Game Development · head to head
Unity vs Adventure Game Studio
Unity
Game Development
Create beautiful interactive content with the world's leading real-time engine
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Adventure Game Studio
Game Development
Create point-and-click adventure games
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Unity unity Personal is free only for businesses with under $200,000 in funding or annual revenue; above that a Pro subscription is required; Adventure Game Studio the AGS editor and IDE run only on Windows (Vista, 7, 8, 10 or 11), even though built games run on Linux, macOS, Android and iOS
- They diverge on capability: Unity covers Visual editor, Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Unity and Adventure Game Studio actually diverge.
| Attribute | Unity | Adventure Game Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl | Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web |
| Founded | 2004 | 1997 |
Identical on both: starting price (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 Unity
- Visual editor
- Physics engine (PhysX)
- Animation system
- Particle system
- Built-in audio engine
- Scripting with C#
- Asset Store
- Version control integration
Only in Adventure Game Studio
- Point-and-click editor
- Room system
- Sprite animation
- Built-in scripting
- Inventory system
- Dialog system
- Audio support
- Resolution scaling
Both cover
- GitHub
- Local deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Unity
- Building 2D and 3D games for desktop, mobile, web, AR and VRnot Adventure Game Studio
- Shipping console titles under a Pro or Enterprise licencenot Adventure Game Studio
- Real time 3D for manufacturing, automotive and retail visualisationnot Adventure Game Studio
- Live operations and in-app purchase management for mobile gamesnot Adventure Game Studio
Adventure Game Studio
- Building point-and-click adventure games in a classic Sierra or LucasArts stylenot Unity
- Shipping a commercial or freeware adventure game with no licence feenot Unity
- Scripting game logic in a Java or C# style language with a built-in debuggernot Unity
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Adventure Game Studio
- The AGS editor and IDE run only on Windows (Vista, 7, 8, 10 or 11), even though built games run on Linux, macOS, Android and iOS
- The editor requires the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, and .NET Framework 4.5 on Windows 7 and Vista
- Video playback supports only FLC and OGV (Ogg Theora) and is full-screen only; AVI and WMV support was dropped after version 3.6.0 and existed only on Windows builds
- MSSCCI source control integration was discontinued in version 3.6.0
- Graphics drivers are limited to Direct3D 9 and OpenGL
- Audio format support is limited to OGG, MP3, WAV, MOD, XM and MIDI
- Support is community-only through forums and Discord, with no vendor support channel
Pricing, plan by plan
Unity
Free- PersonalFree
- Full engine access
- Asset Store access
- Community support
- Professional$399/month
- All Personal features
- Priority support
- Advanced analytics
Adventure Game Studio
Free- FreeFree
- Full editor
- Built-in script editor
- Room editor
Which should you pick?
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).
Choose Adventure Game Studio if
- You need point-and-click editor.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want room system.
Questions people ask
- Is Unity or Adventure Game Studio better?
- Neither clearly leads. Unity starts at Free and Adventure Game Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Unity or Adventure Game Studio?
- Unity starts at Free and Adventure Game Studio at Free.
- Does Unity or Adventure Game Studio run on more platforms?
- Unity runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl. Adventure Game Studio runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- Can I use Unity for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Unity best used for?
- Unity is most often used for building 2d and 3d games for desktop, mobile, web, ar and vr, shipping console titles under a pro or enterprise licence, real time 3d for manufacturing, automotive and retail visualisation, live operations and in-app purchase management for mobile games. Of those, building 2d and 3d games for desktop, mobile, web, ar and vr and shipping console titles under a pro or enterprise licence are not what Adventure Game Studio is typically brought in for.
- What can Unity do that Adventure Game Studio cannot?
- Unity covers Visual editor, Physics engine (PhysX), Animation system, Particle system. Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor, Room system, Sprite animation, Built-in scripting. Both handle GitHub, Local deployment.