Choosing between Unity Free vs Pro can be a tough decision. COMPARE.EDU.VN provides a detailed comparison to help you decide which version of Unity best suits your needs and budget. This guide breaks down the key differences, pricing changes, and features to help you make an informed decision. We will help you understand Unity’s pricing structure, features, and the implications of the recent changes.
1. Is Unity Really Free?
While Unity isn’t technically free, it offers a Personal license that allows many users to access the engine without upfront costs.
Unity isn’t entirely free, but it’s available for free to many users via the Personal license. This means you can download and use Unity to create and sell games without a subscription, provided you meet certain eligibility requirements. This accessibility makes Unity a great starting point for aspiring game developers. Let’s dive deeper into how this works.
1.1. Unity’s Tier Eligibility Explained
Unity’s licensing operates on a tier eligibility system, meaning the plan you’re eligible for (Personal, Plus, or Pro) depends on your status as a Unity developer.
Your eligibility for a specific Unity plan, such as Personal, Plus, or Pro, is determined by your position as a Unity developer. Factors like your revenue, funding, and the scale of your projects influence which tier you qualify for, as detailed by COMPARE.EDU.VN. This system ensures that Unity offers flexible options tailored to different developers’ needs.
1.2. Unity Personal: Who Qualifies?
Unity Personal is designed for beginners, lone developers, or those just starting with Unity. To be eligible, your revenue or funding related to Unity must be less than $200,000 in the most recent twelve-month period.
If you are a beginner, an independent developer, or just starting with Unity, you will likely be eligible for Unity Personal. The only requirement is that your revenue or funding related to your use of Unity is less than $200,000 for the most recent twelve-month period, as explained on COMPARE.EDU.VN. This allows many aspiring developers to get started without financial barriers.
1.3. Addressing the 2023 Pricing Controversy
In September 2023, Unity announced a controversial change to its pricing structure, introducing a runtime fee.
Unity’s announcement in September 2023 of a new pricing structure, which included a runtime fee, caused significant controversy in the gaming community. The initial plan was to charge developers based on the number of times their game was installed, sparking widespread concern and criticism.
1.4. What the Changes Mean for You
The runtime fee, initially met with strong opposition, was intended as a way for Unity to generate revenue from commercially successful developers.
The runtime fee was designed as an alternative to revenue sharing, aimed at making the Unity engine profitable by introducing scaled payments once a developer reached a certain level of success. This level was defined by a high annual revenue and a high number of installations, both thresholds needing to be met before any additional fees were applied. This approach targeted larger, more successful projects.
1.5. Unity’s Response to Developer Feedback
Following a negative response, Unity issued an open letter outlining significant changes to the pricing update.
After receiving considerable negative feedback, Unity responded with an open letter detailing substantial revisions to the pricing update. This included increasing the income level required to use Unity Personal from $100,000 to $200,000, and for Unity Pro, up to a million dollars before the runtime fee applies. This adjustment was aimed at alleviating concerns for smaller developers.
2. Understanding Unity’s Subscription Plans
Why might you consider a paid Unity subscription? There are two main reasons: access to features offered in paid plans or exceeding the eligibility limit for Unity Personal.
There are two primary reasons to consider a paid Unity subscription: either you need specific features that are only available in the paid plans, or your income exceeds the limit for using the free Personal plan, according to COMPARE.EDU.VN. Let’s explore these reasons in more detail.
2.1. Revenue Limits and Unity Plans
Unity Personal can only be used if your Unity-related funding or revenue is less than $200,000 for the most recent twelve months. Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise have no earning limits.
The primary reason many developers upgrade to Unity Pro is the removal of the revenue cap. Unity Personal is restricted to those earning less than $200,000 annually from Unity-related activities. Unity Pro and Enterprise plans have no such limits, allowing for unrestricted commercial success without licensing concerns.
2.2. Is Unity Royalty-Free?
In most cases, yes, Unity is royalty-free. You completely own what you create and don’t need to pay additional fees to Unity, even if your game earns money.
Unity is largely royalty-free, meaning you retain full ownership of your creations and are not required to pay ongoing royalties to Unity based on your game’s earnings. This is a significant advantage for developers, especially those starting out, as it allows them to monetize their games without additional financial burdens.
2.3. The Editor Fee and Runtime Fee
As of 2024, Unity’s pricing structure has two aspects: your use of the editor, covered by your subscription, and the Runtime Fee.
