Softwr

Game Development · head to head

Flax Engine vs O3DE

Flax Engine logo

Flax Engine

Game Development

Modern 3D game engine with visual editor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
O3DE logo

O3DE

Game Development

Open 3D Engine - Professional game 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; O3DE minimum hardware is a quad-core 2.5 GHz x86 CPU with SSE 4.1, 16 GB RAM and a DirectX 12 or Vulkan GPU with 2 GB VRAM and Shader Model 6.2
  • They diverge on capability: Flax Engine covers Visual editor, O3DE covers Modular architecture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flax Engine and O3DE actually diverge.

Attributes where Flax Engine and O3DE differ
AttributeFlax EngineO3DE
PlatformsWindows, Linux, Playstation, XboxWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Playstation, Xbox
Founded20172021

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

  • Visual editor
  • C# scripting
  • Skeletal animation
  • C#
  • .NET
  • Visual Studio
  • Playstation support
  • Xbox support

Only in O3DE

  • Modular architecture
  • Animation tools
  • Visual scripting
  • C++
  • Python
  • Lua
  • Mobile deployment
  • Macos support

Both cover

  • 3D graphics rendering
  • Physics engine
  • Audio system
  • Particle effects
  • Material system
  • Lighting system
  • Open-source
  • Local deployment
  • Console 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 O3DE
  • Multi-platform deployment from one editornot O3DE
  • Prototyping with the bundled Flax Samples projectsnot O3DE

O3DE

  • Building 3D games and simulations on an open source Apache-licensed enginenot Flax Engine
  • Robotics and industrial simulation using O3DE Gemsnot Flax Engine
  • Projects that need full engine source access with no royaltynot 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

O3DE

  • Minimum hardware is a quad-core 2.5 GHz x86 CPU with SSE 4.1, 16 GB RAM and a DirectX 12 or Vulkan GPU with 2 GB VRAM and Shader Model 6.2
  • Raytracing features require Shader Model 6.3
  • Disk space required is 40 GB using the prebuilt installer and 100 GB or more when building from source
  • Building the engine from source needs 2 GB of RAM per build thread on top of normal system requirements
  • On Windows the editor requires Windows 10 version 20H2 or later plus Visual Studio 2019 16.11.x, 2022 17.3.x or 2026 18.0.x with the Game development with C++ workload
  • The only primary Linux distribution for the editor is Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, and Ubuntu on 64-bit ARMv8 is experimental
  • Linux builds need CMake 3.30.0 or later, which is newer than the 3.22 shipped by default with Ubuntu 22.04
  • Wayland support is experimental, requires building from source, and is limited to the Game Launcher with no editor support until O3DE moves to Qt6
  • Linux requires a long list of additional apt library packages to be installed before building

Pricing, plan by plan

Flax Engine

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

O3DE

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full engine
    • Modular architecture
    • Cross-platform

Which should you pick?

Choose Flax Engine if

  • You need visual editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox.
  • You also want c# scripting.
Flax Engine review

Choose O3DE if

  • You need modular architecture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Playstation, Xbox.
  • You also want animation tools.
O3DE review

Questions people ask

Is Flax Engine or O3DE better?
Neither clearly leads. Flax Engine starts at Free and O3DE at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flax Engine or O3DE?
Flax Engine starts at Free and O3DE at Free.
Does Flax Engine or O3DE run on more platforms?
Flax Engine runs on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox. O3DE runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Playstation, Xbox.
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 O3DE is typically brought in for.
What can Flax Engine do that O3DE cannot?
Flax Engine covers Visual editor, C# scripting, Skeletal animation, C#. O3DE covers Modular architecture, Animation tools, Visual scripting, C++. Both handle 3D graphics rendering, Physics engine, Audio system, Particle effects.

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
O3DE: Is O3DE free to download and use?

Yes, O3DE is completely free and open source, available for download at no cost under continuous development.

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
O3DE: How is O3DE funded if it is free?

O3DE is supported through optional donations and member organization contributions rather than user licensing fees.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Flax Engine

More on O3DE

Keep looking

Other head to heads