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PlayCanvas vs Unity

PlayCanvas logo

PlayCanvas

Software

Cloud-based WebGL game development platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Unity logo

Unity

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PlayCanvas private projects require a paid plan; the Free plan only allows public projects; 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: PlayCanvas covers Cloud-based editor, Unity covers Visual editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PlayCanvas and Unity actually diverge.

Attributes where PlayCanvas and Unity differ
AttributePlayCanvasUnity
PlatformsWeb, MobileWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl
Founded20132004

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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
  • Physics engine
  • Visual scripting
  • Asset library
  • Version control
  • Instant deployment

Only in Unity

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

Both cover

  • GitHub
  • Cloud deployment

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 Unity
  • Browser based collaborative 3D editing across a teamnot Unity
  • Web AR and VR experiences, product configurators and playable adsnot Unity

Unity

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

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

PlayCanvas

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Cloud editor
    • WebGL export
    • Community projects
  • Pro$19/month
    • Private projects
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support

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 PlayCanvas if

  • You need cloud-based editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
PlayCanvas 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 PlayCanvas or Unity better?
Neither clearly leads. PlayCanvas starts at Free and Unity at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PlayCanvas or Unity?
PlayCanvas starts at Free and Unity at Free.
Does PlayCanvas or Unity run on more platforms?
PlayCanvas runs on Web, Mobile. Unity runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl.
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 Unity is typically brought in for.
What can PlayCanvas do that Unity cannot?
PlayCanvas covers Cloud-based editor, Real-time collaboration, WebGL rendering, Physics engine. Unity covers Visual editor, Physics engine (PhysX), Animation system, Particle system. Both handle GitHub, Cloud deployment.
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