Game engine
Babylon.js
Babylon.js is a TypeScript 3D game engine for the browser, with an inspector, a GUI, and physics options already pointed at interactive scenes.
Developer: Babylon.js team
Overview
Babylon sits between Three.js and a native engine. You still ship a web app, but the engine expects cameras, lights, a GUI layer, and collisions. The playground is the fastest way to see whether that trade is the one you want.
Workshop games such as Space Pirates are the right size to read: a scene, input, and a win condition, written in TypeScript. They are not open-world samples.
Choose it for browser 3D that should feel like an engine. Choose Three.js if you want fewer opinions. Choose Unity or Unreal if the game must leave the browser as a native build.
Technical specifications
Specs checked 2026-10-05. Version lines move; the download link is the source of truth.
- Developer
- Babylon.js team
- Version line
- 8.x
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Business model
- Apache-2.0. The playground, inspector, and docs are free. Confirm the exact 8.x patch on the releases page.
- Releases
- Regular minor releases. Pin the npm version; do not track “latest” in a shipped game.
- Editor platforms
- Any OS with Node.js
- Export targets
- Web, Windows
- Languages
- JavaScript, TypeScript
- 2D / 3D
- 3D
- VR
- Yes. WebXR is supported in the engine.
- AR
- WebXR AR where the browser allows it.
- Visual scripting
- No general gameplay graph. Node material editor covers shaders.
- Beginners
- More than Three.js, less than Unity. The playground lets you change a scene without a local install.
- Learning curve
- Medium for TypeScript developers. The inspector shortens the graphics part.
- Graphics
- High for the browser: PBR, GUI, and physics integrations.
- Team size
- One to a small web team.
- GitHub stars
- 24,000 · BabylonJS/Babylon.js
- Documentation
- https://doc.babylonjs.com/
- Community
- https://forum.babylonjs.com/
- Assets and examples
- https://playground.babylonjs.com/
- Download
- https://www.babylonjs.com/tools/
Where it fits
- Apache-2.0 and aimed at interactive 3D, not only rendering.
- Inspector and playground shorten the first scene.
- TypeScript-first, with WebXR.
Where it does not
- The platform is the browser.
- Gameplay architecture is still yours.
- Native mobile and console are not the export story.
Matching source
All examples
How does it compare?
The thinner 3D library.
An editor in the browser instead of a code-first engine.
When the build has to be a native player.
Questions
What is Babylon.js?
Babylon.js is a TypeScript 3D game engine for the browser. It ships an inspector, a GUI, physics options, and WebXR. The license is Apache-2.0. Native mobile and console exports are not the point.
Babylon.js or Three.js for a game?
Babylon.js if you want GUI, physics options, and an inspector in the box. Three.js if the renderer should stay thin.
What license is it?
Apache-2.0. You can use it in commercial web projects. Keep the license notice.
Do I need a local install to try it?
No. The playground runs a scene in the browser. Move to npm when the scene becomes a project.
Is there a sample game?
Space Pirates and the Summer Festival workshop are public and small enough to finish reading.