Defold
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersStockholm, Sweden
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Defold does
Defold is a free, open-source, cross-platform game engine operated by the Stiftelsen Defold Foundation, a Swedish non-profit organization headquartered in Hägersten, Sweden. Originally created in 2009 by Ragnar Svensson and Christian Murray, the engine was acquired by King in 2014 and subsequently placed under the Foundation to ensure it remains free in perpetuity, with foundation law structurally preventing commercialization. The engine serves independent developers, small studios, and mid-size game studios building 2D and 3D games for mobile (iOS, Android), web (HTML5, Poki, CrazyGames, Facebook Instant Games), desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux, Steam), and console (PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, with Xbox coming soon).
The core product is an all-in-one editor and runtime built around Lua scripting (Lua 5.1/LuaJIT) with support for native extensions in C, C++, Objective-C, Java, and JavaScript. It includes integrated visual editors for scenes, GUI, tilemaps, particle effects, and code, plus a built-in Lua debugger, Hot Reload for sub-second iteration, a fully scriptable rendering pipeline, and a Live Update feature for runtime content streaming. The Asset Portal hosts 307+ community-contributed extensions covering ads (AdMob, IronSource, AppLovin MAX, Vungle, Facebook Audience Network), analytics (Firebase, GameAnalytics, PlayFab, Adjust, Tenjin), multiplayer (Nakama, Colyseus, Photon), platform SDKs (Steamworks, Apple GameKit, Google Play Game Services), animation (Spine, Rive), and commerce (Xsolla, Poki, CrazyGames, Yandex.Games).
Defold's business model is a freemium-plus-professional-services structure: the engine is permanently free with no royalties, licensing fees, or runtime fees, a status legally locked in by the Foundation's charter, with optional paid technical support contracts as the only disclosed revenue stream. Go-to-market is product-led and community-led, relying on direct download from defold.com with no registration, organic community channels (forum, Discord, Reddit, Mastodon), content marketing (blog, YouTube, newsletter), game jam sponsorships, and corporate partnerships with Platinum partners Rive and MoonActive, Gold partners Heroic Labs and Poki, and Bronze partners including 8BitSkull, Denda Games, and Wavedash.
Defold firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Defold
- Legal name
- Stiftelsen Defold Foundation
- Website
- https://defold.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Defold industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Game Engine / Game Development Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (51321)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- SDKs, APIs & Platform Integration Tools (Console/Store/Identity) (MPAFAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- PC & Console Game Distribution Platforms (BPAMAKAA)
Keywords
Where Defold is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stockholm
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Defold business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Free Game Engine Distribution: Defold is completely free to use — no up-front cost, no licensing fees, no royalties, no runtime fees. This is guaranteed by the Defold Foundation's objectives under Swedish foundation law, which prohibit commercialization of the core product.
- Optional Paid Support Contracts: Defold offers optional paid technical support contracts for developers who need dedicated assistance, as noted on their support page.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Tier — Full Access |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
Defold product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Defold provides a free, permanently non-commercialized cross-platform game engine with an integrated editor that enables developers to build 2D and 3D games in Lua and deploy them to 12+ platforms (PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Steam, iOS, Android, HTML5, Poki, CrazyGames, etc.) from a single codebase. The product is bundled with built-in visual editors, debugger, profiler, native extension SDK, and live update capability, and is supplemented by a community Asset Portal of 307+ extensions covering ads, analytics, multiplayer, and platform SDKs. Optional paid technical support contracts are offered alongside the free core product.
Product overview
Defold is a single, unified cross-platform game engine that provides an all-in-one solution for 2D and 3D game development. The product consists of the core Defold Engine and Editor (a bundled, turn-key solution), the Asset Portal (a marketplace of community-contributed extensions and tools), and various platform SDKs (CrazyGames SDK, Poki SDK, Wavedash SDK, Xsolla integration). The Engine and Editor work together out of the box with built-in visual editors for scenes, GUI, particle effects, tilemaps, and code editing, all powered by Lua scripting with native extension support. The Asset Portal hosts over 300 community-built extensions spanning ads, analytics, monetization, multiplayer, and platform integrations. The engine is free forever with no royalties, supported by the Defold Foundation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Defold Engine and Editor A bundled, turn-key cross-platform game engine with an integrated all-in-one editor that provides visual editors for scenes, GUI, particle effects, tilemaps, and code, plus a complete build pipeline for deploying 2D and 3D Lua-based games to 12+ platforms (PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, Steam, iOS, Android, HTML5, Poki, CrazyGames, Facebook, etc.). Includes hot reload, Lua debugger, profiler, live update capability, and native extension support for C/C++/Java/JavaScript/Objective-C.
- Defold Asset Portal An online marketplace of 307+ community-contributed extensions, native extensions, templates, tools, and art packs for Defold, with built-in editor integration that allows developers to browse, filter, and add dependencies directly to their Defold projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- Android builds are 12x smaller than Unity 6 (1.97MB vs 24.33MB)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Defold
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Defold technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration53 records
Feature10 records
Defold partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WavedashcoreWavedash joined the Defold Foundation as a corporate partner in June 2026. Wavedash is a new gaming platform. A Wavedash SDK native extension is available on the Defold Asset Portal. Wavedash supports Defold game developers with platform integration.
- XsollacoreStrategic partnership to introduce a new SDK enabling in-game purchasing for Defold-built web games on the CrazyGames platform. The SDK launches in time for the CrazyGames x Defold Game Jam (June 13–15), connecting Xsolla's commerce infrastructure, Defold's game engine, and CrazyGames' browser gaming platform. It removes the complexity of manual API setup for developers and reinforces Xsolla's role in cross-platform game commerce.
