Airogel vs PlayCanvas
Two engines whose editors run in a browser tab. PlayCanvas is a general-purpose WebGL engine scripted in JavaScript; Airogel is a game-focused engine scripted in Lua with multiplayer rooms and an AI assistant built in.
The short version
PlayCanvas is a mature, open-source WebGL/WebGPU engine with a collaborative cloud editor, scripted in JavaScript (or TypeScript) and used for games as well as product configurators, ads and visualisations. You get a lot of control and can download and self-host your build. Airogel is narrower on purpose: a 3D game engine with physics, Lua scripting, server-run multiplayer rooms, one-click publishing and an AI assistant, all without touching JavaScript or hosting anything.
Side by side
| Airogel | PlayCanvas | |
|---|---|---|
| Editor | Browser-based | Browser-based, with real-time collaboration |
| Scripting | Lua | JavaScript / TypeScript |
| Engine source | Proprietary | Engine runtime is open source (MIT); editor is a hosted service |
| Physics | Built in: rigid bodies, vehicles, ragdolls, soft bodies, characters, no setup | Ammo.js (Bullet) integration you configure per project |
| Multiplayer | Built in: rooms of up to 8 players on Airogel servers, with authority/presentation/prediction scripts | Not built in; you bring your own server (Node, Colyseus, etc.) and write the networking |
| Publishing | One click to a stable web address; republish keeps the link | Publish to PlayCanvas hosting, or download the build and host it anywhere |
| AI assistance | Built-in assistant plus an MCP interface for external AI tools | No built-in assistant (use your own tools against the JavaScript) |
| Pricing | Free; Creator $8/month; Studio $20/month | Free (public projects); Personal $15/month; Organization $50/seat/month |
| Private projects | All projects are private until published | Private projects on paid plans |
| Beyond games | Games only | Games, product configurators, AR/VR, advertising, data visualisation |
Where PlayCanvas is the better choice
- You or your team already write JavaScript and want full control of the engine, rendering pipeline and build.
- You need to self-host the output, embed it in your own site, or ship something that isn't a game.
- You want an open-source runtime you can read and patch.
- You need real-time collaborative editing with teammates in the same scene.
Where Airogel is the better choice
- You want multiplayer without writing netcode or running a server: turn on rooms, publish, send a link. See multiplayer games.
- You want physics that works out of the box for cars, tanks, ragdolls and characters.
- You want an AI assistant that builds scenes and scripts, or want to connect Claude, ChatGPT or Codex over MCP. See AI game builder.
- You prefer Lua, or you're teaching people who don't know JavaScript. See Lua scripting.
- You want the whole loop (build, test, publish, play with friends) to need nothing but a browser.
Switching from PlayCanvas
Concepts map cleanly: entities become objects, script components become Lua scripts with start and update callbacks, and the scene hierarchy works the same way. Rendering is less configurable in Airogel, and there is no JavaScript bridge, so anything that depended on browser APIs directly will need to use the Lua API instead. The introduction and gameObject API reference are the fastest way in.
PlayCanvas plan names and prices are as listed publicly as of October 2026 and may change; check playcanvas.com. PlayCanvas is a trademark of PlayCanvas Ltd; Airogel is not affiliated with it.
Free to start. Nothing to install.