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Lumion vs Unity

Lumion logo

Lumion

3D & CAD

Architectural visualization made easy

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Unity logo

Unity

Game Development

Create beautiful interactive content with the world's leading real-time engine

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Unity has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Lumion enterprise tier is priced by quote only, labelled Let's talk in the vendor's own pricing data, alongside otherwise self-serve tiers with published dollar and pound figures; 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: Lumion covers Real-time rendering, Unity covers Visual editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lumion and Unity actually diverge.

Attributes where Lumion and Unity differ
AttributeLumionUnity
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl
Category3D & CADGame Development
Founded19982004

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Lumion

  • Real-time rendering
  • Content library
  • Effects
  • Video animation
  • VR export
  • LiveSync
  • Revit
  • SketchUp

Only in Unity

  • Visual editor
  • Physics engine (PhysX)
  • Animation system
  • Particle system
  • Built-in audio engine
  • Scripting with C#
  • Asset Store
  • Version control integration

What people use each for

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

Lumion

  • Architectural visualizationnot Unity
  • Client presentationsnot Unity

Unity

  • Building 2D and 3D games for desktop, mobile, web, AR and VRnot Lumion
  • Shipping console titles under a Pro or Enterprise licencenot Lumion
  • Real time 3D for manufacturing, automotive and retail visualisationnot Lumion
  • Live operations and in-app purchase management for mobile gamesnot Lumion

Where each one falls short

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

Lumion

  • Enterprise tier is priced by quote only, labelled Let's talk in the vendor's own pricing data, alongside otherwise self-serve tiers with published dollar and pound figures

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

Lumion

$29/month
  • Standard$1499/month
    • Core features
  • Pro$2999/month
    • Full features
    • More content

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 Lumion if

  • You need real-time rendering.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want content library.
Lumion review

Choose Unity if

  • You need visual editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl.
  • You also want physics engine (physx).
Unity review

Questions people ask

Is Lumion or Unity better?
Neither clearly leads. Lumion starts at $29/month and Unity at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lumion or Unity?
Unity has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Lumion and Free for Unity.
Does Lumion or Unity run on more platforms?
Lumion runs on Windows. Unity runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl.
Can I use Unity for free?
Yes. Unity has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Lumion starts at $29/month.
What is Lumion best used for?
Lumion is most often used for architectural visualization, client presentations. Of those, architectural visualization and client presentations are not what Unity is typically brought in for.
What can Lumion do that Unity cannot?
Lumion covers Real-time rendering, Content library, Effects, Video animation. Unity covers Visual editor, Physics engine (PhysX), Animation system, Particle system.
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