Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

JMonkeyEngine VS Goxel

Compare JMonkeyEngine VS Goxel and see what are their differences

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.

Goxel logo Goxel

Goxel is a simple, but powerful voxel graphic editor with 24-bit color support, unlimited scene...
  • JMonkeyEngine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-20
  • Goxel Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-05

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.

Goxel features and specs

  • Open Source
    Goxel is freely available for download, use, and customization under an open-source license. This makes it accessible to hobbyists, students, and professionals without cost barriers.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Goxel supports multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, ensuring that users can work on their voxel models regardless of their preferred platform.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The software features an intuitive user interface that lowers the learning curve for new users, making it easier for them to get started with voxel art and design.
  • Frequent Updates
    The active development and frequent updates mean that users often benefit from new features, bug fixes, and improvements.
  • Community Support
    Being open-source, Goxel has an active community of users and developers who contribute to its growth and are available for support and collaboration.

Possible disadvantages of Goxel

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Compared to some specialized or commercial voxel editors, Goxel may lack some advanced features, tools, or integrations that power users might need.
  • Performance
    On lower-end hardware, performance can lag when dealing with complex or large models, as voxel editing can be resource-intensive.
  • Learning Resources
    Compared to more popular software, Goxel has fewer tutorials and learning resources available, which can make it a bit challenging for newcomers to master advanced aspects of the tool.
  • Export Options
    While Goxel supports several file formats, its export capabilities might be limited compared to other professional voxel editing tools, possibly requiring additional steps for full compatibility with other software.
  • Mobile Device Constraints
    Although Goxel is available on mobile devices, the smaller screen size and touchscreen interface can limit the precision and ease of use compared to desktop versions.

Analysis of Goxel

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Goxel is considered a good tool for voxel art creation. Its cross-platform availability, ease of use, and robust features make it a valuable tool for both beginners and experienced users.

Why this product is good

  • Goxel is a versatile open-source voxel editor that provides an intuitive interface for creating 3D models. It supports multiple platforms, which means you can use it on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Its features include an easy-to-use painting tool, multiple export options, and support for various voxel file formats, making it a favorite among artists and game developers who work with voxel art.

Recommended for

    Artists and developers interested in voxel art creation, game developers working on stylized and retro 3D games, and anyone looking for an open-source voxel model editor with a low learning curve.

JMonkeyEngine videos

A Closer Look at the jMonkeyEngine

More videos:

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

Goxel videos

GOXEL workflow

More videos:

  • Review - Goxel - VoxelArt - SpeedArt
  • Review - Goxel editor tour 01: Mouse basics

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to JMonkeyEngine and Goxel)
Game Engine
100 100%
0% 0
3D
0 0%
100% 100
Game Development
57 57%
43% 43
3D Game Engine
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 JMonkeyEngine and Goxel

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.

Goxel Reviews

We have no reviews of Goxel yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

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

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 / almost 3 years 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: over 3 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: over 3 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 / over 3 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 3 years ago
View more

Goxel mentions (1)

  • Magicavoxel ...
    Goxel exist, tho the UI isn't that nice and resource usage is high asf. Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

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

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

MagicaVoxel - A free lightweight GPU-based voxel art editor and interactive path tracing renderer.

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

VoxelShop - VoxelShop is an extremely intuitive and powerful software for OSX, Windows and Linux to modify and...

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

Cubik Studio - Model in a unique cubic style. Start modelization with boxes. Move, rotate and scale cuboids.