ct.js vs PlayCanvas Engine
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted game engines & frameworks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
ct.js
Free 2D game editor with a visual interface and code
VS
PlayCanvas Engine
Open-source WebGL game engine for 3D browser games
| Feature | ct.js | PlayCanvas Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Game Engines & Frameworks | Game Engines & Frameworks |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 331 | ★ 16,436 |
| First released | 2018 | 2014 |
| Replaces | GameMaker Studio | Unity WebGL |
Why pick each one
Choose ct.js if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose PlayCanvas Engine if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Mature project with 16.4k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ct.js or PlayCanvas Engine better?
Neither is universally better. PlayCanvas Engine has the larger community, while ct.js is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ct.js and PlayCanvas Engine free and open-source?
Yes. ct.js is licensed under MIT and PlayCanvas Engine under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ct.js and PlayCanvas Engine with Docker?
ct.js: check the project docs for container support. PlayCanvas Engine: check the project docs for container support.