Choose Unity if you're building mobile, 2D, XR or smaller 3D games and want a huge community and learning library, knowing that console publishing needs a paid Pro plan. Choose Unreal Engine if you want every platform, every feature and the full source code from day one for free, and you're comfortable with a royalty once a game earns past Epic's threshold. The licence terms are the clearest difference between them.
I read Unity's Personal, plans and engine pages and Epic's Unreal Engine licensing page and FAQ. Feature lists change every release, so I've focused on what each company says about access, platforms and licensing.
Unity and Unreal side by side
| Unity | Unreal Engine | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Unity | Epic Games |
| Current version | Unity 6 | Unreal Engine 5 |
| Free tier | Unity Personal, for individuals and small organisations under Unity's revenue and funding limit | Free for developers, individuals and small businesses under Epic's revenue threshold, and for schools |
| Console publishing | Needs Unity Pro or above | Included: all platforms and features |
| Source code | Read-only access on Enterprise | Access to the source code on the free licence |
| How you pay later | Subscription plans: Pro, Enterprise | Royalty for games past the threshold; seats for some non-game uses |
| Free option (as of October 2026) | Yes, Unity Personal, with eligibility limits | Yes, below Epic's revenue threshold |
The console catch in Unity Personal
Unity Personal is free and lets you publish to web, desktop, AR/VR and mobile, with access to the Unity Cloud ecosystem and a customisable splash screen. Unity's plans page says it's for hobbyists and small indie teams under its revenue and funding limit over the last 12 months. The detail to check sits on the Pro plan: building and publishing for game consoles and Apple Vision Pro is a Pro feature. If a console release is in your plan, factor that in from the start.
Unity also says Pro becomes required once a business passes the Personal threshold, and Enterprise adds read-only source code access and an extra year of long-term support. Students can use a free Unity Student plan, and Unity Learn offers free tutorials.
Unreal's model: everything now, royalty later
Epic's licensing page lists what the free tier includes: access to the source code, all platforms and features, and the forums and documentation on the Epic Developer Community. It's free for game developers until royalties apply, for individuals and small businesses under Epic's revenue threshold, and for educators and schools with no revenue limit.
For games and apps that rely on engine code at runtime and are licensed to end users, you pay a royalty only on revenue above the threshold, and you won't need to buy seats. One detail worth knowing: Epic says revenue from sales in the Epic Games Store is royalty-free. Companies using Unreal for non-game commercial work above the threshold, such as visualisation, buy seats instead, and Epic offers a 30-day trial.
Questions to settle it
- Is your first release on mobile or the web? Unity Personal covers those platforms for free.
- Planning a console launch on a small team? Unreal includes all platforms on its free tier; Unity needs Pro.
- Do you want to read and change the engine's source code? Unreal gives that on the free licence.
- Would you rather pay a predictable subscription than a revenue share? Unity's plans work that way.
- Selling through the Epic Games Store? Epic says those sales are royalty-free.
If you're building a game studio or exploring 3D work for marketing, see my look at where 3D rendering is heading, and this guide to outsourcing mobile app development.
My advice on Unity or Unreal
For a first mobile game, a 2D project or an XR prototype, Unity's huge community and learning library make it the easier start, and Personal is free while you learn. If you're aiming at high-end 3D or consoles from the beginning, Unreal's free tier gives you more on day one, including the source code, and you only share revenue once the game earns past Epic's threshold. Read both licences in full before you commit a team to either, because switching engines mid-project is painful.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Do you make game development tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Unity free?
Unity Personal is free for individuals and small organisations under Unity's revenue and funding limit for the last 12 months. It covers publishing to web, desktop, AR/VR and mobile.
Is Unreal Engine free?
Yes, below Epic's revenue threshold. Epic's free licence covers game developers until royalties apply, individuals and small businesses under the threshold, and educators and schools.
Can I publish to consoles with Unity Personal?
Unity's plans page lists building and publishing for game consoles and Apple Vision Pro as part of Unity Pro, not Personal.
Does Unreal Engine give you the source code?
Yes. Epic's licensing page lists access to the source code as part of the free licence.
Do Epic Games Store sales pay Unreal royalties?
No. Epic says revenue generated from sales in the Epic Games Store is royalty-free.
