Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Heaps.io VS Unity

Compare Heaps.io VS Unity and see what are their differences

Heaps.io logo Heaps.io

Mature, cross-platform graphics engine for high performance games.

Unity logo Unity

The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.
  • Heaps.io Landing page
    Landing page //
    2020-08-09
  • Unity Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-22

Heaps.io features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Support
    Heaps.io is designed to work seamlessly across multiple platforms, including web browsers, desktop, and mobile devices. This makes it a versatile choice for developers looking to deploy applications across different environments.
  • Efficient Performance
    Heaps.io is optimized for performance, making it suitable for creating high-performance games and applications. It leverages Haxe's capabilities to produce efficient code.
  • Rich Multimedia Support
    The engine provides robust support for 2D and 3D graphics, audio, and other multimedia features, enabling developers to create immersive and interactive experiences.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source project, Heaps.io offers developers the ability to contribute to its development, customize the code, and access a community of users and contributors.
  • Integrated with Haxe
    Heaps.io is tightly integrated with the Haxe programming language, offering developers the benefits of a modern, high-level language with powerful cross-platform capabilities.

Possible disadvantages of Heaps.io

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For developers unfamiliar with Haxe, Heaps.io may present a steep learning curve as it requires learning both the engine and the programming language.
  • Smaller Community
    Compared to more established game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine, Heaps.io has a smaller user community, which can result in fewer resources, tutorials, and third-party tools available.
  • Limited Documentation
    Although Heaps.io provides documentation, it may not be as comprehensive or detailed as that of other popular engines, posing challenges for beginners seeking help.
  • Niche Use Case
    Due to its specific design and integration with Haxe, Heaps.io may not be suitable for all types of projects, especially those not requiring cross-platform capabilities or featuring complex requirements.

Unity features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Unity supports development for a wide range of platforms including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and many others, allowing developers to reach a broad audience.
  • Extensive Asset Store
    Unity's Asset Store offers a huge selection of assets, plugins, and tools created by other developers, which can save significant development time and resources.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The Unity Editor is known for its user-friendly and intuitive interface that is accessible even for beginners, while offering advanced features for seasoned developers.
  • Strong Community Support
    Unity boasts a large and active community, as well as extensive documentation and tutorials, making it easier to find solutions to development challenges.
  • Versatile for Various Applications
    Unity is not only suitable for game development but is also used in other industries such as film, automotive, architecture, and virtual reality projects.
  • Real-time Development and Testing
    Unity provides robust tools for real-time testing and iteration which allow developers to see changes instantly without needing to rebuild the project.
  • Proven Performance and Optimization Tools
    Unity offers a variety of performance profiling and optimization tools, helping developers to create highly optimized and smooth-running applications.

Possible disadvantages of Unity

  • Steep Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While basic use of Unity is accessible, mastering its advanced features and achieving high levels of performance optimization can be quite challenging.
  • Subscription Costs
    Unity offers a subscription-based pricing model for advanced features, which might be expensive for smaller developers or hobbyists.
  • Dependency on Third-Party Tools
    Reliance on third-party assets and plugins from the Asset Store can sometimes lead to compatibility issues or added costs.
  • Performance Overhead
    Although Unity is highly optimized, it can introduce some performance overhead compared to lower-level programming, particularly for very high-end, resource-intensive projects.
  • Large Build Sizes
    Unity applications can result in relatively large build sizes, which can be a concern for mobile platforms or situations where storage is a limitation.
  • Closed Source
    Unlike some other engines, Unity is closed-source, limiting developers' ability to deeply customize or troubleshoot engine issues at the source code level.
  • Memory Management
    Unity's automated memory management through garbage collection can sometimes result in performance hitches if not carefully managed.

Heaps.io videos

BiteSize Heaps.io Tutorial - part 01

Unity videos

Assassin's Creed Unity Review

More videos:

  • Review - Assassin's Creed Unity - Review
  • Review - SHOULD YOU USE UNITY IN 2019?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Heaps.io and Unity)
Game Development
3 3%
97% 97
Game Engine
4 4%
96% 96
3D Game Engine
4 4%
96% 96
2D Game Engine
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Heaps.io and Unity

Heaps.io Reviews

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Unity Reviews

  1. Good

    This is such a wonderful abd helpful game-making platform,even for the beginners. And i know and I've played in the several games ,for example,which were made so thoroughly and carefully and also simply by using “UNITY” . So the game quality is just a matter of the programmer's skill,i think.


