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Flax Engine vs Bevy

Flax Engine logo

Flax Engine

Software

Modern 3D game engine with visual editor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bevy logo

Bevy

Software

A refreshingly simple data-driven game engine built in Rust

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Flax Engine flax charges a 4% royalty on game earnings above $250,000, assessed per calendar quarter; Bevy rust only, so it assumes a language most game teams do not already use
  • They diverge on capability: Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering, Bevy covers Entity Component System.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flax Engine and Bevy actually diverge.

Attributes where Flax Engine and Bevy differ
AttributeFlax EngineBevy
PlatformsWindows, Linux, Playstation, XboxWindows, Macos, Linux, Webgl
Founded20172020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (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 Flax Engine

  • 3D graphics rendering
  • Visual editor
  • C# scripting
  • Physics engine
  • Particle effects
  • Skeletal animation
  • Material system
  • Lighting system

Only in Bevy

  • Entity Component System
  • 2D/3D rendering
  • Asset pipeline
  • Hot reloading
  • Cross-platform
  • Modular architecture
  • Parallel systems
  • Rust ecosystem

Both cover

  • Audio system
  • Local deployment
  • Windows support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

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

Flax Engine

  • Building 3D games in C# and C++ with full engine source accessnot Bevy
  • Multi-platform deployment from one editornot Bevy
  • Prototyping with the bundled Flax Samples projectsnot Bevy

Bevy

  • 2D and 3D game development in Rustnot Flax Engine
  • Data-driven design using an entity component systemnot Flax Engine
  • Shipping to Windows, macOS, Linux, web, iOS and Android from one codebasenot Flax Engine
  • Projects wanting a permissive licence with no royalties or feesnot Flax Engine

Where each one falls short

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

Flax Engine

  • Flax charges a 4% royalty on game earnings above $250,000, assessed per calendar quarter
  • Free use is granted for non-commercial or educational usage; commercial releases fall under the royalty
  • Users must accept the Flax Engine End-User License Agreement before using the engine or its tools, so it is not an OSI open source licence despite the source being on GitHub
  • Non-game uses such as in-house tools or SaaS products need a custom licence negotiated with the vendor, and no rate card is published for per-seat or flat-fee options

Bevy

  • Rust only, so it assumes a language most game teams do not already use
  • No visual editor of the kind Unity or Godot provide, so scenes and logic are written in code
  • Built around ECS, which is a different mental model from the scene-graph engines most developers come from

Pricing, plan by plan

Flax Engine

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full engine
    • Visual editor
    • C# scripting

Bevy

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full engine access
    • ECS architecture
    • Hot reloading

Which should you pick?

Choose Flax Engine if

  • You need 3d graphics rendering.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox.
  • You also want visual editor.
Flax Engine review

Choose Bevy if

  • You need entity component system.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Webgl.
  • You also want 2d/3d rendering.
Bevy review

Questions people ask

Is Flax Engine or Bevy better?
Neither clearly leads. Flax Engine starts at Free and Bevy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flax Engine or Bevy?
Flax Engine starts at Free and Bevy at Free.
Does Flax Engine or Bevy run on more platforms?
Flax Engine runs on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox. Bevy runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Webgl.
Can I use Flax Engine for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Flax Engine best used for?
Flax Engine is most often used for building 3d games in c# and c++ with full engine source access, multi-platform deployment from one editor, prototyping with the bundled flax samples projects. Of those, building 3d games in c# and c++ with full engine source access and multi-platform deployment from one editor are not what Bevy is typically brought in for.
What can Flax Engine do that Bevy cannot?
Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering, Visual editor, C# scripting, Physics engine. Bevy covers Entity Component System, 2D/3D rendering, Asset pipeline, Hot reloading. Both handle Audio system, Local deployment, Windows support, Linux support.
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