Software · head to head
CryEngine vs Wwise
CryEngine
Software
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; Wwise tier eligibility is set by production budget: the free Indie plan requires a production budget under $250K
- They diverge on capability: CryEngine covers Advanced graphics, Wwise covers Wwise Authoring.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CryEngine and Wwise actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Wwise
- Wwise Authoring
- Interactive music
- 3D audio
- Spatial audio
- Ambisonics
- Profiling
- Plugin architecture
- SoundSeed
Both cover
- 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 Wwise
- Developing with full engine source code accessnot Wwise
- Sandbox based level design with what you see is what you get exportnot Wwise
Wwise
- Authoring interactive and adaptive game audio outside the game enginenot CryEngine
- Managing large sound banks and per-platform audio buildsnot CryEngine
- Profiling runtime audio memory and voice counts on console targetsnot 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
Wwise
- Tier eligibility is set by production budget: the free Indie plan requires a production budget under $250K
- A production budget between $250K and $2M requires the Pro plan, starting at $8,000 US
- A production budget above $2M requires the Premium plan, starting at $27,000 US, or Platinum starting at $52,000 US
- Licence pricing is per title and per platform rather than a flat studio fee, and the headline figures are starting prices
- Premium plug-ins and the Wwise DLC licence are optional paid add-ons on Pro and Premium rather than included
- Source code access is only available with a support package
- On the free Indie plan there is no paid support option at all, only community Q and A
- Royalty-free status is optional rather than automatic on the Pro plan
Pricing, plan by plan
CryEngine
Free- FreeFree
- Full engine access
- Source code
- Asset library
Wwise
Free- FreeFree
- 500 media assets
- All features
- Non-commercial use
- Commercial$750/platform
- Unlimited assets
- Commercial use
- Priority 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 Wwise if
- You need wwise authoring.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Consoles.
- You also want interactive music.
Questions people ask
- Is CryEngine or Wwise better?
- Neither clearly leads. CryEngine starts at Free and Wwise at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CryEngine or Wwise?
- CryEngine starts at Free and Wwise at Free.
- Does CryEngine or Wwise run on more platforms?
- CryEngine runs on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux. Wwise runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Consoles.
- 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 Wwise is typically brought in for.
- What can CryEngine do that Wwise cannot?
- CryEngine covers Advanced graphics, Physics engine, AI system, Animation tools. Wwise covers Wwise Authoring, Interactive music, 3D audio, Spatial audio. Both handle Local deployment, Windows support.