Software · head to head
Unity vs Construct 3
Unity
Software
Create beautiful interactive content with the world's leading real-time engine
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Construct 3
Software
Create games without coding. Powered by the Scirra engine.
- 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; Construct 3 the free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account
- They diverge on capability: Unity covers Visual editor, Construct 3 covers Visual event system.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Unity and Construct 3 actually diverge.
| Attribute | Unity | Construct 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl | Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web |
| Founded | 2004 | 2007 |
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 Unity
- Visual editor
- Physics engine (PhysX)
- Animation system
- Particle system
- Built-in audio engine
- Scripting with C#
- Asset Store
- Version control integration
Only in Construct 3
- Visual event system
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Physics engine
- Sprite editor
- Particle effects
- Sound effects
- Web-based
- HTML5 support
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 Construct 3
- Shipping console titles under a Pro or Enterprise licencenot Construct 3
- Real time 3D for manufacturing, automotive and retail visualisationnot Construct 3
- Live operations and in-app purchase management for mobile gamesnot Construct 3
Construct 3
- Building 2D browser games without writing codenot Unity
- Publishing HTML5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one projectnot 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
Construct 3
- The free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account
- Free projects are limited to 2 layers, 2 special effects, 1 timeline animation of up to 5 seconds and 1 web font
- The free version can only publish to HTML5 and the Construct Arcade, so desktop, Android, iOS and Facebook Instant Games all need a paid plan
- Licences are per seat and annual, at $129.99 for Personal, $168.99 for Startup Business and $468.99 for Business
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
Construct 3
Free- FreeFree
- Web-based editor
- HTML5 export
- Asset library
- Personal$99/year
- All Free features
- Offline editor
- Advanced export
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 Construct 3 if
- You need visual event system.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want drag-and-drop editor.
Questions people ask
- Is Unity or Construct 3 better?
- Neither clearly leads. Unity starts at Free and Construct 3 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Unity or Construct 3?
- Unity starts at Free and Construct 3 at Free.
- Does Unity or Construct 3 run on more platforms?
- Unity runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl. Construct 3 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 Construct 3 is typically brought in for.
- What can Unity do that Construct 3 cannot?
- Unity covers Visual editor, Physics engine (PhysX), Animation system, Particle system. Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Drag-and-drop editor, Physics engine, Sprite editor. Both handle GitHub, Local deployment.