Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Zandronum VS Unreal Engine

Compare Zandronum VS Unreal Engine and see what are their differences

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Zandronum logo Zandronum

Leading the way in newschool multiplayer Doom online.

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.
  • Zandronum Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-01
  • Unreal Engine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-23

Zandronum features and specs

  • Multiplayer Focus
    Zandronum is specifically designed for online multiplayer gaming, providing robust netcode and features that enhance the multiplayer experience for games using the Doom engine.
  • Mod Support
    Zandronum supports a wide variety of mods, allowing players to customize their gameplay experience with different maps, game modes, and user-created content.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    The engine is compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS, making it accessible to a wide variety of users across different operating systems.
  • Active Community
    Zandronum has a vibrant community that continuously creates and shares new content, including mods and maps, ensuring that players always have fresh content to explore.
  • Improved Engine Features
    Zandronum provides enhancements over the original Doom engine, such as support for modern resolutions, improved graphics, and advanced gameplay mechanics.

Possible disadvantages of Zandronum

  • Niche Appeal
    Zandronum is primarily popular within the Doom modding community, which may limit its appeal to gamers unfamiliar with the source games or the broader modding scene.
  • Complex Setup for New Users
    The process of setting up Zandronum, especially when it comes to installing mods and configuring multiplayer settings, can be complicated for users not familiar with source ports or modding.
  • Graphics Limitations
    While Zandronum enhances the original Doom engine, it still retains some of the graphical limitations inherent to the older engine, which might not appeal to players accustomed to modern game graphics.
  • Dependence on Community
    As a community-driven project, Zandronum relies heavily on its user base for content updates and technical support, which can be less consistent than commercial game development.

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.

Analysis of Unreal Engine

Overall verdict

  • Unreal Engine is generally considered a top-tier game engine suitable for both beginners and experienced developers. Its high-quality rendering, extensive feature set, and flexibility make it a preferred choice for creating AAA games, architectural visualizations, and even film production.

Why this product is good

  • Unreal Engine is popular due to its powerful graphics capabilities, versatility, and comprehensive toolset. It provides real-time 3D creation tools, robust support for high-resolution graphics, and a plethora of resources and documentation for developers. It is also free to use up to a certain revenue threshold, making it accessible for indie developers and large studios alike. Additionally, its blueprint visual scripting system offers non-programmers an approachable way to prototype and develop gameplay elements.

Recommended for

    Unreal Engine is recommended for game developers who require cutting-edge graphics and performance, individuals interested in virtual production, architects looking for detailed visualizations, and anyone wanting to work on large-scale, high-fidelity projects.

Zandronum videos

Zandronum vs. GZDoom Performance Comparison - Brutal Doom

More videos:

  • Review - Zandronum: Light-Maze Project - Review

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

Category Popularity

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User comments

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Reviews

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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)...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Zandronum seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 9 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.

Zandronum mentions (9)

  • asking for help while I'm early because I'm bad with computers and don't wanna fuck the files up by accident because I don't know what I'm doing. Just trying to figure out what in particular the fuck.
    Must also correct the path name in the Target: line. OR download Zandronum and use the DOOM.wad file from the release you have here and be able to play online too. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Wad Commander: Play Doom I and II in the Browser
    The most active multiplayer Doom port is Zandronum, using the Doomseeker server browser to join games. Mac support may be a bit flaky, but I think it currently works (join the Discord for help). https://zandronum.com/ - get the software, join the discord https://doomlist.net/ - see active servers. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • How to start multiplayer?
    That doesn´t really have anything to do with doom mods. Zandronum works similar to gzdoom. It can only play wads and pk3. You can get it here: https://zandronum.com/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • 10 player LAN Party: What are some good games?
    Zandronum - free Doom engine source port designed for multiplayer from the ground up, easily supports 10 players and has a shitload of mod support. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Play something else
    Https://zandronum.com Https://freedoom.github.io Or https://store.steampowered.com/app/2300/DOOM_II/ You can play doom deathmatch. Source: over 3 years ago
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Unreal Engine mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

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

Doom - Doom is a science fiction horror-themed first-person shooter video game in which players assume the...

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

GZDoom - ZDoom is a family of enhanced ports of the Doom engine for running on modern operating systems.

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

Chocolate Doom - Chocolate Doom is a Doom source port that accurately reproduces the experience of Doom as it was played in the 1990s.

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