Game Development · head to head
Flax Engine vs Unity
Unity
Game Development
Create beautiful interactive content with the world's leading real-time engine
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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; Unity unity Personal is free only for businesses with under $200,000 in funding or annual revenue; above that a Pro subscription is required
- They diverge on capability: Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering, Unity covers Physics engine (PhysX).
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Flax Engine and Unity actually diverge.
| Attribute | Flax Engine | Unity |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | free | freemium |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox | Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl |
| Founded | 2017 | 2004 |
Identical on both: starting price (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
- C# scripting
- Physics engine
- Audio system
- Particle effects
- Skeletal animation
- Material system
- Lighting system
Only in Unity
- Physics engine (PhysX)
- Animation system
- Particle system
- Built-in audio engine
- Scripting with C#
- Asset Store
- Version control integration
- Visual Studio Code
Both cover
- Visual editor
- Local deployment
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 Unity
- Multi-platform deployment from one editornot Unity
- Prototyping with the bundled Flax Samples projectsnot Unity
Unity
- Building 2D and 3D games for desktop, mobile, web, AR and VRnot Flax Engine
- Shipping console titles under a Pro or Enterprise licencenot Flax Engine
- Real time 3D for manufacturing, automotive and retail visualisationnot Flax Engine
- Live operations and in-app purchase management for mobile gamesnot 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
Unity
- Unity Personal is free only for businesses with under $200,000 in funding or annual revenue; above that a Pro subscription is required
- Unity Pro costs $210.00 per month or $2,310.00 per year per seat
- Businesses with more than $25M in annual revenue are required to be on Unity Enterprise, which is custom priced and requires contacting sales
- Deploying to game consoles and to Apple Vision Pro requires Unity Pro or above
- Splash screen customization is not available on Unity Personal
- Unity Personal is licensed for gaming and entertainment applications only
- Read-only engine source code access is an Enterprise feature and carries an additional cost
- Asset Manager storage on Personal is capped at 10 GB per organization
- Unity AI tools are free for a 14 day trial on Personal, after which a paid subscription is required
- Enterprise terms note that minimum subscription or spending commitments may apply
Pricing, plan by plan
Flax Engine
Free- FreeFree
- Full engine
- Visual editor
- C# scripting
Unity
Free- PersonalFree
- Full engine access
- Asset Store access
- Community support
- Professional$399/month
- All Personal features
- Priority support
- Advanced analytics
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 c# scripting.
Choose Unity if
- You need physics engine (physx).
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl.
- You also want animation system.
Questions people ask
- Is Flax Engine or Unity better?
- Neither clearly leads. Flax Engine starts at Free and Unity at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Flax Engine or Unity?
- Flax Engine starts at Free and Unity at Free.
- Does Flax Engine or Unity run on more platforms?
- Flax Engine runs on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox. Unity runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, 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 Unity is typically brought in for.
- What can Flax Engine do that Unity cannot?
- Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering, C# scripting, Physics engine, Audio system. Unity covers Physics engine (PhysX), Animation system, Particle system, Built-in audio engine. Both handle Visual editor, Local deployment.