop, web, mobile, and consoles with one streamlined workflow.

Our take

Last updated 5 November 2026

Defold is a free, lightweight game engine from the Defold Foundation, built for fast 2D games on desktop, web and mobile, with 3D support and console builds available. There are no fees or royalties, and the source code is available. It is not an AI tool, but its small builds and quick iteration make it a strong pick for web and mobile games.

Best for Developers making lightweight 2D games for web, mobile or HTML5 portals.

Pros

  • Completely free, no royalties.
  • Very small builds, great for web and mobile.
  • Source code available.

Cons

  • Smaller community than Unity or Godot.
  • Lua scripting only.
  • Fewer ready-made assets and tutorials.

Written from the vendor's official site and docs, not a hands-on benchmark. How we review tools.

CategoryCode & Engines
PricingFree: no fees or royalties; source code available under the Defold license — official pricing
Websitehttps://defold.com/
Last checked2026-11-05

Description taken from the tool's official website meta description; pricing from the official FAQ.

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