Comparison

GDevelop vs U Game Engine + xLua

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

GDevelop

Discover and play a wide variety of indie games created by a global community. This platform also empowers users to design and publish their own 2D and 3D games using a no-code, AI-assisted engine, suitable for all skill levels.

Highlights
  • Unlimited indie game access
  • Create 2D/3D games
  • No-code development
  • AI-assisted game building
  • Game templates and assets
  • Publish and share games
  • Leaderboards and multiplayer
Features
Read full description

Play a growing world of quirky, joyful indie games. Discover, play and support games made by independent creators from around the world... and create your own! Play and help shape the next indie gem: - Unlimited indie games instantly in-app, no install needed - Sharing feedback with creators - Explore new games every week, from around the world Every game in the app was built with GDevelop: the no-code and AI powered, open-source game engine used by thousands of creators, artists, and independent developers. Start exploring. Play something small. Or weird. Or wonderful. Create your own games. Or play any game you're dreaming of! It's fast, easy, and no technical knowledge is required to get started. Try it, or get a GDevelop subscription to unlock every feature! - Explore dozens of game templates or start from scratch. - Use AI to help you build your game step by step. - Use your own characters, or choose from a library of pre-made objects such as characters, animations, sounds, and music. - Quickly add pre-made logic to your game objects with GDevelop's Behaviors. - Write game logic with GDevelop's innovative event system based on "if / then" actions and conditions. - Publish your game in a few seconds and share it with your friends, colleagues, or customers. - Allow players to submit their scores with ready-to-use leaderboards or make online multiplayer games. Dozens of thousands of games are made every month with GDevelop. Unleash your creativity, and create all kinds of games: platformers, shoot’em up, strategy, 8-bit, or hyper-casual games... the sky is the limit. GDevelop is a powerful game engine that will transform you into a game designer: - Add explosions and effects with particles. - Use visual effects ("shaders"). - Pathfinding and advanced movements (bounce, elliptic movement, screen wrap, projectiles...). - Advanced rendering engine that can handle pixel-art games, modern 2D games, 2.5D isometric games and 3D games. - Text objects for scores, dialogues, with optional typewriter effects. - Transitions and smooth movement for objects. - Leaderboards and Real-time Multiplayer. - Platformer engine. - Realistic 2D and 3D physics engine. - Sound effects and music handling. - Ready-to-use objects for your game interface: text input, buttons, joysticks, progress bars... - Complete documentation available for each feature. - Dozens of extensions that give new behaviors, new actions, and new conditions: checkpoints, object shaking, 3D flip effects... GDevelop makes game development easy, even for those with no prior experience. Download the app and join a community of 400k+ monthly creators: gamers, hobbyists, teachers, and professionals. GDevelop's unique design makes game creation fast and fun! Our Terms & Conditions: https://gdevelop.io/page/terms-and-conditions Our Privacy Policy: https://gdevelop.io/page/privacy-policy

About

U Game Engine + xLua

Create and run 2D and 3D games directly on your mobile device. Script gameplay using Lua, import assets, and test instantly. This app provides professional-grade game development tools in a pocket-sized format.

Highlights
  • Build 2D/3D games on iOS
  • Script with Lua
  • Real-time testing
  • Import assets
  • Integrated development environment
  • Lua tutorials
Features
Read full description

