Softwr

Game Development · head to head

CryEngine vs Nomad Sculpt

CryEngine logo

CryEngine

Game Development

Build worlds, break limits. Professional game development engine.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nomad Sculpt logo

Nomad Sculpt

CAD

Digital sculpting on tablets, bought once, with no account and no subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CryEngine has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CryEngine a royalty of 5% of Gross Receipts is payable to Crytek on every game built with CRYENGINE; Nomad Sculpt polygon budgets are bounded by tablet memory, so a base-model device stalls at a fraction of the detail a desktop sculpting application handles, and the ceiling only becomes apparent once a sculpt is well underway.
  • They diverge on capability: CryEngine covers Advanced graphics, Nomad Sculpt covers Voxel remesh.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CryEngine and Nomad Sculpt actually diverge.

Attributes where CryEngine and Nomad Sculpt differ
AttributeCryEngineNomad Sculpt
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreeOne-time purchase
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Playstation, Xbox, LinuxiOS, Android
CategoryGame DevelopmentCAD
Founded1999Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Nomad Sculpt

  • Voxel remesh
  • Multiresolution
  • Dynamic topology
  • Layers
  • PBR painting
  • Internal renderer

What people use each for

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

CryEngine

  • Game engine for indie and professional game developmentnot Nomad Sculpt
  • Real-time 3D rendering and visualizationnot Nomad Sculpt
  • VR and immersive experience creationnot Nomad Sculpt
  • Environmental and industrial simulationnot Nomad Sculpt

Nomad Sculpt

  • Producing concept sculpts away from a workstation without carrying a laptopnot CryEngine
  • Creating 3D printing masters on a tablet and exporting STL directlynot CryEngine
  • Teaching sculpting fundamentals where per-seat desktop licences are not affordablenot CryEngine
  • Sketching character and creature forms that are finished later in a desktop packagenot 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

Nomad Sculpt

  • Polygon budgets are bounded by tablet memory, so a base-model device stalls at a fraction of the detail a desktop sculpting application handles, and the ceiling only becomes apparent once a sculpt is well underway.
  • One developer maintains it, so a bug that blocks your workflow waits on one person with no support channel to escalate through.
  • There is no serious retopology or UV unwrapping toolset, so anything destined for a game or animation pipeline has to leave for a desktop package regardless.
  • Rendering is presentation grade rather than production grade, so client-facing images generally need an export to a desktop renderer.
  • Sculpt layers and brushes are application-specific and the route out is OBJ, glTF or STL, so layered non-destructive data does not survive the transfer to another tool.

Pricing, plan by plan

CryEngine

Free
  • Free CRYENGINEFree
    • Free download and use in development
    • 5% royalty on revenue after shipping
    • First $5,000 annual revenue per project royalty-free

Nomad Sculpt

On request
  • Nomad Sculpt$undefined/year
    • Perpetual licence through the app store
    • No account or subscription
    • Updates included to date

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.
CryEngine review

Choose Nomad Sculpt if

  • You need voxel remesh.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want multiresolution.
Nomad Sculpt review

Questions people ask

Is CryEngine or Nomad Sculpt better?
Neither clearly leads. CryEngine starts at Free and Nomad Sculpt at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CryEngine or Nomad Sculpt?
CryEngine has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CryEngine and On request for Nomad Sculpt.
Does CryEngine or Nomad Sculpt run on more platforms?
CryEngine runs on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux. Nomad Sculpt runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use CryEngine for free?
Yes. CryEngine has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Nomad Sculpt starts at On request.
What is CryEngine best used for?
CryEngine is most often used for game engine for indie and professional game development, real-time 3d rendering and visualization, vr and immersive experience creation, environmental and industrial simulation. Of those, game engine for indie and professional game development and real-time 3d rendering and visualization are not what Nomad Sculpt is typically brought in for.
What can CryEngine do that Nomad Sculpt cannot?
CryEngine covers Advanced graphics, Physics engine, AI system, Animation tools. Nomad Sculpt covers Voxel remesh, Multiresolution, Dynamic topology, Layers.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CryEngine: Does CRYENGINE have a free version?

Yes, CRYENGINE is free to download and use for development. When you ship a project, a 5% royalty applies to revenue, but the first $5,000 annual revenue per project is royalty-free.

Source
Nomad Sculpt: Is it a subscription?

No. It is a one-time app store purchase with no account and no cloud service behind it.

CryEngine: How much does CRYENGINE cost after launch?

CRYENGINE charges 5% royalty on revenue after your project ships. The first $5,000 in annual revenue per project is royalty-free; royalties apply only to revenue above that threshold.

Source
Nomad Sculpt: Which tablet should I buy for it?

Buy for memory rather than for processor. Sculpt detail is limited by RAM, so a higher-memory model raises the ceiling more than a faster chip does.

CryEngine: What does CRYENGINE free tier include?

Free CRYENGINE access includes full source code, all engine features, and access to all supported platforms. No payment required for development; only per-revenue royalties apply after shipping.

Source
Nomad Sculpt: Can it replace ZBrush?

For sculpting itself it goes a long way. For high-density production sculpts, retopology, UVs and pipeline integration it does not.

CryEngine: Does CRYENGINE offer custom enterprise licensing?

Yes, CRYENGINE offers custom-tailored enterprise licensing built around individual needs. Specific pricing is not disclosed and requires contacting the vendor.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on CryEngine

More on Nomad Sculpt

Keep looking

Other head to heads