# Babylon.js vs PlayCanvas
URL: https://wwadd.dev/compare/babylonjs-vs-playcanvas
Last verified: 2026-10-01

Both are open-source web 3D engines with WebGPU support. Babylon.js is a code-first library with standalone inspection tools; PlayCanvas pairs its engine with a collaborative, browser-based editor and hosting.

- Workflow: Babylon.js — Code-first library you add to your own project, with an inspector and node editors; PlayCanvas — Collaborative visual editor in the browser, or the engine through npm
- Hosting: Babylon.js — You ship it inside your own app and hosting; PlayCanvas — Free app hosting from PlayCanvas, plus a publishing API
- Cost: Babylon.js — Free, Apache-2.0; PlayCanvas — Engine is MIT; the editor is free for public projects, $15/month for private projects, and $50 per seat per month for teams
- Lock-in: Babylon.js — Your code and assets stay in your own project; PlayCanvas — Private projects lock if you cancel a paid plan, unless you resubscribe or make them public; published apps stay up

Pick Babylon.js when:
- Your team works in code and Git, and 3D lives inside a larger application
- You want Havok physics, GUI, and WebXR in one engine

Pick PlayCanvas when:
- Designers and developers need to edit the same scene in a browser
- Playable ads and lightweight web experiences where hosting should be easy

Bottom line: Babylon.js for a code-and-repo workflow; PlayCanvas when a shared visual editor is the point. Plan costs only apply to PlayCanvas's hosted editor.
Sources: https://www.babylonjs.com/specifications/, https://playcanvas.com, https://playcanvas.com/plans