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Flax Engine vs Lumberyard

Flax Engine logo

Flax Engine

Game Development

Modern 3D game engine with visual editor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lumberyard logo

Lumberyard

Game Development

Build AAA games with a free, cross-platform engine

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; Lumberyard aWS Lumberyard free tier has restricted access and is intended for getting started only
  • They diverge on capability: Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering, Lumberyard covers CryEngine foundation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Flax Engine and Lumberyard differ
AttributeFlax EngineLumberyard
PlatformsWindows, Linux, Playstation, XboxWindows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux
Founded20172006

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Game Development).

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
  • Audio system
  • Particle effects
  • Skeletal animation
  • Material system

Only in Lumberyard

  • CryEngine foundation
  • Lua scripting
  • Flowgraph editor
  • Advanced graphics
  • Physics simulation
  • AWS GameLift integration
  • Multiplayer support
  • VR capabilities

Both cover

  • Visual Studio
  • Local deployment
  • Console deployment
  • Windows support
  • Playstation 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 Lumberyard
  • Multi-platform deployment from one editornot Lumberyard
  • Prototyping with the bundled Flax Samples projectsnot Lumberyard

Lumberyard

  • Building 3D games with an AWS-integrated enginenot Flax Engine
  • Cloud-connected multiplayer game backendsnot Flax Engine
  • Twitch integration for streamed gameplay featuresnot 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

Lumberyard

  • AWS Lumberyard free tier has restricted access and is intended for getting started only
  • Production use requires pay-as-you-go costs that scale with usage
  • Exact pricing depends on specific AWS services consumed and usage levels

Pricing, plan by plan

Flax Engine

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

Lumberyard

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full engine source
    • AWS integration
    • Lua scripting

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 Lumberyard if

  • You need cryengine foundation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux.
  • You also want lua scripting.
Lumberyard review

Questions people ask

Is Flax Engine or Lumberyard better?
Neither clearly leads. Flax Engine starts at Free and Lumberyard at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flax Engine or Lumberyard?
Flax Engine starts at Free and Lumberyard at Free.
Does Flax Engine or Lumberyard run on more platforms?
Flax Engine runs on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox. Lumberyard runs on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux.
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 Lumberyard is typically brought in for.
What can Flax Engine do that Lumberyard cannot?
Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering, Visual editor, C# scripting, Physics engine. Lumberyard covers CryEngine foundation, Lua scripting, Flowgraph editor, Advanced graphics. Both handle Visual Studio, Local deployment, Console deployment, Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Flax Engine: How much does Flax Engine cost?

Flax Engine is free during development. Once you ship a game commercially, you pay a 4% royalty on earnings only if your quarterly revenue exceeds $250,000 in a calendar quarter. Below that threshold, there is no royalty charge.

Source
Lumberyard: Does AWS Lumberyard cost money?

AWS Lumberyard is not free for production use. The service offers a free tier for getting started, hands-on experience, and development. Production deployments use AWS's pay-as-you-go pricing model where costs scale with your usage.

Source
Flax Engine: Is Flax Engine free for educational and uncommercial projects?

Yes. Flax Engine is free for uncommercial or educational usage. You only pay royalties when you release a commercial product that exceeds the $250,000 quarterly earnings threshold.

Source
Lumberyard: How is AWS Lumberyard priced?

Lumberyard uses AWS's flexible consumption-based pricing. Customers can use the free tier to explore services, then pay for what they use in production. AWS also offers Savings Plans for lower prices on committed usage.

Source
Flax Engine: Do all Flax Engine users get access to the same features?

Yes. There is one version of Flax Engine. All users get full engine access with all features, supported platforms, complete editor source code on GitHub, sample projects, and free deployment to all supported platforms.

Source
Flax Engine: Does Flax Engine offer custom licensing options?

Yes. For non-game industries or specific needs, Flax Engine offers custom licensing including per-seat licensing (monthly or yearly) or flat fees per project, with pricing based on team size and product use case.

Source
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