Software · head to head
Unity vs Flax Engine
Unity
Software
Create beautiful interactive content with the world's leading real-time 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; Flax Engine flax charges a 4% royalty on game earnings above $250,000, assessed per calendar quarter
- They diverge on capability: Unity covers Physics engine (PhysX), Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Unity and Flax Engine actually diverge.
| Attribute | Unity | Flax Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl | Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox |
| Founded | 2004 | 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 Unity
- Physics engine (PhysX)
- Animation system
- Particle system
- Built-in audio engine
- Scripting with C#
- Asset Store
- Version control integration
- Visual Studio Code
Only in Flax Engine
- 3D graphics rendering
- C# scripting
- Physics engine
- Audio system
- Particle effects
- Skeletal animation
- Material system
- Lighting system
Both cover
- Visual editor
- 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 Flax Engine
- Shipping console titles under a Pro or Enterprise licencenot Flax Engine
- Real time 3D for manufacturing, automotive and retail visualisationnot Flax Engine
- Live operations and in-app purchase management for mobile gamesnot Flax Engine
Flax Engine
- Building 3D games in C# and C++ with full engine source accessnot Unity
- Multi-platform deployment from one editornot Unity
- Prototyping with the bundled Flax Samples projectsnot 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
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
Unity
Free- PersonalFree
- Full engine access
- Asset Store access
- Community support
- Professional$399/month
- All Personal features
- Priority support
- Advanced analytics
Flax Engine
Free- FreeFree
- Full engine
- Visual editor
- C# scripting
Which should you pick?
Choose Unity if
- You need physics engine (physx).
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl.
- You also want animation system.
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 c# scripting.
Questions people ask
- Is Unity or Flax Engine better?
- Neither clearly leads. Unity 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, Unity or Flax Engine?
- Unity starts at Free and Flax Engine at Free.
- Does Unity or Flax Engine run on more platforms?
- Unity runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl. Flax Engine runs on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox.
- 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 Flax Engine is typically brought in for.
- What can Unity do that Flax Engine cannot?
- Unity covers Physics engine (PhysX), Animation system, Particle system, Built-in audio engine. Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering, C# scripting, Physics engine, Audio system. Both handle Visual editor, Local deployment.