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Defold

6.4Kstars

Free, lightweight engine for 2D and 3D games on mobile, web and consoles

Defold is a free game engine first released by King and now maintained by the independent Defold Foundation. It is known for small build sizes and fast iteration, uses Lua for scripting and exports to Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and HTML5, with console support available to approved developers. Its source code is public on GitHub under the Defold License, a permissive license with some restrictions.

Cost / License
FreeSource available(Defold License)
Categories
Game Engines
Platforms
WindowsMacLinux
Defold screenshot
Defold alternativesVisit website
features
4
alternatives
7
platforms
3
Updated
Oct 12, 2026

Features

Our take

Pros

  • Free to use with no royalties, backed by an independent foundation
  • Small build sizes and fast iteration, ideal for mobile and web games
  • Lightweight Lua scripting and broad export targets including HTML5

Cons

  • Smaller community and fewer tutorials than Unity or Godot
  • 3D tooling is basic, as the engine shines mostly in 2D
  • No visual scripting, so coding in Lua is required

Editorial assessment by the Alternatives.tools team, based on what the product is known for. Not a user review.

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