Game Development · head to head
O3DE vs Bevy
Bevy
Game Development
A refreshingly simple data-driven game engine built in Rust
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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; Bevy rust only, so it assumes a language most game teams do not already use
- They diverge on capability: O3DE covers 3D graphics rendering, Bevy covers Entity Component System.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which O3DE and Bevy actually diverge.
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 O3DE
- 3D graphics rendering
- Physics engine
- Animation tools
- Particle effects
- Material system
- Lighting system
- Visual scripting
- C++
Only in Bevy
- Entity Component System
- 2D/3D rendering
- Asset pipeline
- Hot reloading
- Cross-platform
- Parallel systems
- Rust ecosystem
- wgpu
Both cover
- Modular architecture
- Audio system
- Local deployment
- Windows support
- Macos support
- Linux support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
O3DE
- Building 3D games and simulations on an open source Apache-licensed enginenot Bevy
- Robotics and industrial simulation using O3DE Gemsnot Bevy
- Projects that need full engine source access with no royaltynot Bevy
Bevy
- 2D and 3D game development in Rustnot O3DE
- Data-driven design using an entity component systemnot O3DE
- Shipping to Windows, macOS, Linux, web, iOS and Android from one codebasenot O3DE
- Projects wanting a permissive licence with no royalties or feesnot O3DE
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Bevy
- Rust only, so it assumes a language most game teams do not already use
- No visual editor of the kind Unity or Godot provide, so scenes and logic are written in code
- Built around ECS, which is a different mental model from the scene-graph engines most developers come from
Pricing, plan by plan
O3DE
Free- FreeFree
- Full engine
- Modular architecture
- Cross-platform
Bevy
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full engine access
- ECS architecture
- Hot reloading
Which should you pick?
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 physics engine.
Choose Bevy if
- You need entity component system.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Webgl.
- You also want 2d/3d rendering.
Questions people ask
- Is O3DE or Bevy better?
- Neither clearly leads. O3DE starts at Free and Bevy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, O3DE or Bevy?
- O3DE starts at Free and Bevy at Free.
- Does O3DE or Bevy run on more platforms?
- O3DE runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Playstation, Xbox. Bevy runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Webgl.
- Can I use O3DE for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is O3DE best used for?
- O3DE is most often used for building 3d games and simulations on an open source apache-licensed engine, robotics and industrial simulation using o3de gems, projects that need full engine source access with no royalty. Of those, building 3d games and simulations on an open source apache-licensed engine and robotics and industrial simulation using o3de gems are not what Bevy is typically brought in for.
- What can O3DE do that Bevy cannot?
- O3DE covers 3D graphics rendering, Physics engine, Animation tools, Particle effects. Bevy covers Entity Component System, 2D/3D rendering, Asset pipeline, Hot reloading. Both handle Modular architecture, Audio system, Local deployment, Windows support.