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Game Development · head to head

Construct 3 vs Houdini

Construct 3 logo

Construct 3

Game Development

Create games without coding. Powered by the Scirra engine.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Houdini logo

Houdini

3D & CAD

Procedural 3D animation and VFX

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Construct 3 the free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account; Houdini houdini Indie at $299 per year requires annual gross revenue under $100K USD
  • They diverge on capability: Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Houdini covers Procedural modeling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Construct 3 and Houdini actually diverge.

Attributes where Construct 3 and Houdini differ
AttributeConstruct 3Houdini
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebWindows, MacOS, Linux
CategoryGame Development3D & CAD
Founded20071987

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Construct 3

  • Visual event system
  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Physics engine
  • Sprite editor
  • Particle effects
  • Sound effects
  • Web-based
  • HTML5 support

Only in Houdini

  • Procedural modeling
  • VFX
  • Simulations
  • Particle systems
  • Pyro FX
  • Ocean tools
  • Rigging
  • Rendering

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Construct 3

  • Building 2D browser games without writing codenot Houdini
  • Publishing HTML5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one projectnot Houdini

Houdini

  • Procedural 3D modelling and environment generationnot Construct 3
  • Visual effects simulation for pyro, fluids, cloth and rigid bodiesnot Construct 3
  • Building reusable procedural assets for a studio pipelinenot Construct 3

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Construct 3

  • The free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account
  • Free projects are limited to 2 layers, 2 special effects, 1 timeline animation of up to 5 seconds and 1 web font
  • The free version can only publish to HTML5 and the Construct Arcade, so desktop, Android, iOS and Facebook Instant Games all need a paid plan
  • Licences are per seat and annual, at $129.99 for Personal, $168.99 for Startup Business and $468.99 for Business

Houdini

  • Houdini Indie at $299 per year requires annual gross revenue under $100K USD
  • Houdini Indie cannot be used in the same pipeline as commercial versions of Houdini
  • Houdini Indie and Apprentice save to their own .hipnc file format, which commercial Houdini pipelines do not share
  • The free Apprentice edition is non commercial, caps render resolution at 1920x1080 and watermarks output images
  • Houdini Indie ships with only 2 render tokens
  • Full DOP level simulation node access requires Houdini FX at $4,495 per workstation; Core at $1,995 exposes only SOP level pre built simulation assets
  • Extra render tokens cost $195

Pricing, plan by plan

Construct 3

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Web-based editor
    • HTML5 export
    • Asset library
  • Personal$99/year
    • All Free features
    • Offline editor
    • Advanced export

Houdini

Free
  • ApprenticeFree
    • Learning version
    • Non-commercial
  • Indie$269/month
    • Revenue limit $100K
  • Core$1995/month
    • Full commercial
  • FX$4495/month
    • Full + simulations

Which should you pick?

Choose Construct 3 if

  • You need visual event system.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want drag-and-drop editor.
Construct 3 review

Choose Houdini if

  • You need procedural modeling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want vfx.
Houdini review

Questions people ask

Is Construct 3 or Houdini better?
Neither clearly leads. Construct 3 starts at Free and Houdini at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Construct 3 or Houdini?
Construct 3 starts at Free and Houdini at Free.
Does Construct 3 or Houdini run on more platforms?
Construct 3 runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. Houdini runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use Construct 3 for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Construct 3 best used for?
Construct 3 is most often used for building 2d browser games without writing code, publishing html5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one project. Of those, building 2d browser games without writing code and publishing html5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one project are not what Houdini is typically brought in for.
What can Construct 3 do that Houdini cannot?
Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Drag-and-drop editor, Physics engine, Sprite editor. Houdini covers Procedural modeling, VFX, Simulations, Particle systems. Both handle Windows support, Linux support.
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