Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Panda3D VS Babylon.js

Compare Panda3D VS Babylon.js and see what are their differences

Panda3D logo Panda3D

Panda3D is a video game development engine and rendering software. It is developed and maintained by the Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center.

Babylon.js logo Babylon.js

A complete JavaScript framework for building 3D games with HTML5, WebGL and Web Audio
  • Panda3D Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-22
  • Babylon.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-30

Panda3D features and specs

  • Open Source
    Panda3D is entirely open source, which means you can tweak the engine to fit your specific needs and contribute to its development.
  • Python Integration
    It is designed to be used with Python, making it an excellent choice for developers who prefer Python and benefit from its ease of use and quick prototyping.
  • C++ Support
    For performance-critical applications, Panda3D allows you to write parts of your code in C++, providing a good balance between ease of use and execution speed.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The engine comes with comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and a strong community, which can ease the learning curve for new users.
  • Complete Development Environment
    It includes everything needed to create a game, from rendering and physics to asset management and sound, providing a one-stop solution.
  • Toolchain Compatibility
    Compatible with many other tools and libraries, allowing for great flexibility in development workflows.

Possible disadvantages of Panda3D

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Despite the extensive documentation, beginners in game development might find it challenging to understand and use all of Panda3D's features.
  • Limited Graphics Capabilities
    Compared to more modern game engines like Unreal Engine or Unity, Panda3D's graphics capabilities are somewhat outdated and might not support cutting-edge visuals.
  • Smaller Community
    While Panda3D has an active community, it is smaller than those of more mainstream engines, possibly leading to fewer resources and third-party plugins.
  • Performance Overhead
    Being primarily Python-based can introduce performance overheads compared to engines built entirely in lower-level languages like C++.
  • Manual Resource Management
    Asset and resource management require more manual effort compared to some other engines that offer more automated solutions.

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.

Panda3D videos

Panda3D Game Engine -- The Others Game Engine Series

Babylon.js videos

Learn the Basics of Babylon.js in 35 MINUTES

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Panda3D and Babylon.js)
Game Development
50 50%
50% 50
Game Engine
52 52%
48% 48
3D Game Engine
53 53%
47% 47
Java
46 46%
54% 54

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Panda3D and Babylon.js

Panda3D Reviews

Top 6 Python Framework for Game Development | by Ankur Kumar | unikaksha | Medium
Panda3D is a Python framework for 3D rendering and games that is open-source. It’s a free engine for real-time 3D games, simulations, visualizations, and experiments. Its extensive feature set is flexible enough to adapt to different processes and development requirements. All of the graphics card’s capabilities are apparent through an easy-to-use API. Panda3D combines the...
Source: medium.com

Babylon.js Reviews

We have no reviews of Babylon.js yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Babylon.js should be more popular than Panda3D. 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.

Panda3D mentions (2)

  • Pyxel: A retro game engine for Python
    Panda3D [0] (which is what Ursina uses under the hood) and Pygame can both run on the web due to PygBag [1]. Truth be told you can build a game on any tool, obviously the tool you choose will help shape the game you make - but it's more about keeping at it then the underlying technology. Personally I really like Panda3D and feel like it doesn't get enough attention. It's scene graph [3] is interesting because it... - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Unity’s New Pricing: A Wake-Up Call on the Importance of Open Source in Gaming
    It's not as monolithic as you'd think. There are lots of engines out there but their communities aren't very vocal compared to Unity, Unreal, and especially Godot's community. Take a look at: https://itch.io/game-development/engines/most-projects And https://www.gamedeveloper.com/blogs/the-generous-space-of-alternative-game-engines-a-curation- If you look at both of these you'll see just how many engines there are... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago

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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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Panda3D and Babylon.js, you can also consider the following products

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

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

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

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

Tombstone Engine - A direct successor to the C4 engine.

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