# Babylon.js vs PlayCanvas

| Attribute | Babylon.js | PlayCanvas |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 56.5 (24% (low)) | 47.3 (5% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 90 | - |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 950 | - |
| adoption.github_stars | 26,163 | - |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A web-based 3D rendering engine that enables developers to build immersive, interactive applications with support for physics, animation, particle effects, and advanced rendering capabilities. It is freely available, fully open-source, and designed to simplify complex 3D web development. It is indexed under AR VR Development.","source":"https://www.babylonjs.com","question":"What is Babylon.js?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Babylon.js is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.babylonjs.com","question":"Is Babylon.js free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Babylon.js. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.babylonjs.com","question":"What platforms does Babylon.js support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Babylon.js is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/babylonjs/Babylon.js","question":"Is Babylon.js open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"A free, open-source 3D game engine for web browsers that combines visual editing with code-based development, supporting both WebGPU and WebGL2 standards and providing integrated AR/VR capabilities through WebXR. It is indexed under AR VR Development.","source":"https://playcanvas.com","question":"What is PlayCanvas?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"PlayCanvas is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://playcanvas.com","question":"Is PlayCanvas free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to PlayCanvas. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://playcanvas.com","question":"What platforms does PlayCanvas support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. PlayCanvas can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://playcanvas.com","question":"Can PlayCanvas be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed GDPR for PlayCanvas. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as PlayCanvas not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://playcanvas.com/privacy","question":"What security certifications does PlayCanvas have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"PlayCanvas is available worldwide. The vendor is headquartered in the United Kingdom.","source":"https://playcanvas.com/plans","question":"Where is PlayCanvas available?","confidence":0.75}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A JavaScript framework for creating game engines and 3D rendering applications, with web-based deployment and support for modern web standards like WebXR. | PlayCanvas is an open-source WebGL and WebGPU 3D engine that enables developers to create interactive games, product configurators, and AR/VR experiences for web browsers. It provides a visual editor, code SDK support, and multiple development approaches including React and Web Components. |
| features.capabilities | `{"engine_type":"full_game_engine","open_source":true,"pricing_model":"open_source","webxr_support":true,"authoring_model":"code_sdk"}` | `{"engine_type":"full_game_engine","open_source":true,"pricing_model":"open_source","webxr_support":true,"authoring_model":"full_editor"}` |
| integrations.count | - | 2 |
| integrations.list | - | `[{"name":"8th Wall","native":false},{"name":"Zappar","native":false}]` |
| language.primary | TypeScript | - |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | - |
| market.availability | - | `{"hqCountry":"GB","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://www.babylonjs.com","retrievedAt":"2026-09-11T19:16:39.590Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free Tier","features":["Unlimited public projects","Free hosting","Full engine access"],"contactSales":false}],"summary":"Free and open source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://playcanvas.com","retrievedAt":"2026-09-04T17:56:19.679Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | - | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 3 | - |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.30.0","date":"2026-10-08T07:52:07Z","type":"stable","version":"9.30.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.29.0","date":"2026-10-01T07:47:23Z","type":"stable","version":"9.29.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.28.0","date":"2026-09-24T07:46:15Z","type":"stable","version":"9.28.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.27.1","date":"2026-09-18T13:57:22Z","type":"stable","version":"9.27.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.27.0","date":"2026-09-17T07:46:12Z","type":"stable","version":"9.27.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.26.2","date":"2026-09-16T10:53:45Z","type":"stable","version":"9.26.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.26.1","date":"2026-09-14T13:22:36Z","type":"stable","version":"9.26.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.26.0","date":"2026-09-10T10:52:55Z","type":"stable","version":"9.26.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.25.0","date":"2026-09-03T16:47:35Z","type":"stable","version":"9.25.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.23.0","date":"2026-08-27T07:43:26Z","type":"stable","version":"9.23.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.22.2","date":"2026-08-24T17:06:00Z","type":"stable","version":"9.22.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.22.1","date":"2026-08-20T21:39:12Z","type":"stable","version":"9.22.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.22.0","date":"2026-08-20T07:42:53Z","type":"stable","version":"9.22.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.21.2","date":"2026-08-14T18:06:20Z","type":"stable","version":"9.21.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.21.1","date":"2026-08-13T22:42:10Z","type":"stable","version":"9.21.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.21.0","date":"2026-08-13T07:40:52Z","type":"stable","version":"9.21.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.20.1","date":"2026-08-12T23:35:10Z","type":"stable","version":"9.20.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.20.0","date":"2026-08-06T07:41:13Z","type":"stable","version":"9.20.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.19.1","date":"2026-08-04T17:36:39Z","type":"stable","version":"9.19.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js/releases/tag/9.19.0","date":"2026-07-30T07:41:03Z","type":"stable","version":"9.19.0"}]` | - |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=babylonjs&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | - |

## Capabilities (AR VR Development)

| Capability | Babylon.js | PlayCanvas |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| World tracking slam | - | - |
| Plane image detection | - | - |
| Face body tracking | - | - |
| Hand eye tracking | - | - |
| Spatial mapping occlusion | - | - |
| Persistent cloud anchors vps | - | - |
| Openxr conformant | - | - |
| Webxr support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Engine type | Full game engine | Full game engine |
| Authoring model | Code SDK | Full editor |
| Open source | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multiplayer shared ar | - | - |
| Pricing model | Open source | Open source |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T20:39:22.380Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*