Construct 3 alternatives: free, open source, or no editor at all
Construct 3 is a paid 2D engine with a limited free edition. Here are free and open-source alternatives, and a phone app if you would rather not use an editor.
Quick answer
The main Construct 3 alternatives are GDevelop and Godot, free and open source under the MIT license, plus GameMaker, free for non-commercial use, and Scratch. Roam fits if you want no editor and no event sheets: you describe the 2D idea on iPhone and play it.
Updated . Roam is our app, and the Roam team wrote this comparison. Roam is free to download and play on iPhone, and making works without a subscription; optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation. Android: pre-register on Google Play.
Side by side
| Roam | Construct 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad app (App Store); Android: pre-register on Google Play | Editor runs in a web browser |
| How you make a game | Describe it in a sentence or start from a photo, then change it by talking | Drag in objects, build logic with events, add JavaScript if you want |
| Free to start | Free to download and play; making works without a subscription. Optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation | Free edition: 50 events (25 as a guest), 2 layers, 2 effects |
| Paid options | Optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation | Personal plan listed at $15.99 a month or $129.99 a year; business and education plans too |
| Publishing | Your game lives in the Roam app on iPhone | Free: web (HTML5) and Construct Arcade. Paid: desktop, Android, iOS and more |
| Play with friends | Solo or with friends | Multiplayer tools on paid plans |
| Who owns the game | You keep ownership. Roam gets a license to run, improve and showcase it; you can opt out of AI improvement | Paid plans: zero royalties. Monetisation is not in the free edition |
Construct 3 facts come from its buy page and editor page, checked Nov 4, 2026. Prices are in US dollars and may change. Roam does not publish its free limits.
Which one to pick
Pick Construct 3 if
You want a proper 2D engine with no install, and you plan to ship to the web, desktop or app stores. Its events need no code, it has JavaScript for when you outgrow them, and paid plans take zero royalties.
Pick GDevelop or Godot if
You want free and open source. GDevelop is the closest match, with no-code events. Godot is a full engine that suits people ready to learn its scripting.
Pick Roam if
You want to play your idea tonight, on your phone, without learning an editor. Type a sentence and play what comes back. Roam has no PC version, so pick an engine if you plan to sell on Steam or the stores.
Is Construct 3 free?
Partly. Construct 3 has a free edition that runs in a web browser. Its limits are tight: 50 events if you log in with a verified email (25 as a guest), 2 layers and 2 special effects. It can publish to the web as HTML5 and to Construct Arcade.
Paid plans remove those limits and add desktop, Android and iOS publishing, multiplayer, more asset packs and monetisation. The Personal plan is listed at $15.99 a month or $129.99 a year. Startup, Business and Education plans cover companies and schools. Check Construct's buy page before you pay, since prices change.
What Construct 3 does well
Construct 3 is made by Scirra, a company in London. It is a 2D engine first, and recent releases add 3D lighting and 3D model animation. You build logic with events: when a condition is true, run an action. You can drop JavaScript into those events when you need more.
The editor opens at editor.construct.net with nothing to install. Templates and example games help you start.
Free and open-source Construct 3 alternatives
- GDevelop Open source under the MIT license, with no-code events much like Construct. The free plan includes 40 AI credits a month, 3 cloud projects and Android and desktop exports once a day; iOS export starts on the Gold plan.
- Godot Free and open source under the MIT license, and the engine says you are the sole copyright owner of your games. The editor runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, and there is a web editor.
- GameMaker Free to download and keep for non-commercial use. Selling a game needs the Professional license, a one-time $99.99.
- Scratch Free for everyone, from a nonprofit, and built for kids. You snap code blocks together by dragging them, with built-in characters, sounds and backdrops.
No editor: describe the 2D game instead
Every engine above asks you to learn an editor. Roam skips that. You type a game in a sentence, or start from a photo of your dog, your friend or a meme. Roam turns it into a game you can play.
Then you change it by talking: "more enemies", "make it two-player". You play it solo or with friends. Roam is free to download and play, and making works without a subscription; optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation.
Games people made on Roam
Have a 2D game idea? Play it first
Describe the 2D game you planned in Construct in one sentence, and play it on your iPhone with friends.
Try: "side-scrolling shooter in a candy factory, my cat is the hero, three bosses, the last one is a giant toaster"
Questions people ask
Is Construct 3 free?
It has a free edition with limits: 50 events, 2 layers and 2 effects, and publishing to the web and Construct Arcade. Desktop, Android and iOS publishing, multiplayer and monetisation need a paid plan.
How much does Construct 3 cost?
On Nov 4, 2026, the buy page listed the Personal plan at $15.99 a month or $129.99 a year. Startup, Business and Education plans are priced per seat.
Is Construct 3 open source?
No. Construct 3 is proprietary software from Scirra. If you want open source, GDevelop and Godot are both released under the MIT license.
What is the best free alternative to Construct 3?
For the same event-based style, GDevelop is the closest free option. For a full engine, Godot is free for any purpose under its license. To make a game on your iPhone without an editor, try Roam: it is free to download and play, and making works without a subscription; optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation.
Can you use Construct 3 on iPhone?
Construct 3 is a browser editor, and its paid plans can publish games for iOS. To make a game on the iPhone itself, Roam is an app where you describe the game instead.
Sources, checked Nov 4, 2026
- Construct 3 buy page and feature comparison
- Construct 3 editor and release notes
- Construct (game engine) on Wikipedia
- GDevelop pricing
- GDevelop on GitHub (MIT license)
- Godot license
- Godot download
- GameMaker plans
- Scratch Foundation
- Roam on the App Store
- Roam Terms
Product names belong to their owners. Roam is not affiliated with them. Facts change: check each product's own site before you choose.