Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Game Level Editors

GridCraft vs GtkRadiant

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score GridCraft #1 in Game Level Editors 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 5 features Visit GridCraft
GtkRadiant #6 in Game Level Editors 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit GtkRadiant

GridCraft leads on 0 checks, GtkRadiant on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGridCraft · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresGridCraft · 3 of 5

GridCraft scores higher on our rubric for game level editors: 9.4 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #6.

On level dimensions, GtkRadiant gives you 3d where GridCraft offers 2d.

GridCraft is the better fit for collaborative teams editing 2D maps. GtkRadiant is the better fit for id Tech game level construction.

  • GridCraft fits best

    Collaborative teams editing 2D maps

  • GtkRadiant fits best

    Id Tech game level construction

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature GridCraft 9.4/10 Visit ↗ GtkRadiant 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.6
Ranking #1 in Game Level Editors #6 in Game Level Editors
Best for Collaborative teams editing 2D maps Id Tech game level construction
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price — Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop Desktop
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Email, Community, Docs Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features GridCraft 3/5 · GtkRadiant 2/5
Tilemap tools ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Terrain tools ✓ ✓
Entity placement ✓ ✓
Prefab or template tools Not checked yet Not checked yet
Visual scripting Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Level dimensions 2d 3d
Our review
Pros
  • Real-time collaboration for shared map editing
  • Exports to Godot, GameMaker, Defold, LDtk, and more
  • GitHub, GitLab, and MCP support in the desktop app
  • Free, open-source editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Combines brushes, curve patches, terrain, entities, and shaders
  • Includes the Q3Map2 map compiler and gamepack support
Cons
  • Paid access starts at 19.99
  • Offline work and local file access require the desktop app
  • Studio collaboration is reserved for the Team plan
  • Its focus is limited to games powered by id Tech engines
  • Some games require separately installed gamepacks
  • Community volunteer maintenance may mean a less centralized workflow
Our verdict

GridCraft is a 2D tile-map editor for game developers who need to create, organize, and share maps across browser and desktop workflows. It supports tile layers, stacked layers, terrain brushes using Wang sets, object layers, custom…

Read the review →

GtkRadiant is an open-source desktop editor for constructing levels in games powered by id Tech engines. It is aimed at individual modders and commercial development teams working on 3D maps, with tools for brushes, curve patches,…

Read the review →
  1. GridCraftGame Level Editors 9.4Free plan
  2. GtkRadiantGame Level Editors 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • GridCraft — where it wins

    • Real-time collaboration for shared map editing
    • Exports to Godot, GameMaker, Defold, LDtk, and more
    • GitHub, GitLab, and MCP support in the desktop app

    Where it doesn't

    • Paid access starts at 19.99
    • Offline work and local file access require the desktop app
    • Studio collaboration is reserved for the Team plan

  • GtkRadiant — where it wins

    • Free, open-source editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux
    • Combines brushes, curve patches, terrain, entities, and shaders
    • Includes the Q3Map2 map compiler and gamepack support

    Where it doesn't

    • Its focus is limited to games powered by id Tech engines
    • Some games require separately installed gamepacks
    • Community volunteer maintenance may mean a less centralized workflow

More comparisons

All game level editors comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update