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Corona SDK description
Corona SDK, now known as Solar2D, is a free software platform designed for building 2D mobile games and apps. Using the simple and fast Lua programming language, developers can create projects once and publish them on various devices like iPhones, Android phones, and computers. Solar2D boasts fast performance, a large community of developers, and a marketplace with ready-made assets to speed up your project. While the original Corona SDK website is no longer active, Solar2D continues its development as a free and open-source project.
Who is Corona SDK best for
Corona SDK (Solar2D) is ideal for indie game developers and small studios seeking a free, user-friendly, cross-platform 2D engine. If you're familiar with Lua and want to target multiple platforms, it's a good fit. We've seen it work particularly well for mobile apps and games.
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Best for small teams (1-100) or medium businesses (101-1000) seeking a straightforward 2D game engine with Lua scripting.
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Great for the Media & Entertainment or Software/IT/Telecommunications industries, especially for mobile game or app development.
Corona SDK features
Supported Cross-Platform Development: Cross-platform development allows developers to create games for various platforms, including iOS, tvOS, Android, Android TV, macOS, Windows, Linux, and HTML5, using a single codebase, thus saving time and resources. |
Supported Fast Build and Iteration: Solar2D offers an instant-update simulator that allows developers to see the results of their code changes in real-time, thus speeding up the development process. When ready to test on real devices, building and deploying the app is only required once, after which code and assets are updated automatically over the local network. |
Supported Lua Scripting Language: Solar2D uses Lua, a fast and easy-to-learn scripting language, which simplifies the game development process. |
Supported Open Source: Solar2D's open-source nature provides flexibility and community support, allowing developers to access and modify the engine's source code according to their specific needs. It's actively maintained by Vlad Shcherban, former technical lead engineer at Corona Labs Inc. |
Supported Plugin Ecosystem: Solar2D offers a wide selection of plugins to extend its core functionalities, covering features like in-app advertising, analytics, media, and more. These plugins are available through various sources like the Solar2D free directory, Solar2D Marketplace, and Solar2D Plugins. |
Supported Monetization: Solar2D includes a built-in monetization solution that simplifies integrating in-app purchases and advertising into games. |
Supported Ease of Iterations: Solar2D's primary focus is to enable a streamlined workflow for developers through features like instant update simulator and over-the-air updates. |
Corona SDK alternatives
Corona SDK FAQ
Solar2D (formerly Corona SDK) is a free and open-source platform ideal for crafting 2D mobile games and apps. Using the Lua programming language, you can develop projects once and deploy them across multiple devices. We find its fast performance and large community particularly helpful for indie developers.
What is Corona SDK and what does Corona SDK do?
Solar2D (formerly Corona SDK) is a free and open-source platform ideal for crafting 2D mobile games and apps. Using the Lua programming language, you can develop projects once and deploy them across multiple devices. We find its fast performance and large community particularly helpful for indie developers.
Solar2D (formerly Corona SDK) offers a plugin system allowing integration with various tools for advertising, analytics, media, and more. We find this expands its core functionalities and provides access to a wider range of resources through marketplaces and plugin directories.
How does Corona SDK integrate with other tools?
Solar2D (formerly Corona SDK) offers a plugin system allowing integration with various tools for advertising, analytics, media, and more. We find this expands its core functionalities and provides access to a wider range of resources through marketplaces and plugin directories.
We find that Solar2D (formerly Corona SDK) has some strong competitors. Alternatives include GDevelop for no-code game creation, Godot Engine, and React Native for cross-platform development. For 3D development, consider Nebula Device. iOS SDK is a good option if you are only targeting Apple devices.
What the main competitors of Corona SDK?
We find that Solar2D (formerly Corona SDK) has some strong competitors. Alternatives include GDevelop for no-code game creation, Godot Engine, and React Native for cross-platform development. For 3D development, consider Nebula Device. iOS SDK is a good option if you are only targeting Apple devices.
Yes, Solar2D (formerly Corona SDK) is legitimate. It's a free and open-source software platform, and we find it to be a reliable tool for developing 2D mobile games and apps. It's actively maintained and supported by a community of developers.
Is Corona SDK legit?
Yes, Solar2D (formerly Corona SDK) is legitimate. It's a free and open-source software platform, and we find it to be a reliable tool for developing 2D mobile games and apps. It's actively maintained and supported by a community of developers.
I'm sorry, but pricing information for Corona SDK is not available at this time. We recommend checking the vendor's website for the latest details.
How much does Corona SDK cost?
I'm sorry, but pricing information for Corona SDK is not available at this time. We recommend checking the vendor's website for the latest details.
We find that Corona SDK (Solar2D) has a helpful and responsive community, allowing developers to quickly find answers and assistance. One user highlighted the active community as a key benefit, enabling them to resolve issues and accelerate their game development process.
Is Corona SDK customer service good?
We find that Corona SDK (Solar2D) has a helpful and responsive community, allowing developers to quickly find answers and assistance. One user highlighted the active community as a key benefit, enabling them to resolve issues and accelerate their game development process.
Reviewed by
Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.
Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.
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