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CryEngine vs Toon Boom Harmony

CryEngine logo

CryEngine

Software

Build worlds, break limits. Professional game development engine.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Toon Boom Harmony logo

Toon Boom Harmony

Software

Creating worlds of Animation

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; Toon Boom Harmony licensing is subscription only across Essentials, Advanced and Premium tiers, with no perpetual license option offered on the pricing page

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CryEngine and Toon Boom Harmony actually diverge.

Attributes where CryEngine and Toon Boom Harmony differ
AttributeCryEngineToon Boom Harmony
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreeone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Playstation, Xbox, LinuxWeb
Founded1999Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Toon Boom Harmony

Nothing recorded that CryEngine does not also cover.

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 Toon Boom Harmony
  • Developing with full engine source code accessnot Toon Boom Harmony
  • Sandbox based level design with what you see is what you get exportnot Toon Boom Harmony

Toon Boom Harmony

No use cases recorded yet. See the Toon Boom Harmony review.

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

Toon Boom Harmony

  • Licensing is subscription only across Essentials, Advanced and Premium tiers, with no perpetual license option offered on the pricing page
  • Access beyond the 14 day free trial requires purchasing a subscription through the shop

Pricing, plan by plan

CryEngine

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full engine access
    • Source code
    • Asset library

Toon Boom Harmony

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Toon Boom Harmony review.

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 Toon Boom Harmony if

Nothing in the data separates Toon Boom Harmony from CryEngine on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Toon Boom Harmony review

Questions people ask

Is CryEngine or Toon Boom Harmony better?
Neither clearly leads. CryEngine starts at Free and Toon Boom Harmony at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CryEngine or Toon Boom Harmony?
CryEngine has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CryEngine and On request for Toon Boom Harmony.
Does CryEngine or Toon Boom Harmony run on more platforms?
CryEngine runs on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux. Toon Boom Harmony runs on Web.
Can I use CryEngine for free?
Yes. CryEngine has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Toon Boom Harmony starts at On request.
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 Toon Boom Harmony is typically brought in for.
What can CryEngine do that Toon Boom Harmony cannot?
CryEngine covers Advanced graphics, Physics engine, AI system, Animation tools.
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