--- title: "webots vs redtail" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/cyberbotics-webots-vs-nvidia-ai-iot-redtail" tools: ["cyberbotics-webots", "nvidia-ai-iot-redtail"] --- # webots vs redtail *GraphCanon updated Jul 31, 2026* ## Verdict Pick webots if webots is an open-source robot simulator for modeling, programming, and simulating robots, vehicles, and mechanical systems using C++ under Apache-2.0 license; pick redtail if redtail project by NVIDIA offers autonomous visual navigation components for drones and ground vehicles using deep learning on Jetson platforms. [webots](https://cyberbotics.com) reports 4.5k GitHub stars, 2.0k forks, and 230 open issues, last pushed Jul 30, 2026. [redtail](https://github.com/NVIDIA-AI-IOT/redtail) has 1.0k stars, 340 forks, and 48 open issues, last pushed Nov 17, 2020. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [webots's repository](https://github.com/cyberbotics/webots) and [redtail's repository](https://github.com/NVIDIA-AI-IOT/redtail). | | [webots](/tools/cyberbotics-webots.md) | [redtail](/tools/nvidia-ai-iot-redtail.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | open-source robot simulator | Perception and AI components for autonomous mobile robotics. | | Stars | 4,519 | 1,046 | | Forks | 2,039 | 340 | | Open issues | 230 | 48 | | Language | C++ | C++ | | Adopt for | Webots is an open-source robot simulator for modeling, programming, and simulating robots, vehicles, and mechanical systems using C++ under Apache-2.0 license. | Redtail project by NVIDIA offers autonomous visual navigation components for drones and ground vehicles using deep learning on Jetson platforms. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 licensed, supporting free and commercial use with required attribution. | BSD-3-Clause | | Categories | Computer Vision, Model Training | Computer Vision, Model Training | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [webots](/tools/cyberbotics-webots.md) | [redtail](/tools/nvidia-ai-iot-redtail.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Dormant (18%) | | Days since push | 0d | 2081d | | Open issues (now) | 230 | 48 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/cyberbotics-webots/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/nvidia-ai-iot-redtail/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: webots - **Adopt for:** Webots is an open-source robot simulator for modeling, programming, and simulating robots, vehicles, and mechanical systems using C++ under Apache-2.0 license. - **License detail:** Apache-2.0 licensed, supporting free and commercial use with required attribution. ## Decision facts: redtail - **Adopt for:** Redtail project by NVIDIA offers autonomous visual navigation components for drones and ground vehicles using deep learning on Jetson platforms. ## Choose when ### Choose webots if… - License: webots is Apache-2.0, redtail is BSD-3-Clause. - Tags unique to webots: 3d-engine, autonomous-vehicles, multi-platform, open-source. - When you need a beginner-friendly tool to introduce newcomers to robotics simulation ### Choose redtail if… - License: redtail is BSD-3-Clause, webots is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to redtail: artificial-intelligence, computer-vision, deep-learning, drones. - For developers working withJetson embedded systems aiming to deploy advanced perception systems in unstructured environments ## When NOT to use webots - If your focus is on real-time rendering and visual effects over physics accuracy, other simulators may be preferable - Avoid if your project has strict demands for less common features not widely supported by Webots such as specialized fluid dynamics that are better covered by niche software ## When NOT to use redtail - If you do not have access to Jetson hardware as the project is tightly integrated with this specific platform - For robotics applications that demand constant updates and new features since Redtail development has ceased ## Common questions ### What is the difference between webots and redtail? webots: open-source robot simulator. redtail: Perception and AI components for autonomous mobile robotics.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose webots over redtail? Choose webots over redtail when License: webots is Apache-2.0, redtail is BSD-3-Clause; Tags unique to webots: 3d-engine, autonomous-vehicles, multi-platform, open-source; When you need a beginner-friendly tool to introduce newcomers to robotics simulation. ### When should I choose redtail over webots? Choose redtail over webots when License: redtail is BSD-3-Clause, webots is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to redtail: artificial-intelligence, computer-vision, deep-learning, drones; For developers working withJetson embedded systems aiming to deploy advanced perception systems in unstructured environments. ### When should I avoid webots? If your focus is on real-time rendering and visual effects over physics accuracy, other simulators may be preferable Avoid if your project has strict demands for less common features not widely supported by Webots such as specialized fluid dynamics that are better covered by niche software ### When should I avoid redtail? If you do not have access to Jetson hardware as the project is tightly integrated with this specific platform For robotics applications that demand constant updates and new features since Redtail development has ceased ### Is webots or redtail more popular on GitHub? webots has more GitHub stars (4,519 vs 1,046). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are webots and redtail open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (webots: Apache-2.0, redtail: BSD-3-Clause). ### Where can I find alternatives to webots or redtail? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [webots alternatives](/tools/cyberbotics-webots/alternatives) and [redtail alternatives](/tools/nvidia-ai-iot-redtail/alternatives) ([webots markdown twin](/tools/cyberbotics-webots/alternatives.md), [redtail markdown twin](/tools/nvidia-ai-iot-redtail/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/cyberbotics-webots-vs-nvidia-ai-iot-redtail.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, webots or redtail? webots: Very active. redtail: Dormant. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for webots and redtail? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [webots trust report](/tools/cyberbotics-webots/trust); [redtail trust report](/tools/nvidia-ai-iot-redtail/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cyberbotics-webots`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cyberbotics-webots) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_