Tiled vs LDtk

Tiled9.2Visit LDtk9.0Visit

Higher score Tiled #2 in Game Level Editors 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Tiled

vs

LDtk #3 in Game Level Editors 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit LDtk

• Tiled fits best

  General-purpose 2D game level editing

• LDtk fits best

  Structured 2D projects with broad engine support

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Side by side

Feature	Tiled 9.2/10 Visit ↗	LDtk 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	9.0
Ranking	#2 in Game Level Editors	#3 in Game Level Editors
Best for	General-purpose 2D game level editing	Structured 2D projects with broad engine support
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Tiled 4/5 · LDtk 2/5
Tilemap tools	✓	✓
Terrain tools	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Entity placement	✓	✓
Prefab or template tools	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Visual scripting	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Level dimensions	2d	2d
Our review
Pros	Supports orthogonal, isometric, hexagonal and oblique maps. Combines terrain tools, object templates, collisions and animations. Exports to JSON, Lua, GameMaker, Defold and image formats.	Free for commercial use with no hidden fee Tile, entity, auto-layer, and world-layout tools in one editor Documented JSON export with integrations across engines and languages
Cons	Focused on 2D tile-based game content. Custom scripting uses JavaScript rather than visual scripting. Desktop platforms are limited to Windows, macOS and Linux.	Focused on 2D level creation rather than 3D production Desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux Engine workflows may require importers, APIs, or format integration
Our verdict	Tiled is a free, open-source desktop editor for creating 2D tile maps and game-level content. It suits developers and designers working on RPGs, platformers and similar tile-based projects. The editor supports orthogonal, isometric,… Read the review →	LDtk is a free, open-source desktop level editor for developers building 2D games. Its feature set covers tile-based painting, integer grid data, configurable entities with custom fields, automatic tile rendering, and world organization.… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Tiled — where it wins

  • Supports orthogonal, isometric, hexagonal and oblique maps.
  • Combines terrain tools, object templates, collisions and animations.
  • Exports to JSON, Lua, GameMaker, Defold and image formats.

  Where it doesn't

  • Focused on 2D tile-based game content.
  • Custom scripting uses JavaScript rather than visual scripting.
  • Desktop platforms are limited to Windows, macOS and Linux.

• LDtk — where it wins

  • Free for commercial use with no hidden fee
  • Tile, entity, auto-layer, and world-layout tools in one editor
  • Documented JSON export with integrations across engines and languages

  Where it doesn't

  • Focused on 2D level creation rather than 3D production
  • Desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Engine workflows may require importers, APIs, or format integration

• Tiled9.2/10 · Free plan

  A flexible 2D editor with deep tile, object, terrain and export support.

  Visit TiledFull verdict →
• LDtk9.0/10 · Free plan

  A capable free editor for structured 2D levels across major engines and desktop platforms.

  Visit LDtkFull verdict →