Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Unreal Engine VS Flax Engine

Compare Unreal Engine VS Flax Engine and see what are their differences

Unreal Engine logo Unreal Engine

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

Flax Engine logo Flax Engine

Best development performance out there Unleash your creativity and be more productive. With Flax you can boost your game development and bring it to another level. We’ve created tools that are slim and agile. No Read more…
  • Unreal Engine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-23
  • Flax Engine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-01

Unreal Engine features and specs

  • High-Quality Graphics
    Unreal Engine is known for its ability to produce stunning, high-quality graphics and realistic environments, making it a preferred choice for AAA game development and high-fidelity visual projects.
  • Blueprint Visual Scripting
    Unreal Engine offers a visual scripting system called Blueprints, which allows designers to create complex game logic without any programming knowledge, streamlining the development process.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Unreal Engine provides robust support for multiple platforms, including PC, consoles, mobile devices, and VR/AR headsets, enabling developers to reach a wider audience with minimal hassle.
  • Large and Active Community
    The Unreal Engine community is large and active, offering extensive resources, tutorials, and forums which can be invaluable for troubleshooting and learning new techniques.
  • Regular Updates
    Epic Games frequently updates Unreal Engine, adding new features, improvements, and optimizations to keep developers equipped with the latest technology advancements.
  • Marketplace
    The Unreal Engine Marketplace offers a vast array of assets, ranging from 3D models to plugins, which can significantly speed up the development process by providing ready-to-use resources.

Possible disadvantages of Unreal Engine

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive features and capabilities, Unreal Engine can be challenging for beginners to master, requiring a significant investment of time and effort to learn.
  • High System Requirements
    Developing with Unreal Engine often requires a powerful computer with strong hardware specifications, which can be a barrier for developers with limited resources.
  • Large File Sizes
    Unreal Engine projects can result in large file sizes, which can be cumbersome to manage, particularly in terms of storage and transfer bandwidth.
  • Complexity for Simple Projects
    For smaller or simpler projects, the capabilities of Unreal Engine might be overkill, and using it can unnecessarily complicate development when compared to lighter engines.
  • Royalty Fees
    Unreal Engine imposes a royalty fee of 5% on gross revenue after the first $1 million USD per product per year, which can impact the profitability of commercial projects.
  • Less C++ Flexibility
    While Unreal Engine supports C++, the engine imposes certain constraints and abstractions that can limit the flexibility developers might need for highly customized or optimized code.

Flax Engine features and specs

  • High Performance
    Flax Engine is designed with performance in mind, providing efficient memory and CPU usage, making it suitable for developing high-performance games.
  • C# Scripting
    Developers can use C# for scripting, which is a popular language with a large developer community, making it easier to find learning resources and support.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Flax Engine provides support for multiple platforms such as Windows, Mac, Linux, Xbox, and PlayStation, which helps in developing games for a wide audience.
  • Visual Editor
    The engine has a comprehensive and user-friendly visual editor which allows for easier game development and design, with features like drag-and-drop functionalities.
  • Open Source
    Parts of Flax Engine are open source, allowing developers to customize and extend the engine to better suit their project needs.

Possible disadvantages of Flax Engine

  • Smaller Community
    Compared to other game engines like Unity and Unreal, Flax Engine has a smaller user base, which might lead to fewer community resources and tutorials.
  • Limited Third-Party Integrations
    Flax may have limited support for third-party assets and plugins compared to more established engines, which can be a hurdle for some developers.
  • Less Mature
    Being a relatively newer engine, Flax might not be as mature or feature-rich as long-established competitors, potentially impacting complex game developments.
  • Learning Curve
    For developers transitioning from other engines, there may be a learning curve due to differences in workflows and editor interfaces.
  • Documentation Gaps
    Some users might find gaps or less comprehensive documentation compared to larger engines, which could slow down the development process.

