Comparison · updated 2026-11-09
Unity vs Unreal Engine: which game engine should indie developers use? (2026)
Short answer
Both are free to start. Unity Personal is free until your company passes $200K in annual revenue or funding, then Unity Pro costs $210 a month per seat (or from $2,310 a year). Unreal Engine is free with full source code, and game developers pay a 5% royalty only on a product's lifetime gross revenue above $1 million, with Epic Games Store revenue exempt. Pick Unity for lighter 2D/mobile projects and C#; pick Unreal for high-end 3D and if you prefer a royalty over seat fees.
Unity and Unreal Engine are the two commercial engines most indie developers compare. The facts below come from each engine's official website and licensing pages, read on 9 November 2026. We have not built the same game in both, and licences change, so check the current pages before you commit. How we review tools.
| Unity | Unreal Engine | |
|---|---|---|
| What it says it does | UnityDevelop, deploy, and grow with Unity, the world's leading 3D game engine. Build for all major platforms from mobile, to PC and console as well as XR, acquire players, and monetize your game. | Unreal EngineUnreal Engine is Epic Games' real-time 3D engine for building multi-platform games, with full source code access, Blueprints visual scripting and C++. |
| Cost to start | UnityUnity Personal free (under $200K revenue or funding). | Unreal EngineFree for games, individuals, small businesses and educators. |
| Cost as you grow | UnityPro $210/mo per seat or from $2,310/yr above $200K; Enterprise above $25M. | Unreal Engine5% royalty on each game's lifetime gross revenue above $1M; no seat fees for game developers. |
| Store exemptions | UnityNo revenue share; cost is per seat. | Unreal EngineRevenue from the Epic Games Store is royalty-free. |
| Source code | UnityRead-only source access on Enterprise. | Unreal EngineFull source code access on the free license. |
| Scripting | UnityC# (plus visual scripting). | Unreal EngineC++ and Blueprints visual scripting. |
| Typical sweet spot | Unity2D, mobile, VR and mid-size 3D games. | Unreal EngineHigh-fidelity 3D games. |
| Pricing | UnityPersonal free (for individuals and companies under $200K annual revenue or funding; includes a 14-day trial of Unity's AI tools, then a paid AI subscription); Pro $210/mo per seat or from $2,310/yr (required above $200K; adds console and Apple Vision Pro builds, 2,000 monthly AI credits); Enterprise custom pricing (required above $25M revenue) (official) | Unreal EngineFree for game developers, individuals and small businesses (under $1M annual gross revenue) and educators, with full source access; games pay a 5% royalty only on lifetime gross product revenue above $1M (Epic Games Store revenue is royalty-exempt); non-game companies over $1M annual revenue need seats at $1,850 per seat per year (official) |
| Website | Unityhttps://unity.com/ | Unreal Enginehttps://www.unrealengine.com/ |
Which tool for which job
Unity wins when you are making 2D, mobile or smaller 3D games, prefer C#, or want the biggest asset store and tutorial base.
Unreal Engine wins when you are making a 3D game where visuals matter, want source access, and prefer a revenue royalty to per-seat fees.
Descriptions in the table come from each vendor's own site. This verdict is a fit call from those official pages as of 9 November 2026, not a shared benchmark or a hands-on score. Prices change, so confirm the pricing row on each tool page. How we review tools.
FAQ
Is Unreal Engine free?
Yes for game developers, individuals, small businesses under $1M annual gross revenue, and educators. Games owe a 5% royalty only on lifetime gross product revenue above $1M; non-game companies over $1M need $1,850-per-year seats.
Is Unity free?
Unity Personal is free for individuals and companies with under $200K in annual revenue or funding. Above that you need Unity Pro at $210 a month per seat, or from $2,310 a year.
Which is cheaper for a successful indie game?
It depends on revenue and team size. Unity charges per seat once your company passes $200K, regardless of a single game's sales. Unreal charges nothing until one product passes $1M lifetime gross, then 5% of revenue above that, excluding Epic Games Store sales.
How did you compare them?
We read each official website and licensing page on 9 November 2026. We have not run hands-on tests, and placements are not for sale.
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