Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Unity VS Microsoft MakeCode Arcade

Compare Unity VS Microsoft MakeCode Arcade and see what are their differences

Unity logo Unity

The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

Microsoft MakeCode Arcade logo Microsoft MakeCode Arcade

Drag n drop code to make and play games online and on various hardware
  • Unity Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-22
Not present

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.

Microsoft MakeCode Arcade features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

Analysis of Unity

Overall verdict

  • Unity is generally considered a good platform for game development, particularly for independent developers and smaller studios. It offers a balance of ease of use, flexibility, and powerful capabilities. While it may not be the best choice for every project, it stands out as a solid option for those seeking to develop cross-platform applications.

Why this product is good

  • Unity is a versatile and widely-used game development platform that offers a robust set of tools and features for creating both 2D and 3D applications. It supports multiple platforms, including mobile, desktop, and consoles. Unity is praised for its user-friendly interface and strong community support, which makes it accessible to both beginners and experienced developers. The asset store provides a plethora of resources, plugins, and assets that can accelerate development. However, some users have expressed concerns over licensing costs and performance optimization challenges in certain projects.

Recommended for

  • Independent game developers
  • Small to medium-sized game studios
  • Hobbyists and students learning game development
  • Developers focused on mobile or VR/AR applications
  • Teams who need a rapid prototyping environment

Unity videos

Assassin's Creed Unity Review

More videos:

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

Microsoft MakeCode Arcade videos

Microsoft MakeCode Arcade Overview

More videos:

  • Review - Beginners Review: Microsoft MakeCode Arcade || Lilithium

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Unity and Microsoft MakeCode Arcade)
Game Development
99 99%
1% 1
Game Engine
99 99%
1% 1
Kids Education
0 0%
100% 100
3D Game Engine
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Unity and Microsoft MakeCode Arcade. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Unity and Microsoft MakeCode Arcade

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 โ€œUNITYโ€ . 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. Unityโ€™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, Unityโ€™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...

Microsoft MakeCode Arcade Reviews

We have no reviews of Microsoft MakeCode Arcade yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Unity seems to be a lot more popular than Microsoft MakeCode Arcade. While we know about 206 links to Unity, we've tracked only 4 mentions of Microsoft MakeCode Arcade. 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 (206)

  • Create a GOOD game as a beginner
    This guide is tailored towards Unity 3D but you can use them for other engines as they are pretty much general. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Top 10 Dev Tools That Will Define Engineering in 2025
    When it comes to game development, platforms like Unity, Unreal Engine, and Godot are definitely dominating the scene. They offer tools specifically designed for different needs, whether you're working on mobile and VR/AR projects, aiming for AAA titles, or focusing on indie and 2D games. These platforms provide intuitive user interfaces, extensive platform support, advanced rendering capabilities, and built-in... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • OOP for Unity Beginners: Build Better Games from the Start
    In this beginner-friendly guide, weโ€™ll break down OOP in Unity in a way thatโ€™s simple, practical, and directly tied to game development. Youโ€™ll learn how to structure your code with classes, inheritance, encapsulation, and polymorphismโ€”without getting overwhelmed by jargon. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Why Does Everyone Forget Java and C# for Backend Development? Why Donโ€™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 / 8 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 / about 1 year ago
View more

Microsoft MakeCode Arcade mentions (4)

  • Isometric Projection in Game Development
    Alternatively, get her an emulator of an old 8 or 16 bit system, I started coding at the age of 10 in these systems, with books that were oriented for kids. https://www.atariarchives.org/ http://redparsley.blogspot.com/2016/08/input-magazine-retrospective.html https://archive.org/details/input-hi-01 Or if you prefer something more up to date, https://arcade.makecode.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Yo wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do?
    Https://arcade.makecode.com/ Is great fun to use and made for kids. The forum (forum.makecode.com) is well moderated and safe too. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Copying Angry Birds with nothing but AI
    I'm not sure how this reduces the barrier to game developement. There are already lots of free assets and game engines designed for making arcade games that are a lot easier then say Unity or Unreal. Like https://arcade.makecode.com/ or https://microstudio.dev/ or https://scratch.mit.edu/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: Whats the modern day equivalent of 80s computer for kids to explore?
    For the game angle https://arcade.makecode.com may be more of a fit. You can even build a cabinet. Disclaimer: worked on both. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Unity and Microsoft MakeCode Arcade, 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.

Scratch - Scratch is the programming language & online community where young people create stories, games, & animations.

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

Snap - Snap (formerly BYOB) is a visual, drag-and-drop programming language.

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

microStudio - microStudio is an all-in-one online game engine that enables you to create games, develop programming skills, have fun playing what you have created, share with others, and prototype.