Software · head to head
PlayCanvas vs Flax Engine
The short version
- Each has a real cost: PlayCanvas private projects require a paid plan; the Free plan only allows public projects; Flax Engine flax charges a 4% royalty on game earnings above $250,000, assessed per calendar quarter
- They diverge on capability: PlayCanvas covers Cloud-based editor, Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PlayCanvas and Flax Engine actually diverge.
| Attribute | PlayCanvas | Flax Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile | Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox |
| Founded | 2013 | 2017 |
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 Flax Engine
- 3D graphics rendering
- Visual editor
- C# scripting
- Audio system
- Particle effects
- Skeletal animation
- Material system
- Lighting system
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 Flax Engine
- Browser based collaborative 3D editing across a teamnot Flax Engine
- Web AR and VR experiences, product configurators and playable adsnot Flax Engine
Flax Engine
- Building 3D games in C# and C++ with full engine source accessnot PlayCanvas
- Multi-platform deployment from one editornot PlayCanvas
- Prototyping with the bundled Flax Samples projectsnot 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
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
Pricing, plan by plan
PlayCanvas
Free- FreeFree
- Cloud editor
- WebGL export
- Community projects
- Pro$19/month
- Private projects
- Advanced features
- Priority support
Flax Engine
Free- FreeFree
- Full engine
- Visual editor
- C# scripting
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 Flax Engine if
- You need 3d graphics rendering.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox.
- You also want visual editor.
Questions people ask
- Is PlayCanvas or Flax Engine better?
- Neither clearly leads. PlayCanvas starts at Free and Flax Engine at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PlayCanvas or Flax Engine?
- PlayCanvas starts at Free and Flax Engine at Free.
- Does PlayCanvas or Flax Engine run on more platforms?
- PlayCanvas runs on Web, Mobile. Flax Engine runs on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox.
- 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 Flax Engine is typically brought in for.
- What can PlayCanvas do that Flax Engine cannot?
- PlayCanvas covers Cloud-based editor, Real-time collaboration, WebGL rendering, Visual scripting. Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering, Visual editor, C# scripting, Audio system. Both handle Physics engine.