Unreal Engine videos

Why I switched over to Unreal Engine 4 From Unity 5

More videos:

  • Review - Unity vs Unreal Engine | Graphics, Workflow, Price, Level Design and More! (2017-2018)
  • Review - Game Development | Intro to Unreal Engine 4 | No Prior Programming Knowledge

Flax Engine videos

Flax Engine 1.6 -- A Shockingly Powerful Game Engine

More videos:

  • Review - Flax Engine 1.5 -- A Huge Update!
  • Review - Flax Engine Features Showcase

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Unreal Engine and Flax Engine)
Game Development
93 93%
7% 7
Game Engine
93 93%
7% 7
3D Game Engine
92 92%
8% 8
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 Unreal Engine and Flax Engine

Unreal Engine Reviews

Top 13 Picks for Maxon Cinema 4D Alternatives in 2024
Designed by Epic Games, Unreal Engine is a comprehensive 3D graphics engine initially developed for PC gaming. Since its inception in 1998, it supports a wide array of platforms, including mobile, console, and VR. It is known for its versatility and power in a broad spectrum of industries like film and television.
Source: aircada.com
Game Engines: A Comparative Analysis
Developed by Epic Games, Unreal Engine stands as a titan in the industry, renowned for its stunning graphics and realistic visual effects. It excels in AAA game development, with a powerful rendering engine and an intuitive visual scripting system called Blueprints. Unreal Engine’s prowess lies in its ability to deliver top-notch graphics and cinematic experiences.
Source: medium.com
Best Unity alternatives for game development
Unreal Engine has become one of the most popular engines to date; it's one of the top-of-the-line gaming engines that produces high graphical fidelity and realism for many games. In fact, many mobile games (Injustice 2, Life is Strange) that look incredible are likely using the Unreal Engine. It's a number one choice that often goes head-to-head with Unity due to its great...
Best Game Engines for 2023 – Which Should You Use?
However, many game developers do report that Unreal Engine is better suited for larger projects and projects you intend to work on as a team. Additionally, as the program is heavy on the graphics end, many people will find it requires a more powerful computer compared to other engines like Unity. Beyond this, it is also noteworthy that while Unreal Engine can create 2D games...
The Best Gaming Engines You Should Consider for 2023
2022 saw the official launch of Unreal Engine 5, and it’s already shaping up to be a game changer for game development. Most next-gen consoles, including PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are already using it, and its powerful tools such as Lumen and Nanite (an engine that imports high-detailed photographic source material – taking advantage of its past acquisition of Quixel)...

Flax Engine Reviews

20 Best Scratch Alternatives 2023
Flax Engine is free but only for personal use. If you publish your games, you have to pay a 4% royalty fee per quarter when your game earns up to $25,000.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Flax Engine seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 12 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.

Unreal Engine mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Unreal Engine yet. Tracking of Unreal Engine recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Flax Engine mentions (12)

  • Valve releases Team Fortress 2 game code
    O3DE came from Amazon Lumberyard which came from CryEngine, so it's quite possibly one of the better looking open source 3D game engines that you can currently get, no strings attached: https://github.com/o3de/o3de) and Flax (https://flaxengine.com/) but they suffer from the same issues as O3DE, even if otherwise are promising. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • I would say to Unity developers, don't use Godot.
    For 3D games, check out the engine: Stride Engine or Flax Engine. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Alternative Game Engines for Marooned Unity Developers
    Flax Engine: C# and C++, Global Illumination system, Visual scripting, Full Source Code Available, 4% royalties after $250,000 (threshold is per quarter, not all time). The engine honestly looks really good, so it could be worth taking a closer look, but does lack tutorials. Source: over 1 year ago
  • What features would you like to see that are not available in leading game engines
    It sounds like you're asking them to just remake https://flaxengine.com. (Minus ECS). Source: almost 3 years ago
  • What are people's thoughts on Flax Engine?
    As the title says, what are people's thoughts on Flax Engine. (Link for anyone who hasn't heard of it). Source: almost 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Unreal Engine and Flax Engine, you can also consider the following products

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

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.

Unigine - Unigine Engine is a proprietary cross-platform middleware, developed by Unigine Corp.

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

Open 3D Engine - Open 3D Engine is an open-source 3D game development engine in real-time.