The best physics engines, according to hackers
7 physics engines were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 1 earns the Hacker Approved badge.
Top pick
The most recommended physics engine with the badge. Each figure is one person. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Frequently suggested for robotics simulation
Free physics simulator that people recommend for robotics work, including browser use and JAX support. Critics note that simulated results can fail on real robotic hardware.
All 7 physics engines, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Box3D | 14 | 0 | 100% | 1 | — | — |
| 2 | Box2D | 12 | 1 | 92% | 1 | — | — |
| 3 | MuJoCo | 10 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | Approved |
| 4 | Jolt Physics | 9 | 2 | 82% | 5 | — | — |
| Tied 5 | Rapier physics engine | 6 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 5 | BepuPhysics 2 | 6 | 1 | 86% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 5 | libsm64 | 6 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same physics engine in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to physics engines that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.