Game Development · head to head
CryEngine vs Cocos2d-x
CryEngine
Game Development
Build worlds, break limits. Professional game development engine.
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: CryEngine a royalty of 5% of Gross Receipts is payable to Crytek on every game built with CRYENGINE; Cocos2d-x cocos2d-x is MIT licensed with no commercial tier, and the vendor's own site directs users toward its newer engine, Cocos Creator, as the actively developed product, leaving Cocos2d-x without a first-party paid support or upgrade path.
- They diverge on capability: CryEngine covers Advanced graphics, Cocos2d-x covers 2D rendering.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CryEngine and Cocos2d-x actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (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 CryEngine
- Advanced graphics
- Physics engine
- AI system
- Animation tools
- Flow Graph visual scripting
- C++ and Lua support
- Entity component system
- Sandbox editor
Only in Cocos2d-x
- 2D rendering
- Physics engine (Chipmunk)
- Particle effects
- Animation system
- Audio engine
- Touch input handling
- Tilemap support
- Sprite batching
Both cover
- Visual Studio
- Local deployment
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CryEngine
- Building photorealistic first person and open world games with real time global illuminationnot Cocos2d-x
- Developing with full engine source code accessnot Cocos2d-x
- Sandbox based level design with what you see is what you get exportnot Cocos2d-x
Cocos2d-x
- Mobile game developmentnot CryEngine
- 2D gamesnot CryEngine
- Lightweight gamesnot CryEngine
- Cross-platform gamesnot CryEngine
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CryEngine
- A royalty of 5% of Gross Receipts is payable to Crytek on every game built with CRYENGINE
- Royalties are waived only on the first USD 5,000.00 of Gross Receipts per year per game
- Royalties are calculated at source on gross receipts before any publisher or platform deductions, so a developer receiving 70% of USD 100,000 still owes USD 4,750
- Military projects, gambling, simulation, science, architecture and serious games are excluded from the standard licence and are not covered as Games
- The licence forbids combining CRYENGINE with code from other game engine providers
- Supported platforms are limited to those Crytek announces at its sole discretion, listed in the agreement as Windows, Linux, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
- Support is only provided against payment of a separate Support Fee that Crytek may change at its sole discretion
- Crytek may modify the licence agreement at any time, with the only remedy for disagreement being to stop using CRYENGINE
Cocos2d-x
- Cocos2d-x is MIT licensed with no commercial tier, and the vendor's own site directs users toward its newer engine, Cocos Creator, as the actively developed product, leaving Cocos2d-x without a first-party paid support or upgrade path.
Pricing, plan by plan
CryEngine
Free- FreeFree
- Full engine access
- Source code
- Asset library
Cocos2d-x
Free- FreeFree
- Full engine source
- MIT License
- Community support
Which should you pick?
Choose CryEngine if
- You need advanced graphics.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux.
- You also want physics engine.
Choose Cocos2d-x if
- You need 2d rendering.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
- You also want physics engine (chipmunk).
Questions people ask
- Is CryEngine or Cocos2d-x better?
- Neither clearly leads. CryEngine starts at Free and Cocos2d-x at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CryEngine or Cocos2d-x?
- CryEngine starts at Free and Cocos2d-x at Free.
- Does CryEngine or Cocos2d-x run on more platforms?
- CryEngine runs on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux. Cocos2d-x runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
- Can I use CryEngine for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is CryEngine best used for?
- CryEngine is most often used for building photorealistic first person and open world games with real time global illumination, developing with full engine source code access, sandbox based level design with what you see is what you get export. Of those, building photorealistic first person and open world games with real time global illumination and developing with full engine source code access are not what Cocos2d-x is typically brought in for.
- What can CryEngine do that Cocos2d-x cannot?
- CryEngine covers Advanced graphics, Physics engine, AI system, Animation tools. Cocos2d-x covers 2D rendering, Physics engine (Chipmunk), Particle effects, Animation system. Both handle Visual Studio, Local deployment, Windows support.