Godot Engine vs Unity: Which One Suits You Best in 2024
3D performance: For Godot vs Unity 3d, Unity typically leads. Unity's advanced rendering techniques and powerful optimization tools allow for high-fidelity graphics and smooth gameplay in complex 3D environments. This makes Unity the preferred choice for high-end 3D games and VR/AR applications.
Source: rocketbrush.com
Top 13 Picks for Maxon Cinema 4D Alternatives in 2024
Originally launched in 2005, Unity is a robust game development engine, highly regarded for facilitating the creation of intricately designed 3D and 2D games. Unity’s adaptability across different operating systems facilitates a myriad of applications, from Augmented Reality to 3D simulations.
Source: aircada.com
Explore 9 Top Eclipse Alternatives for 2024
Established in 2005, Unity serves as a powerful engine for 3D and 2D game development. Renowned for its adaptability across numerous operating systems, Unity’s premier platform facilitates everything from Augmented Reality to 3D simulations.
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Game Engines: A Comparative Analysis
Additional Options: Unity also supports JavaScript (UnityScript) and Boo, but C# has become the standard and most widely used language for Unity development.
Source: medium.com
Exploring 15 Powerful Flutter Alternatives
With its gaming-oriented pedigree, Unity delivers unmatched capabilities for rich interactive apps leveraging physics, particle systems, and complex animations in 2D and 3D spaces. For architects and designers wanting to bring CAD models to life or showcase real estate properties in full immersive detail, Unity shines. Medical imaging apps also benefit from performant...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Unity should be more popular than Heaps.io. It has been mentiond 204 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Heaps.io mentions (21)

  • Unity's Trap
    Maybe the engine used for Dead Cells, https://heaps.io ? - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Best stack to make a 2D game in 2023
    I've personally had a very good experience with Haxe and Haxeflixel (https://haxeflixel.com/) although Heaps (https://heaps.io/) seems to be more popular nowadays. Haxe is very nice as a language, can easily cross-compile to a lot of targets, Haxeflixel is heavily inspired by some Actionscript framework and has a lot of goodies. Maybe Heaps is more mature, up to date and allows for more advanced features. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • What is the worst engine you've ever used and why?
    Not really the worst, but you can say my least favorite, and that would be heaps.io. Source: about 2 years ago
  • why are gamedevs so against sharing code?
    Yeah I think it's ideal for 2D development. Look into heaps.io . . You might like it! These days it seems the best source of community for haxe is in their official discord server. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Picking a language
    Many frameworks will let you export for the web, even if you don't code your game in JS. Unity, Godot, Bevy(?), heaps.io ... The list goes on and on. Source: over 2 years ago
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Unity mentions (204)

  • OOP for Unity Beginners: Build Better Games from the Start
    In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll break down OOP in Unity in a way that’s simple, practical, and directly tied to game development. You’ll learn how to structure your code with classes, inheritance, encapsulation, and polymorphism—without getting overwhelmed by jargon. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Why Does Everyone Forget Java and C# for Backend Development? Why Don’t Full-Stack Developers Learn Java and C#?
    C# was developed by Microsoft in the early 2000s as part of its .NET initiative, led by Anders Hejlsberg. Originally designed as an alternative to Java, C# evolved into a powerful language for Windows applications, backend services, game development (via Unity), and cloud computing. The introduction of .NET Core made C# fully cross-platform, allowing it to run on Windows, Linux, and macOS. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • One must imagine Sisyphus writing a new JS framework
    The same happened with video games thanks to projects like Unity or Blender. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • How to use an auto-tiling technique in your next game project
    One can get exposed to auto-tiling in different implementations. If you're using a game engine like Unity or Godot, there are features automatically built into those packages to enabling auto-tiling as you draw and create your levels. Also, there are software tools like Tiled, LDTK, and Sprite Fusion, that are a little more tilemap specific and give you native tools for auto-tiling. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • How to Use Virtual Reality for Client Walkthroughs and Approvals
    > Unity is renowned for its versatility and ease of use. With a vast library of assets and plugins, it's perfect for rapid prototyping and iterative design. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Heaps.io and Unity, you can also consider the following products

HaxeFlixel - Create cross-platform games easier and free. All with one codebase.

Unreal Engine - Unreal Engine 4 is a suite of integrated tools for game developers to design and build games, simulations, and visualizations.

Defold Engine - Defold lets you quickly build high performing, cross-platform games together with your team.

Godot Engine - Feature-packed 2D and 3D open source game engine.

Blender - Blender is the open source, cross platform suite of tools for 3D creation.

Phaser - Desktop and Mobile HTML5 game framework. A fast, free and fun open source framework for Canvas and WebGL powered browser games.