Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Babylon.js VS melonJS

Compare Babylon.js VS melonJS and see what are their differences

Babylon.js logo Babylon.js

A complete JavaScript framework for building 3D games with HTML5, WebGL and Web Audio

melonJS logo melonJS

melonJS is an open source HTML5 game engine that empowers developers and designers to focus on...
  • Babylon.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-30
  • melonJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-30

Babylon.js features and specs

  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    Babylon.js offers a wide range of features that support 3D rendering, physics, animations, and more, making it a complete framework for developing advanced 3D applications.
  • WebGL Support
    It is built on top of WebGL and provides powerful tools to create stunning graphics that can run directly in web browsers without additional plugins.
  • Open Source
    Babylon.js is open source and freely available under the Apache License 2.0, allowing for community contributions and use in both personal and commercial projects.
  • Active Community
    There is a vibrant and supportive community around Babylon.js, offering a wealth of resources, tutorials, and forums for troubleshooting and development advice.
  • Ease of Use
    The framework is designed to be beginner-friendly, with extensive documentation and an intuitive API, which facilitates learning and adoption.
  • Cross-Platform
    Babylon.js applications can run on various devices and platforms including desktops, tablets, and smartphones, ensuring broad user reach.

Possible disadvantages of Babylon.js

  • Performance Limitations
    While Babylon.js is powerful, applications might encounter performance bottlenecks with very complex scenes due to the limitations inherent to JavaScript and WebGL.
  • Learning Curve
    For developers who are new to 3D graphics or WebGL, there can be a steep learning curve to effectively utilize all features of Babylon.js.
  • Browser Dependency
    As a JavaScript framework reliant on WebGL, Babylon.js applications can be affected by differences in browser support and performance.
  • Limited Offline Capability
    Since Babylon.js is designed for the web, developing applications with full offline functionality can be challenging compared to native applications.

melonJS features and specs

  • Lightweight
    melonJS is known for being lightweight, which makes it ideal for simple games and faster loading times. It eliminates the bloat commonly found in more extensive game engines, ensuring better performance in resource-limited environments.
  • 2D Game Focus
    The engine is designed specifically for 2D games, providing tailored features and optimizations that help developers create efficient 2D applications without the unnecessary complications of a 3D engine.
  • HTML5 Compatibility
    melonJS is an HTML5 game engine that runs smoothly in modern browsers without needing plugins. This makes it an excellent choice for web-based games and applications.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, melonJS provides developers the opportunity to contribute to the engine’s development or modify it based on their needs, promoting community engagement and flexibility.
  • Community Support
    The engine has an active community that shares resources, tutorials, and support, making it easier for new users to learn and work with melonJS.

Possible disadvantages of melonJS

  • Limited 3D Support
    As a 2D-focused engine, melonJS has minimal to no support for 3D graphics and features, which can be a limitation for developers looking to expand into the third dimension.
  • Smaller Feature Set
    Compared to larger engines like Unity or Unreal, melonJS offers a more limited set of features and tools, which might impede highly complex game development.
  • Steeper Learning Curve for Beginners
    Some users might find melonJS's structure and setup challenging if they are accustomed to more visual scripting environments, as a solid understanding of JavaScript is required.
  • Less Extensive Documentation
    While there is documentation available, it may not be as exhaustive or detailed as that of more popular game engines, potentially making it harder to find answers for specific issues.
  • Lower Popularity
    melonJS is not as widely known or used as some other game engines, which can limit the availability of third-party plugins and assets tailored specifically for this engine.

Babylon.js videos

Learn the Basics of Babylon.js in 35 MINUTES

melonJS videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Babylon.js and melonJS)
Game Development
70 70%
30% 30
Game Engine
72 72%
28% 28
3D Game Engine
77 77%
23% 23
Javascript UI Libraries
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Babylon.js should be more popular than melonJS. It has been mentiond 6 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Babylon.js mentions (6)

  • [AskJS] Is it advisable to use Unity to develop games using JavaScript?
    Take a look at babylonjs.com it's a full game engine javascript/typescript with lots of great tutorials. Electron + babylonjs for a standalone installable game if you like, otherwise web distribution is great. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Loading maps and other elements in html5
    Most game engines translate very poorly to the web. Use a game engine specifically made for the web instead. For example babylon.js. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Made a WebGL gallery to show off some shaders and my new song. Built w/ Babylon.js
    All in all it's taken me three years to build this haha. But I actually built the tool itself that others can use to build galleries like this. My dream is for non-technical people to be able to make this kind of stuff. That tool is called Frame (learn.framevr.io) and it's built with babylon.js. These shaders shown here can also be coded from scratch (not easy) or built with a tool from babylon.js called the Node... Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Game engine for a 3D multiplayer browser game
    BabylonJS (https://babylonjs.com/, free): powerful, less close to the metal, used by famous companies for famous games (https://www.babylonjs.com/games/). Source: over 3 years ago
  • Resizing a Godot HTML5 game to fit screens such as mobile.
    I don't know your programming and web developing skills but another option would be using a web rendering engine like Pixie or Babylon. Then you can use html/css combined with the provided browser api's to handle your ui and user input. Source: almost 4 years ago
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melonJS mentions (1)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Babylon.js and melonJS, you can also consider the following products

PlayCanvas - PlayCanvas is an open-source game engine built on WebGL and WebVR.

Phaser - Desktop and Mobile HTML5 game framework. A fast, free and fun open source framework for Canvas and WebGL powered browser games.

Godot Engine - Feature-packed 2D and 3D open source game engine.

PixiJS - Fast and flexible WebGL-based HTML5 game and app development library.

Tombstone Engine - A direct successor to the C4 engine.

Construct 2 - Scirra Construct is a 2D game development engine with a focus on building games visually.