Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

BYOND VS JMonkeyEngine

Compare BYOND VS JMonkeyEngine and see what are their differences

BYOND logo BYOND

BYOND is the premier community for making and playing online multiplayer games.

JMonkeyEngine logo JMonkeyEngine

What is jMonkeyEngine? It's a free, open source game engine, made especially for Java game developers who want to create 3D games using modern technology.
  • BYOND Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30
  • JMonkeyEngine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-20

BYOND features and specs

  • Community and Collaboration
    BYOND has a strong community of developers and players which encourages collaboration and sharing of resources, ideas, and feedback.
  • Ease of Use
    The platform provides a relatively easy-to-use development environment with its proprietary programming language, DM (Dream Maker), making it accessible to beginners.
  • Multiplayer Support
    Built-in multiplayer support simplifies the process of developing networked multiplayer games, which is often a complex task in game development.
  • Resource Library
    BYOND offers an extensive library of resources, including tutorials, assets, and code snippets that can accelerate the game development process.
  • Free to Use
    The platform is free to download and use, lowering the barrier to entry for aspiring game developers.

Possible disadvantages of BYOND

  • Limited Graphics Capabilities
    The graphics capabilities are relatively outdated compared to modern game engines, which can limit the visual appeal of games developed on the platform.
  • Proprietary Language
    The use of the proprietary programming language, DM, may be a barrier for developers familiar with more widely-used languages like C++ or JavaScript.
  • Performance Issues
    Performance may degrade with more complex or graphically intensive games, making BYOND less suitable for high-performance game projects.
  • Platform Dependency
    BYOND games typically need to be played through the BYOND client, which can limit the reach and accessibility compared to standalone game executables.
  • Niche User Base
    The user base, while supportive, is relatively small and niche compared to larger game development communities, which can limit exposure and potential player base.

JMonkeyEngine features and specs

  • Open Source
    JMonkeyEngine is open-source, which means it's free to use and has a wide community of developers who contribute to its development and offer support.
  • Java-based
    It is built using Java, which makes it accessible to a large number of developers familiar with the language and benefits from Java's portability across different platforms.
  • Cross-platform
    JMonkeyEngine supports multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, enabling developers to create games that run on various devices.
  • Rich Feature Set
    The engine comes with a comprehensive set of features such as advanced 3D graphics, physics integration, terrain generation, and a user-friendly scene graph.
  • Active Community
    An active and responsive community provides forums, tutorials, and additional resources, helping both new and experienced developers.
  • Integrated Development Environment
    It includes its own SDK with an integrated development environment, which simplifies the process of game development by providing tools such as scene composer, model importer, and debugging tools.

Possible disadvantages of JMonkeyEngine

  • Java Performance
    Java generally has performance overhead compared to languages like C++ often used in other game engines. This can be a downside for performance-critical applications.
  • Limited Mobile Support
    While it supports Android, the engine's capabilities and performance on mobile platforms are not as robust as on desktops, and iOS support is limited.
  • Less Mature Asset Pipeline
    The asset pipeline of JMonkeyEngine is not as mature or comprehensive as those found in more established engines like Unity or Unreal, which may require additional effort for asset management.
  • Smaller Ecosystem
    Compared to mainstream engines, JMonkeyEngine has a smaller ecosystem. This means fewer third-party integrations, add-ons, and professional-grade assets available for immediate use.
  • Steeper Learning Curve for Java
    For developers not familiar with Java, there might be a steeper learning curve to become proficient with the language and its associated tools compared to more widely-used game development languages.
  • Less Commercial Support
    Being open-source and community-driven, JMonkeyEngine lacks the commercial support that some other engines offer. This can be a disadvantage for large-scale projects requiring professional backing.

BYOND videos

My History with BYOND

More videos:

  • Review - Byond B63 unboxing and review - dual core handset

JMonkeyEngine videos

A Closer Look at the jMonkeyEngine

More videos:

  • Review - jMonkeyEngine -- The Others Game Engine Series
  • Review - jMonkeyEngine3 Engine Showcase

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to BYOND and JMonkeyEngine)
Game Development
62 62%
38% 38
Game Engine
54 54%
46% 46
3D Game Engine
48 48%
52% 52
Gaming
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare BYOND and JMonkeyEngine

BYOND Reviews

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JMonkeyEngine Reviews

The Top 10 Video Game Engines
Right off the bat, the team boldly claims that using their engine will be easier than utilization and outright learning C++, which is true. C++ can be a hang-up for many not familiar with programming, and jMonkeyEngine can be a great option for those who want to create games without really breaking your back trying to learn a whole new language.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, JMonkeyEngine seems to be a lot more popular than BYOND. While we know about 23 links to JMonkeyEngine, we've tracked only 1 mention of BYOND. 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.

BYOND mentions (1)

  • "I have a great idea"
    I fell for this when I was a kid on Byond. The idea guy thought he was J. R. R. Tolkien. My sprite artist friend joined me. He was vague about what he wanted and even though we had been making everything he asked of us he brought another coder in, a couple years younger than me, I was a teen and he was 13. When he was given my code he called me boring and started throwing together some stuff. He ended up writing... Source: almost 4 years ago

JMonkeyEngine mentions (23)

  • Unity's Licensing Changes: Discover Stride a Community-Driven Open-Source Engine
    > Unfortunately, this is yet another open source game engine with too small a user base. I wonder why some engines are seemingly destined for success and others... aren't. Godot got really big, despite a somewhat similar feature set: https://godotengine.org/ (really nice 2D support, 3D rendering was worse until version 4, GDScript has both a nice iteration speed but also has gotten some criticism, while C# was a... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • My recommendation on which language and libraries to use for the engine.
    There more `bare-metal` engines like https://jmonkeyengine.org/ (well it is not C++, it is Java based)... Source: about 2 years ago
  • [Hobby] Need help implement Continuous Collision Detection in a classic top-down multiplayer space shooter
    This project develops a cross-platform Subspace client and server written in Java. It was developed from scratch on the idea of extensibility and modularity. The server is based on modules/frameworks highly optimized for scaled, networked, grid-based, infinite world physics. The client is based on the JMonkeyEngine, a minimalistic modern developer friendly, open source, game engine. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Godot 4.0 Stable
    > Godot is one of those pinnacle FOSS projects that just totally impresses me, especially given the state its in now, with 4.0. It is definitely one of the success stories, at least so far. For example, there are projects like jMonkeyEngine (a game engine in Java, on top of LWJGL) that don't get as much attention and their movement forwards is way slower: https://jmonkeyengine.org/ There's also Stride 3D, which is... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • I can't think about another video game using Java. I mean, there WILL be more but i haven't saw them.
    It is, or at least was, efficient. Java has a great game engine called https://jmonkeyengine.org/ that at the time could compete with Unity, not sure the status now. And LWJGL, the lower layer for ooengl, was quite nice to use and it is efficient to go that low level if you plan to do a game that does not fit the stereotypes in such game engines, as you will find yourself fighting the engine more than the actual... Source: over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing BYOND and JMonkeyEngine, you can also consider the following products

ct.js - ct.js is a 2D game editor (desktop app) based on web technologies.

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

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

Unreal Engine - Unreal Engine 4 is a suite of integrated tools for game developers to design and build games, simulations, and visualizations.

RPG Maker - Make your own PC game with RPG Maker. Our easy to use tools are simple enough for a child, and powerful enough for a developer. Try it free today!

Blender - Blender is the open source, cross platform suite of tools for 3D creation.