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AR VR · head to head

Medium by Adobe vs O3DE

Medium by Adobe logo

Medium by Adobe

AR VR

Sculpt in VR with intuitive tools

From
$9.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
O3DE logo

O3DE

Game Development

Open 3D Engine - Professional game engine

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only O3DE has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: Medium by Adobe covers VR sculpting, O3DE covers 3D graphics rendering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Medium by Adobe and O3DE actually diverge.

Attributes where Medium by Adobe and O3DE differ
AttributeMedium by AdobeO3DE
Starting price$9.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsVr, QuestWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Playstation, Xbox
CategoryAR VRGame Development
Founded19822021

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 Medium by Adobe

  • VR sculpting
  • Layer system
  • Stamps
  • Move tool
  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Substance
  • FBX export
  • Vr support

Only in O3DE

  • 3D graphics rendering
  • Modular architecture
  • Physics engine
  • Audio system
  • Animation tools
  • Particle effects
  • Material system
  • Lighting system

What people use each for

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

Medium by Adobe

  • VR Gamingnot O3DE
  • AR Marketingnot O3DE
  • Virtual Trainingnot O3DE
  • 3D Visualizationnot O3DE
  • Immersive Experiencesnot O3DE

O3DE

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

Where each one falls short

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

Medium by Adobe

Nothing recorded yet. See the Medium by Adobe review.

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

Medium by Adobe

$9.99/month
  • Medium$9.99/month
    • Full sculpting tools
    • Export
    • Adobe integration

O3DE

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Medium by Adobe if

  • You need vr sculpting.
  • You work on Vr, Quest.
  • You also want layer system.
Medium by Adobe review

Choose O3DE if

  • You need 3d graphics rendering.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Playstation, Xbox.
  • You also want modular architecture.
O3DE review

Questions people ask

Is Medium by Adobe or O3DE better?
Neither clearly leads. Medium by Adobe starts at $9.99/month and O3DE at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Medium by Adobe or O3DE?
O3DE has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9.99/month for Medium by Adobe and Free for O3DE.
Does Medium by Adobe or O3DE run on more platforms?
Medium by Adobe runs on Vr, Quest. O3DE runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Playstation, Xbox.
Can I use O3DE for free?
Yes. O3DE has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Medium by Adobe starts at $9.99/month.
What is Medium by Adobe best used for?
Medium by Adobe is most often used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization. Of those, vr gaming and ar marketing are not what O3DE is typically brought in for.
What can Medium by Adobe do that O3DE cannot?
Medium by Adobe covers VR sculpting, Layer system, Stamps, Move tool. O3DE covers 3D graphics rendering, Modular architecture, Physics engine, Audio system.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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