Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Unreal Engine VS Urho3D

Compare Unreal Engine VS Urho3D 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.

Urho3D logo Urho3D

Urho3D is a lightweight, cross-platform rendering and game engine implemented in C++ and released...
  • Unreal Engine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-23
  • Urho3D Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-24

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.

Urho3D features and specs

  • Open Source
    Urho3D is fully open-source, allowing for extensive customization and community contributions.
  • Cross-Platform
    Supports multiple platforms including Windows, MacOS, Linux, and mobile platforms, enabling wide usability.
  • Lightweight
    Urho3D is designed to be lightweight, which can result in faster performance and lower resource consumption.
  • Feature-Rich
    Includes a multitude of features such as 3D rendering, physics, animation, and scripting, making it suitable for a variety of applications.
  • Active Community
    Has an active community that contributes to its ongoing development and provides support to new users.
  • Good Documentation
    Offers comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and examples that help developers get up to speed quickly.

Possible disadvantages of Urho3D

  • Smaller Ecosystem
    Compared to larger game engines like Unity or Unreal, Urho3D has a smaller ecosystem, which might limit the availability of plugins and third-party tools.
  • Learning Curve
    While it is well-documented, new users may still face a steep learning curve, especially if they are not familiar with C++ or game development.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    May lack some advanced features found in other, more established game engines, making it less suitable for large-scale, high-end game development.
  • Sparse Tutorials
    Although documentation is good, the number of detailed, step-by-step tutorials is relatively limited.
  • Community-Driven Pace
    The development pace can be inconsistent as it is driven largely by community contributions rather than a dedicated team.
  • Tooling
    Lacks some of the sophisticated editor tools and integrated development environments available in more mainstream engines.

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

Urho3D videos

Urho3D/UrhoSharp -- The Others Game Engine Series

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Unreal Engine and Urho3D)
Game Development
86 86%
14% 14
Game Engine
85 85%
15% 15
3D Game Engine
87 87%
13% 13
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 Urho3D

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)...

Urho3D Reviews

20 Best Scratch Alternatives 2023
Support for 3D development gives Urho3D a significant edge over Scratch for advanced programmers. Nevertheless, the platform is still highly reliable for creating 2D animations and games.
The Top 10 Video Game Engines
Urho3D also addresses its limitations, including the fact you’ll need skills in “C++ for performance-critical code and improving existing subsystems such as networking, physics, and animation, depending on your needs.” The brief limitations list is available in full on their site.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Urho3D seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 5 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.

Urho3D mentions (5)

  • Godot support for 3D is too primitive, and Unity has become a wild mess over the years. Is Unreal Engine the only remaining option for 3D projects?
    You might give rbfx a look. It is an actively developed fork of Urho3D that has pretty decent, and actively developed, 3D rendering. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Best library for 3D development that doesn't require GLFW/GLAD etc
    You might give rbfx a try. It's a fork of Urho3D which is also good, though aging. While they do verge into engine territory, they're not editor-based as Unity and Godot are, and in fact the editors for each are quite rudimentary and unfinished. For a programming-centric workflow, they're pretty nice. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • C++ 3D Graphics Frameworks / Game Frameworks ?
    Urho3D is a C++ engine that provides rendering (D3D, OpenGL, WebGL) as well as numerous other capabilities. Works on many platforms. Has and editor, but it is not central to the process and isn't really complete anyway. Source: about 4 years ago
  • C++ 2D/3D Engine
    Urho3D or its recent fork rbfx are good choices. Numerous supported platforms, 2D and 3D, scripting with AngelScript or Lua if desired, etc. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Workflows, Artisans, Manufactories and Inflation
    It's coded in C++, Urho3D is used to display graphics and sounds. Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Unreal Engine and Urho3D, 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.

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

CryENGINE - The most powerful game development platform is now available to everyone. Full engine source code.

Stencyl - Make iOS (iPhone/iPad), Android, Flash, Windows & Mac games without code using Stencyl.