Software · head to head
PlayCanvas vs CryEngine
CryEngine
Software
Build worlds, break limits. Professional game development engine.
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: PlayCanvas private projects require a paid plan; the Free plan only allows public projects; CryEngine a royalty of 5% of Gross Receipts is payable to Crytek on every game built with CRYENGINE
- They diverge on capability: PlayCanvas covers Cloud-based editor, CryEngine covers Advanced graphics.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PlayCanvas and CryEngine actually diverge.
| Attribute | PlayCanvas | CryEngine |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile | Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux |
| Founded | 2013 | 1999 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 PlayCanvas
- Cloud-based editor
- Real-time collaboration
- WebGL rendering
- Visual scripting
- Asset library
- Version control
- Instant deployment
- GitHub
Only in CryEngine
- Advanced graphics
- AI system
- Animation tools
- Flow Graph visual scripting
- C++ and Lua support
- Entity component system
- Sandbox editor
- Visual Studio
Both cover
- Physics engine
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
PlayCanvas
- Building WebGL games and interactive 3D that run in a browsernot CryEngine
- Browser based collaborative 3D editing across a teamnot CryEngine
- Web AR and VR experiences, product configurators and playable adsnot CryEngine
CryEngine
- Building photorealistic first person and open world games with real time global illuminationnot PlayCanvas
- Developing with full engine source code accessnot PlayCanvas
- Sandbox based level design with what you see is what you get exportnot PlayCanvas
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
PlayCanvas
- Private projects require a paid plan; the Free plan only allows public projects
- The Free plan is capped at 1GB of storage, Personal at 10GB and Organization at 50GB
- Personal costs $15 per month and Organization costs $50 per seat per month
- Team management is only available on the Organization plan
- Private projects become locked and inaccessible if the subscription is cancelled, unless they are made public
- There is no formal educational discount
- There is no self serve trial of the Personal or Organization plan; an upgrade code must be requested from sales
CryEngine
- A royalty of 5% of Gross Receipts is payable to Crytek on every game built with CRYENGINE
- Royalties are waived only on the first USD 5,000.00 of Gross Receipts per year per game
- Royalties are calculated at source on gross receipts before any publisher or platform deductions, so a developer receiving 70% of USD 100,000 still owes USD 4,750
- Military projects, gambling, simulation, science, architecture and serious games are excluded from the standard licence and are not covered as Games
- The licence forbids combining CRYENGINE with code from other game engine providers
- Supported platforms are limited to those Crytek announces at its sole discretion, listed in the agreement as Windows, Linux, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
- Support is only provided against payment of a separate Support Fee that Crytek may change at its sole discretion
- Crytek may modify the licence agreement at any time, with the only remedy for disagreement being to stop using CRYENGINE
Pricing, plan by plan
PlayCanvas
Free- FreeFree
- Cloud editor
- WebGL export
- Community projects
- Pro$19/month
- Private projects
- Advanced features
- Priority support
CryEngine
Free- FreeFree
- Full engine access
- Source code
- Asset library
Which should you pick?
Choose PlayCanvas if
- You need cloud-based editor.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want real-time collaboration.
Choose CryEngine if
- You need advanced graphics.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux.
- You also want ai system.
Questions people ask
- Is PlayCanvas or CryEngine better?
- Neither clearly leads. PlayCanvas starts at Free and CryEngine at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PlayCanvas or CryEngine?
- PlayCanvas starts at Free and CryEngine at Free.
- Does PlayCanvas or CryEngine run on more platforms?
- PlayCanvas runs on Web, Mobile. CryEngine runs on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux.
- Can I use PlayCanvas for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is PlayCanvas best used for?
- PlayCanvas is most often used for building webgl games and interactive 3d that run in a browser, browser based collaborative 3d editing across a team, web ar and vr experiences, product configurators and playable ads. Of those, building webgl games and interactive 3d that run in a browser and browser based collaborative 3d editing across a team are not what CryEngine is typically brought in for.
- What can PlayCanvas do that CryEngine cannot?
- PlayCanvas covers Cloud-based editor, Real-time collaboration, WebGL rendering, Visual scripting. CryEngine covers Advanced graphics, AI system, Animation tools, Flow Graph visual scripting. Both handle Physics engine.