Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Unity VS Babylon.js

Compare Unity VS Babylon.js and see what are their differences

Unity logo Unity

The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

Babylon.js logo Babylon.js

A complete JavaScript framework for building 3D games with HTML5, WebGL and Web Audio
  • Unity Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-22
  • Babylon.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-30

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.

Babylon.js features and specs

  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    Babylon.js offers a wide range of features that support 3D rendering, physics, animations, and more, making it a complete framework for developing advanced 3D applications.
  • WebGL Support
    It is built on top of WebGL and provides powerful tools to create stunning graphics that can run directly in web browsers without additional plugins.
  • Open Source
    Babylon.js is open source and freely available under the Apache License 2.0, allowing for community contributions and use in both personal and commercial projects.
  • Active Community
    There is a vibrant and supportive community around Babylon.js, offering a wealth of resources, tutorials, and forums for troubleshooting and development advice.
  • Ease of Use
    The framework is designed to be beginner-friendly, with extensive documentation and an intuitive API, which facilitates learning and adoption.
  • Cross-Platform
    Babylon.js applications can run on various devices and platforms including desktops, tablets, and smartphones, ensuring broad user reach.

Possible disadvantages of Babylon.js

  • Performance Limitations
    While Babylon.js is powerful, applications might encounter performance bottlenecks with very complex scenes due to the limitations inherent to JavaScript and WebGL.
  • Learning Curve
    For developers who are new to 3D graphics or WebGL, there can be a steep learning curve to effectively utilize all features of Babylon.js.
  • Browser Dependency
    As a JavaScript framework reliant on WebGL, Babylon.js applications can be affected by differences in browser support and performance.
  • Limited Offline Capability
    Since Babylon.js is designed for the web, developing applications with full offline functionality can be challenging compared to native applications.

Unity videos

Assassin's Creed Unity Review

More videos:

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

Babylon.js videos

Learn the Basics of Babylon.js in 35 MINUTES

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Unity and Babylon.js)
Game Development
95 95%
5% 5
Game Engine
95 95%
5% 5
3D Game Engine
96 96%
4% 4
3D
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 Unity and Babylon.js

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.
Source: aircada.com
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...

Babylon.js Reviews

We have no reviews of Babylon.js yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Unity seems to be a lot more popular than Babylon.js. While we know about 204 links to Unity, we've tracked only 6 mentions of Babylon.js. 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.

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 / 7 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 / 10 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 / 10 months ago
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Babylon.js mentions (6)

  • [AskJS] Is it advisable to use Unity to develop games using JavaScript?
    Take a look at babylonjs.com it's a full game engine javascript/typescript with lots of great tutorials. Electron + babylonjs for a standalone installable game if you like, otherwise web distribution is great. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Loading maps and other elements in html5
    Most game engines translate very poorly to the web. Use a game engine specifically made for the web instead. For example babylon.js. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Made a WebGL gallery to show off some shaders and my new song. Built w/ Babylon.js
    All in all it's taken me three years to build this haha. But I actually built the tool itself that others can use to build galleries like this. My dream is for non-technical people to be able to make this kind of stuff. That tool is called Frame (learn.framevr.io) and it's built with babylon.js. These shaders shown here can also be coded from scratch (not easy) or built with a tool from babylon.js called the Node... Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Game engine for a 3D multiplayer browser game
    BabylonJS (https://babylonjs.com/, free): powerful, less close to the metal, used by famous companies for famous games (https://www.babylonjs.com/games/). Source: over 3 years ago
  • Resizing a Godot HTML5 game to fit screens such as mobile.
    I don't know your programming and web developing skills but another option would be using a web rendering engine like Pixie or Babylon. Then you can use html/css combined with the provided browser api's to handle your ui and user input. Source: almost 4 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Unity and Babylon.js, you can also consider the following products

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

PlayCanvas - PlayCanvas is an open-source game engine built on WebGL and WebVR.

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.

Tombstone Engine - A direct successor to the C4 engine.

GDevelop - GDevelop is an open-source game making software designed to be used by everyone.