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

This page's audience real numbers from our own analytics — open to see them
–Visitors
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · counted by iTechGuides's own first-party analytics, bots removed, every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Robotic Simulation Software

Webots vs Gazebo

  • Updated Sep 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Webots #5 in Robotic Simulation Software 7.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 5 features Visit Webots
Gazebo #8 in Robotic Simulation Software 6.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Gazebo

Webots leads on 1 check, Gazebo on 0, and 3 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 scoreWebots · 7.1/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresWebots · 3 of 5

Webots scores higher on our rubric for robotic simulation software: 7.1 against 6.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #8.

Webots offers cad import; Gazebo doesn't publish it.

Webots is the better fit for cross-platform robotics research and education. Gazebo is the better fit for general-purpose robot simulation with ROS 2.

  • Webots fits best

    Cross-platform robotics research and education

  • Gazebo fits best

    General-purpose robot simulation with ROS 2

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Webots 7.1/10 Visit ↗ Gazebo 6.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.1 6.6
Ranking #5 in Robotic Simulation Software #8 in Robotic Simulation Software
Best for Cross-platform robotics research and education General-purpose robot simulation with ROS 2
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop, Self-hosted Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Linux, macOS, Windows
Support Docs, Community Community, Docs
Integrations 7 integrations 1 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Webots 3/5 · Gazebo 2/5
ROS support ✓ ✓
Sensor simulation ✓ ✓
CAD import ✓ (best) Not published
Hardware-in-the-loop Not published Not published
USD support Not published Not published
Specs
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Our review
Pros
  • Models 3D robots and environments with physics-based simulation.
  • Configurable cameras, lidar, GPS, and inertial sensors support sensor simulation.
  • Supports ROS and ROS 2 plus controllers in several programming languages.
  • Simulates robot physics, 3D worlds and configurable environments.
  • Models cameras, lidar and other sensors in simulation.
  • Combines ROS 2 integration with SDF descriptions and an extensible plugin architecture.
Cons
  • Desktop-focused rather than a browser-based simulation workflow.
  • Controller programming requires working with a supported programming language.
  • Docs and community are the listed support channels.
  • Runs locally as desktop software rather than as a hosted service.
  • ROS 2 is the listed integration, so other integrations are not part of its stated fit.
  • Support is through community channels and documentation.
Our verdict

Webots is an open-source robot simulator from Cyberbotics for education, research, and robotics development. It runs locally on Windows, macOS, and Linux, where users can model robots and environments, program controllers, and run…

Read the review →

Gazebo is an open-source robotics simulator for developing, testing and validating robot systems in virtual worlds. It is aimed at robotics developers, researchers and educators who want to prototype behaviors or evaluate systems before…

Read the review →
  1. WebotsRobotic Simulation Software 7.1Free plan
  2. GazeboRobotic Simulation Software 6.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Webots — where it wins

    • Models 3D robots and environments with physics-based simulation.
    • Configurable cameras, lidar, GPS, and inertial sensors support sensor simulation.
    • Supports ROS and ROS 2 plus controllers in several programming languages.

    Where it doesn't

    • Desktop-focused rather than a browser-based simulation workflow.
    • Controller programming requires working with a supported programming language.
    • Docs and community are the listed support channels.

  • Gazebo — where it wins

    • Simulates robot physics, 3D worlds and configurable environments.
    • Models cameras, lidar and other sensors in simulation.
    • Combines ROS 2 integration with SDF descriptions and an extensible plugin architecture.

    Where it doesn't

    • Runs locally as desktop software rather than as a hosted service.
    • ROS 2 is the listed integration, so other integrations are not part of its stated fit.
    • Support is through community channels and documentation.
  • Webots7.1/10 · Free plan

    A cross-platform robot simulator with configurable sensors, ROS support, and multi-language controllers.

    Visit WebotsFull verdict →
  • Gazebo6.6/10 · Free plan

    A free, desktop simulator for physics-based robotics workflows with ROS 2.

    Visit GazeboFull verdict →

More comparisons

All robotic simulation software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026

Last updated · How we research and update