How we rate tools

Every tool on StarterLoot gets a beginner rating from 1 to 5 stars. We use the same five point checklist for every tool, so you can see exactly why a tool got its stars.

The five points

Each point is a simple yes or no. A yes is worth 1 point.

1. Free to try. There is a usable free plan, or a free trial that does not ask for a credit card.
2. Works with no setup. You can get started in a browser or simple app without installing plugins, connecting an MCP server or writing code. This point is about setup, not output quality: a tool that needs a plugin or MCP server can still make great results.
3. Works with your game. The output drops straight into common engines (Godot, Unity, Unreal) or comes in standard files like PNG, GLB, FBX, WAV or MP3, or the tool is itself where you build and ship the game.
4. Clear commercial-use terms. The official site publishes clear terms for using the output or the tool in a game you sell.
5. Docs or tutorials. There are official docs, a help center or tutorials a beginner can follow.

From points to stars

The number of points is the number of stars. A tool with all five points gets 5 stars. A tool with 0 points still gets the minimum of 1 star, and so does a tool that has shut down.

We only use facts from our own listing and from the tool's official pages. If we cannot confirm something, for example whether a tool publishes commercial-use terms, that point scores 0 and the tool page says so. Every tool page shows its points next to the stars.

The rating measures how easy a tool is to start with as a beginner. It is not a score for how powerful a tool is. A professional engine can be excellent and still get fewer stars because it needs installing and learning first.

Sponsors cannot buy ratings

Featured listings are paid placements and are always labeled "Featured · Sponsored". Paying for a placement, or an affiliate link, never changes a tool's rating, points or description. Sponsored tools are scored with the same checklist as everyone else. Read our disclosure for more.

Think a rating is wrong? Tell us

Do you make one of these tools, or spotted a fact that has changed? Send us a correction with a link to an official source, and we will check it and update the listing if it is right.

Or email [email protected].