GridCraft vs TrenchBroom

GridCraft9.4Visit TTrenchBroom8.7Visit

Higher score GridCraft #1 in Game Level Editors 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 5 features Visit GridCraft

vs

T TrenchBroom #5 in Game Level Editors 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit TrenchBroom

• GridCraft fits best

  Collaborative teams editing 2D maps

• TrenchBroom fits best

  Free 3D Quake-family level editing

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Side by side

Feature	GridCraft 9.4/10 Visit ↗	TTrenchBroom 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.7
Ranking	#1 in Game Level Editors	#5 in Game Level Editors
Best for	Collaborative teams editing 2D maps	Free 3D Quake-family level editing
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, Enterprise
Features GridCraft 3/5 · TrenchBroom 0/5
Tilemap tools	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Terrain tools	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Entity placement	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Prefab or template tools	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Visual scripting	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Level dimensions	2d	Not checked yet
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	Deep 3D brush, CSG, texture, UV, and entity editing tools Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, and multiple Quake-related formats Includes issue quick fixes, external compilers, backups, and unlimited undo
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 brush-based Quake-engine and related game formats External compiler and game-engine launching require configured tools The workflow centers on desktop platforms rather than web editing
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 →	TrenchBroom is a free, GPLv3+-licensed level editor for brush-based Quake-engine games. It is aimed at creators working on Quake, Quake 2, Quake 3, Hexen 2, Daikatana, and custom engines through game configurations. The editor combines a… Read the review →

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

• TrenchBroom — where it wins

  • Deep 3D brush, CSG, texture, UV, and entity editing tools
  • Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, and multiple Quake-related formats
  • Includes issue quick fixes, external compilers, backups, and unlimited undo

  Where it doesn't

  • Its focus is brush-based Quake-engine and related game formats
  • External compiler and game-engine launching require configured tools
  • The workflow centers on desktop platforms rather than web editing

• GridCraft9.4/10 · Free plan

  A capable collaborative map editor with broad exports, but paid plans start at 19.99.

  Visit GridCraftFull verdict →
• TTrenchBroom8.7/10 · Free plan

  A capable free editor for brush-based Quake-family mapping across major desktop platforms.

  Visit TrenchBroomFull verdict →