Godot vs GameMaker in 2026: Price, 2D, 3D and Consoles

Godot and GameMaker are both good choices for a 2D indie game, and the deciding questions are short: will you sell the game, do you need 3D, and do you need consoles? This comparison uses each engine’s own pricing and licence pages, checked on October 23, 2026.

The short answer

• Pick GameMaker if you are making a 2D game, want an editor built around 2D from the start, and like the option of visual scripting. You pay $99.99 once when you start selling.
• Pick Godot if you want no licence fees at all, may need 3D later, or want to read and change the engine’s source. It is free under the MIT licence for any use.
• For consoles, GameMaker needs its Enterprise subscription. Godot needs an approved developer account and either your own SDK build or a porting partner.

Price and licence

Godot is free and open source under the MIT licence. Its licence page says you are free to use it “for any purpose”, and that its licence terms “do not apply to the content you create with it”. You ship Godot’s copyright notice with your game, for example in the credits.

GameMaker is “absolutely free to download and keep forever for non-commercial use”. To sell a game you buy a commercial licence, which its FAQ prices at $99.99 as a one-time Professional purchase. The Enterprise tier is a monthly or yearly subscription and is the one that adds console exports and source code access. GameMaker states it does not force a watermark or splash screen on your games.

Languages and scripting

• GameMaker uses GameMaker Language (GML), in two forms. GML Code is written by hand; GML Visual builds the same logic from blocks, and you can mix both. Visual can be converted to code, but not back into individual actions.
• Godot uses GDScript, which reads like Python, and C# through its separate .NET build. C++ is available through GDExtension. There is no built-in visual scripting in Godot 4.

If you have never programmed, GML Visual is a gentler first step. If you already know Python or C#, Godot’s languages will feel familiar. See GDScript vs Python for what carries over.

2D and 3D

Both engines are strong at 2D. GameMaker is built around 2D: rooms, sprites and objects are the core of the editor. Godot has a dedicated 2D renderer and node types alongside a full 3D engine, with Forward+, Mobile and Compatibility renderers and Jolt as the default physics engine for new 3D projects.

If there is any chance your game, or your next one, needs 3D, Godot lets you stay in the same engine. Our 2D platformer tutorial and first 3D scene show both sides.

Platforms and consoles

• GameMaker: the free tier exports to desktop, web, mobile and GX.games for non-commercial use; Professional adds the commercial licence; Enterprise adds console exports.
• Godot: exports to desktop, web and mobile for free. For consoles, the Godot Foundation does not maintain official ports: export templates must be built with the official SDKs by approved developers, and porting partners such as W4 Games offer ready ports.

Coming from GameMaker: how the ideas map

• Object → a scene with a root node and child nodes for its sprite, collision shape and so on. Instances become instanced scenes.
• Create event → _ready(), which runs once the node and its children are in the scene tree.
• Step event → _process(delta), or _physics_process(delta) for movement and collisions.
• Draw event → _draw() on a CanvasItem, for custom drawing.
• Alarms → a Timer node and its timeout signal.
• Rooms → scenes, switched with get_tree().change_scene_to_file().

Our guide to Godot nodes covers the scene tree in depth, and the signals tutorial covers the event model that replaces most cross-object messages.

Which should you choose?

Choose by your next game, not the engine’s reputation. A 2D game you want to sell soon, made by someone who likes visual scripting, fits GameMaker well. A game that might grow into 3D, a team that wants no fees or wants the engine source, or a C# or Python background, fits Godot. If you are also weighing Unity or Unreal, our Godot vs Unity vs Unreal comparison and Unity alternatives guide cover them.