- RivecoreRive is a Corporate Platinum partner of Defold. Rive provides real-time interactive design and animation tools integrated with Defold via an official extension (73 stars on Asset Portal).
- MoonActivecoreMoonActive is a Corporate Platinum partner of Defold. They are the developer of Family Island, a flagship game built with Defold, demonstrating Defold's suitability for large-scale mobile game production.
- Heroic LabscoreHeroic Labs is a Corporate Gold partner of Defold. Their Nakama open-source game server is available as a Defold extension (103 stars) for user accounts, matchmaking, chat, and multiplayer functionality.
- PokicorePoki is a Corporate Gold partner and major HTML5 game distribution platform. Poki SDK is available as a Defold extension. Poki hosts numerous Defold-built games including Hill Climb Racing Lite, Monkey Mart, Mad Skills Motocross 2, and others.
- 8BitSkullcore8BitSkull joined the Defold Foundation as a Corporate Bronze partner in April 2026. The Scottish studio develops Skull Horde (Steam) and Fates of Ort (Nintendo Switch/Desktop) with Defold, and actively contributes to the ecosystem.
- CrazyGamescoreCrazyGames is listed as a Friend of Defold and hosts a CrazyGames SDK extension (Defold Asset Portal). CrazyGames co-hosts game jams with Defold (CrazyGames x Defold Game Jam). The Xsolla partnership explicitly connects CrazyGames as the target platform for in-game purchases.
- Spine (Esoteric Software)coreEsoteric Software provides Spine, the skeletal animation tool with official Defold extension support for bone and model animations with blending, keyframes, and inverse kinematics.
- GameDistributionminorGameDistribution is listed as a Friend of Defold and represents the biggest broker of high-quality cross-platform games, with a Defold extension available.
- Zenva (Academy)minorZenva is a Friend of Defold offering Defold game development courses through Zenva Academy.
- Grant for the WebminorGrant for the Web is a Special Partner of Defold, providing funding and support for open web game development.
- OP GamesminorOP Games is a Special Partner of Defold, supporting the open web gaming ecosystem.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Defold competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Godot Engine: Open-source, cross-platform 2D/3D game engine governed by the Godot Foundation. Most direct competitor to Defold on the free, no-royalties, community-led axis, supporting similar platforms and use cases.
- Solar2D (Corona SDK): Open-source, Lua-based cross-platform 2D game engine. Competes with Defold for Lua-friendly indie developers targeting mobile and desktop, though it has narrower platform support.
- LÖVE (Love2D): Open-source 2D game framework using Lua, with a small footprint and cross-platform desktop/mobile support. Closely matches Defold's language choice (Lua) and indie/2D positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Unity Technologies: Dominant commercial game engine used across indie and AAA. Competes broadly with Defold for the same 2D/3D cross-platform use cases, but with a vastly larger ecosystem, paid tiers, and recent pricing controversies driving some developer attrition.
- Epic Games (Unreal Engine): Industry-leading 3D game engine with free tier and royalty model. Overlaps with Defold in cross-platform deployment but skews to high-end 3D and AAA, where Defold does not directly compete.
- GameMaker (YoYo Games / Opera): Long-established 2D-focused game engine with proprietary scripting (GML) and a paid tier. Competes with Defold for the indie 2D market, particularly on consoles and Steam, with stronger commercial tooling but smaller footprint and a paid price point.
Emerging players
- Phaser: Open-source HTML5 game framework based on JavaScript/TypeScript. Competes with Defold for web/HTML5 game developers, especially those prioritizing fast iteration and small web bundles, though without a native 3D or console path.
- Construct 3 (Scirra): Browser-based 2D game engine with visual scripting and HTML5 export. Competes with Defold in the web game development space, especially for non-programmers, but requires a paid subscription.
- PlayCanvas: Web-first 3D game engine with a hosted development environment and WebGPU support. Competes with Defold in the HTML5/web game distribution category, but specializes in 3D rather than 2D.
Regional players
- Cocos2d-x (Chukong Technologies): Open-source cross-platform 2D/3D game engine especially popular in the Chinese mobile and web gaming markets. Competes with Defold for 2D mobile and web developers, particularly in Asia, with C++/Lua/JavaScript bindings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Defold social profiles
Digital presenceDefold financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Defold leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Defold funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Defold M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Defold
What does Defold do?
Defold provides a free, permanently non-commercialized cross-platform game engine with an integrated editor that enables developers to build 2D and 3D games in Lua and deploy them to 12+ platforms (PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Steam, iOS, Android, HTML5, Poki, CrazyGames, etc.) from a single codebase. The product is bundled with built-in visual editors, debugger, profiler, native extension SDK, and live update capability, and is supplemented by a community Asset Portal of 307+ extensions covering ads, analytics, multiplayer, and platform SDKs. Optional paid technical support contracts are offered alongside the free core product.
Is Defold a public or private company?
Defold is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Defold founded?
Defold was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Defold based?
Defold is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Defold make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Free Game Engine Distribution is the primary driver. The others are optional Paid Support Contracts.
Who are Defold's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Godot Engine, Solar2D (Corona SDK) and LÖVE (Love2D). Broad incumbents are Unity Technologies, Epic Games (Unreal Engine) and GameMaker (YoYo Games / Opera). Emerging players are Phaser, Construct 3 (Scirra) and PlayCanvas. Cocos2d-x (Chukong Technologies) is listed as a regional player.
Does Defold have an API?
No public API is recorded for Defold.
What industry is Defold in?
Defold's product category is Game Engine / Game Development Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAFAJ, SDKs, APIs & Platform Integration Tools (Console/Store/Identity), with a secondary code of BPAMAKAA, PC & Console Game Distribution Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51321 and its SIC code is 7372.