Define a task before comparing simulators
A useful simulator evaluation begins with the experiment you need to run. Specify the robot, observations, actions, environment, expected integrations and runtime budget. Without those details, a generic feature comparison can hide the requirement that actually determines your choice.
This guide offers an evaluation method. It is not a benchmark or a claim that one simulator is best for every project.
Consult each project's current documentation
Use the simulator's own documentation for supported features and installation requirements:
- NVIDIA Isaac Sim documentation covers its robotics simulation workflows and integrations.
- MuJoCo documentation describes its physics and modeling approach.
- Gazebo's getting-started guide explains its simulator and tooling.
Pin the actual version used in your evaluation. Avoid combining documentation for different releases or assuming that a feature supported by a standalone tool is part of the simulator itself.
Use one representative test case
Choose a small task with known success conditions. For manipulation, include the relevant contacts and joint motion. For navigation, include the robot footprint, sensor observations and integration path. Make the setup reproducible and record all material configuration differences.
| Evaluation area | Evidence to collect |
|---|---|
| Asset import | What data imports correctly and what needs re-authoring |
| Task behavior | Whether the representative interaction meets its requirements |
| Tool integration | Whether the intended controller, ROS or data pipeline works |
| Runtime cost | Measured performance on your hardware and workload |
| Maintenance | Version compatibility, dependencies and reproducibility |
Account for the content migration cost
Your asset source format and the simulator's accepted representation may differ. Compare how geometry, materials, joints and physical values are transferred. Review our USD, URDF and MJCF guide for questions to ask during that conversion.
simgenerator supplies USD generation output and a hand-authored library. Check item-level specifications and validate your target workflow. The browser Sim on Web tool is a useful inspection surface for supported content; it is not evidence that a package has been tested in every desktop simulator.