You need a compact control experiment
Inspect MuJoCo’s model description and programming APIs against the experiment you intend to run, including the specific contact and actuation behavior.
Curated comparison · Physics and robotics workflows
MuJoCo vs Gazebo
MuJoCo and Gazebo overlap in simulation but offer different abstractions and integration paths. This comparison frames the implementation decision; it does not claim one physics engine wins every workload.
Source contextPrimary specReviewed
Sources 4
google-deepmind/mujoco official repository
google-deepmind · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28
Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets.
MuJoCo 3.14.0 release
Google DeepMind · Published 2026-09-22 · Source accessed 2026-09-28
Exact tag or commit inspected through official GitHub metadata; no local benchmark execution implied.
gazebosim/gz-sim official repository
gazebosim · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28
Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets.
Gazebo Sim 10 Jetty release
Gazebo maintainers · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28
Exact tag or commit inspected through official GitHub metadata; no local benchmark execution implied.
Version and date boundaries matter. The exact revision below defines each column. A deployment of an earlier revision is not evidence that a newer revision is in production. Missing fields remain unknown.
On small screens, swipe the table horizontally. Each row carries its own source and review date.
| Decision dimension | MuJoCo Exact revision / scope 3.14.0 Primary specReviewed Sources 1MuJoCo 3.14.0 release Google DeepMind · Published 2026-09-22 · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Exact tag or commit inspected through official GitHub metadata; no local benchmark execution implied. | Gazebo Exact revision / scope Gazebo Sim 10 Jetty; gz-sim10_10.0.0 Primary specReviewed Sources 1Gazebo Sim 10 Jetty release Gazebo maintainers · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Exact tag or commit inspected through official GitHub metadata; no local benchmark execution implied. |
|---|---|---|
| Developer The developer identity does not establish a deployment relationship. | Google DeepMind and contributors Primary specReviewed Sources 1google-deepmind/mujoco official repository google-deepmind · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. | Gazebo and Open Robotics community Primary specReviewed Sources 1gazebosim/gz-sim official repository gazebosim · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. |
| Exact version Keep generations, checkpoints and software revisions separate. | 3.14.0 Primary specReviewed Sources 1MuJoCo 3.14.0 release Google DeepMind · Published 2026-09-22 · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Exact tag or commit inspected through official GitHub metadata; no local benchmark execution implied. | Gazebo Sim 10 Jetty; gz-sim10_10.0.0 Primary specReviewed Sources 1Gazebo Sim 10 Jetty release Gazebo maintainers · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Exact tag or commit inspected through official GitHub metadata; no local benchmark execution implied. |
| System or model type Choose alternatives that address the same decision. | Articulated-body physics engine Primary specReviewed Sources 1google-deepmind/mujoco official repository google-deepmind · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. | Robot simulation framework Primary specReviewed Sources 1gazebosim/gz-sim official repository gazebosim · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. |
| Access conditions Availability of a paper is distinct from access to a model or service. | Public code and platform binaries Primary specReviewed Sources 1google-deepmind/mujoco official repository google-deepmind · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. | Public gz-sim source and ecosystem packages Primary specReviewed Sources 1gazebosim/gz-sim official repository gazebosim · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. |
| License / reuse Code, checkpoints, datasets and assets can have different terms. | Apache-2.0 code; CC BY 4.0 documentation Primary specReviewed Sources 1google-deepmind/mujoco official repository google-deepmind · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. | Apache-2.0 gz-sim library Primary specReviewed Sources 1gazebosim/gz-sim official repository gazebosim · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. |
| Inputs Observation and scene formats determine integration work. | Mechanical models, controls and contact parameters Primary specReviewed Sources 1google-deepmind/mujoco official repository google-deepmind · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. | SDF worlds, models and plugins Primary specReviewed Sources 1gazebosim/gz-sim official repository gazebosim · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. |
| Outputs An action policy, image generator and simulator return different outputs. | Physics state and rendered observations Primary specReviewed Sources 1google-deepmind/mujoco official repository google-deepmind · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. | Physics, rendered sensors and transport messages Primary specReviewed Sources 1gazebosim/gz-sim official repository gazebosim · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. |
| Integrations Verify exact versions, interfaces and support responsibilities. | C API, Python bindings, Unity plugin and MJX Primary specReviewed Sources 1google-deepmind/mujoco official repository google-deepmind · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. | SDF models; Gazebo Physics, Rendering and Transport libraries Primary specReviewed Sources 1gazebosim/gz-sim official repository gazebosim · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28 Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets. |
| Compute Confirm requirements for the intended workload. | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |
Choose based on your constraints.
These are evaluation paths, not a ranking. Verify the current terms and run a task-specific trial before committing.
You need a robotics application environment
Inspect Gazebo’s world, sensor and middleware configuration for the chosen release. Test the complete software connection to your robot application.
Evidence gaps to resolve
- Published fields describe the identified revision only; configuration and source dates may differ.
- No matched independent operating trial is asserted by this comparison. Missing price, reliability and intervention figures remain unknown.
- Benchmark results require the same protocol, inputs and revision context. Cross-benchmark totals are not calculated.
Inspect the evidence
Sources & evidence
google-deepmind/mujoco official repository
google-deepmind · Repository · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28
License: Apache-2.0 code; CC BY 4.0 documentation. Factual summary and attribution only; no upstream prose, images, weights, or dataset redistributed.
Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets.
Referenced by 5 records: Google DeepMind · What Is a World Model for Robotics? · Physical AI Stack Explained · Physical AI Market Map · MuJoCo
MuJoCo 3.14.0 release
Google DeepMind · Official release · Published 2026-09-22 · Source accessed 2026-09-28
Factual summary and attribution only; no upstream prose, images, weights, or dataset redistributed.
Exact tag or commit inspected through official GitHub metadata; no local benchmark execution implied.
Referenced by 1 record: MuJoCo
gazebosim/gz-sim official repository
gazebosim · Repository · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28
License: Apache-2.0 library code. Factual summary and attribution only; no upstream prose, images, weights, or dataset redistributed.
Official README inspected live. Repository code terms do not automatically cover model weights, data, or third-party assets.
Referenced by 1 record: Gazebo
Gazebo Sim 10 Jetty release
Gazebo maintainers · Official release · Publication date not disclosed · Source accessed 2026-09-28
Factual summary and attribution only; no upstream prose, images, weights, or dataset redistributed.
Exact tag or commit inspected through official GitHub metadata; no local benchmark execution implied.
Referenced by 1 record: Gazebo