!!! Limited Free !!! Create and run your own 2D & 3D games — right on your iPhone or iPad! This powerful game maker is built on the same industry-leading engine trusted by professional studios, but redesigned for mobile. You can script your gameplay in Lua, test instantly, and bring your ideas to life without needing a computer. • Build interactive 2D/3D games directly on iOS • Script with Lua: lightweight, fast, and beginner-friendly • Real-time testing and instant feedback • Import assets (textures, sounds, models) and use them right away • Share your creations with friends Whether you’re prototyping game mechanics, learning scripting, or just having fun making your own mobile games, this app gives you professional-grade tools in your pocket. Experience True 2D/3D Engine Game Development on Mobile! "U Game Engine + xLua" is the first all-in-one mobile app integrating the U engine, xLua framework, and a full-featured development environment. Whether you're a game developer, coding learner, or creative enthusiast, now you can write, debug (under development), and preview U 2D/3D games in real-time directly on your iOS device—break free from desktop constraints and bring your ideas to life instantly! Core Features: Integrated Development Environment ▸ Deep integration with U 2D/3D Engine (6000.0.28f1c1) + xLua hotfix framework ▸ Professional code editor (syntax highlighting/auto-complete/error detection) ▸ Terminal access and visual file management system Ready-to-Use Resources ▸ Preloaded open-source xLua game templates for instant learning ▸ Integrated U 2D/3D Engine library source code & API docs (easily accessible references) ▸ Lua debugger for real-time code troubleshooting (in research phase) Mobile-Optimized Workflow ▸ Touch-friendly UI for seamless coding, even with complex projects ▸ Cloud project sync: Start on iPhone, continue on iPad (planned) ▸ Export standard U 2D/3D Game Engine projects for desktop development (planned) Learning Ecosystem ▸ Interactive Lua tutorials (from basics to game development) ▸ Community-curated script library: study and reuse high-quality code ▸ Plugin support: import custom toolkits as needed Perfect For: ◆ U 2D/3D Engine Developers: Rapid prototyping during commutes ◆ Game Design Students: Zero-cost entry to game development ◆ Indie Creators: Transform ideas into playable demos ◆ Tech Enthusiasts: Explore mobile development frontiers Call to Action: "Unleash your creativity—build the next hit game in cafés, on trips, or even while waiting in line! U 2D/3D Engine + xLua redefines mobile productivity. Start your creation journey today!" Privacy Note: All development data stays exclusively on your device. We never access your code or projects. Credits: DuckHunter Original Creator: LQYaphets - https://github.com/LQYaphets/DuckHunt-Xlua My forked repository (with potential modifications): https://github.com/andy380743909/DuckHunt-Xlua xLua Framework: Tencent xLua - https://github.com/Tencent/xLua New to xLua? Explore the official documentation first. U Game Engine: The industry-leading game development platform.

Screenshots

GDevelop4 screens
U Game Engine + xLua4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: GDevelop at 50% against U Game Engine + xLua's 0%. GDevelop also leads on price (Free vs $19.99) and ratings volume (2.4K vs 2). U Game Engine + xLua's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

GDevelop is free to download; U Game Engine + xLua costs $19.99 up front. GDevelop sells 21 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and U Game Engine + xLua sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

U Game Engine + xLua holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GDevelop has 2.4K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of GDevelop's written reviews are positive against 0% of U Game Engine + xLua's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GDevelop ships an update every 2 weeks, U Game Engine + xLua fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
GDevelop versus U Game Engine + xLua: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGDevelopU Game Engine + xLua
PriceFree — better$19.99
Rating4.3 (2.4K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews49.7% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2.4K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#17 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size383 MB599 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperGDEVELOP FRANCE盼军 崔

Customer experience

GDevelop

All ratings2,400 ratings
Positive82.5%
Neutral5.9%
Negative11.6%
Written reviews356 reviews
Positive49.7%
Neutral9.0%
Negative41.3%

U Game Engine + xLua

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

GDevelop

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when changing sprites
  • Keyboard issues on mobile
  • Saved projects not loading properly
  • Frequent crashes and loss of progress
  • Importing assets causes issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Sprite editor
  • More programming features (e.g. switches, loops)
  • Ability to organize code/actions better on mobile
  • Reduce subscription limits
  • Add daily rewards or free currency

U Game Engine + xLua

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

21 purchases

GDevelop

Subscriptions6
  • GDevelop Silver3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • GDevelop Gold3 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • GDevelop Pro3 Days trial$39.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • GDevelop Silver - 1 year$49.991 Year
  • GDevelop Gold - 1 year3 Days trial$95.991 Year
  • GDevelop Pro - 1 year3 Days trial$399.991 Year
One-time15
  • Sci-Fi Space Village$3.99
  • Sci-Fi Space Characters$3.99
  • Sci-Fi Space Animals$3.99
Show 12 more
  • Pixel Dark Fantasy Level 3$4.99
  • Pixel Dark Fantasy$5.99
  • Pixel Dark Fantasy Level 2$5.99
  • 500 Credits$5.99
  • 1000 Credits$9.99
  • Platformer Bundle$14.99
  • GDevelop Mega Bundle$17.99
  • 2000 Credits$18.99
  • From Zero to Creator$24.99
  • From Zero to Creator$34.99
  • 5000 Credits$44.99
  • 10000 Credits$89.99
1 purchases

U Game Engine + xLua

One-time1
  • Buy me a coffee$2.99

Questions

Is GDevelop free?
GDevelop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is U Game Engine + xLua free?
U Game Engine + xLua costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, GDevelop or U Game Engine + xLua?
U Game Engine + xLua is rated higher. GDevelop averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while U Game Engine + xLua averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do GDevelop or U Game Engine + xLua have ads?
GDevelop shows ads; U Game Engine + xLua does not.
Which is updated more often, GDevelop or U Game Engine + xLua?
GDevelop ships an update every 2 weeks, and U Game Engine + xLua fortnightly. Most recently, GDevelop was updated on October 8, 2026 and U Game Engine + xLua on October 3, 2026.

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