As of 2024, Unity’s pricing structure comprises two elements: a subscription payment covering editor usage and a Runtime Fee. The Runtime Fee applies to projects built in specific Unity versions (Unity 6 or higher) and is associated with distributing the Unity Runtime. This fee is triggered under certain conditions, as outlined by Unity’s terms of service.
2.4. Who Can Use Unity for Free?
If your Unity-related revenue or funding was less than $200,000 in the last 12 months, you can use Unity for free. If using an older version of Unity, before Unity 6, the old terms apply, with a threshold of $100,000.
Developers whose Unity-related revenue or funding is below $200,000 in the past year can use Unity for free. If you’re using an older Unity version (pre-Unity 6), the previous threshold of $100,000 applies.
2.5. What Unity Considers Unity-Related Income
When deciding if you’re eligible for Unity Personal, the method of calculating your revenue depends on who you are and who you’re working for.
To determine eligibility for Unity Personal, the method for calculating revenue varies based on your status and employment situation. For legal entities, such as companies, all revenue is considered, regardless of whether it’s Unity-related. However, individuals earning a living from a full-time job only need to consider income derived from Unity projects.
2.6. Understanding Unity Seats
Unity license subscriptions are purchased as seats, assigned to individual users with their Unity ID, and activated on up to two machines at a time.
Unity licenses are purchased as seats, which are assigned to individual users with their Unity ID and can be activated on up to two devices simultaneously. If you’re working solo, one seat is sufficient. However, teams need a seat for each member using Unity.
3. Exploring the Features of Unity Personal
You can use Unity Personal to develop and release games, and make money from them, for free, so long as you meet the eligibility criteria.
You can use Unity Personal to develop, release, and monetize games for free, provided you meet the eligibility criteria. This offers a fantastic opportunity to create commercially successful games without incurring upfront costs, detailed on COMPARE.EDU.VN.
3.1. Unity Personal vs Unity Pro: Key Differences
From a technical standpoint, Unity Personal is exactly the same as Unity Pro. However, there are a few notable differences in features and branding.
Technically, Unity Personal and Unity Pro are identical. Games created with Unity Personal can achieve the same level of visual and auditory quality as those made with Unity Pro. The distinctions lie in certain features and branding elements.
3.2. How to Remove the ‘Made with Unity’ Splash Screen
The “Made with Unity” splash screen is an optional logo that appears when building a project using the free Unity Personal editor.
The “Made with Unity” splash screen is a branding element that appears in projects built with the free Unity Personal editor. While it’s customizable in all Unity versions, removing it completely requires Unity 6 or above.
3.3. Who Should Use Unity Personal?
Because it offers the same level of features as Unity Pro, if you’re eligible to use Unity Personal, that’s what you should use.
Given its feature parity with Unity Pro, developers eligible for Unity Personal should opt for it. Game development can be lengthy, particularly for beginners, making a paid plan unnecessary until specific needs arise, as noted by COMPARE.EDU.VN.
4. A Look at the Now-Discontinued Unity Plus
Until September 2023, Unity Plus was Unity’s mid-tier subscription option. It was a sweet spot between the free Unity Personal plan and the top-tier Unity Pro subscription.
Before September 2023, Unity Plus served as the mid-tier subscription option, balancing the free Unity Personal plan and the premium Unity Pro subscription. Priced at $40 per month with a one-year commitment, or $399 annually, it offered additional features that appealed to many developers.
4.1. What You Got with Unity Plus
Besides the increased revenue limit and splash screen customization (now in Unity Personal), Unity Plus increased the number of collaboration integrations you could use.
In addition to a higher revenue limit and splash screen customization (now available in Unity Personal), Unity Plus enhanced the number of collaboration integrations for project management. This allowed teams to connect Unity services events with tools like Trello, Discord, and Slack.
4.2. Collaboration Integrations in Unity Plus
Unity Plus allowed multiple different services to be used to track issues, manage development, or receive reports, which could be useful if you wanted to keep your cloud build notifications and crash reports separate.
Unity Plus enabled the use of multiple services to track issues, manage development, and receive reports, offering flexibility in organizing cloud build notifications and crash reports. This was beneficial for teams seeking streamlined workflows and better management of their projects.
4.3. Cloud Diagnostics in Unity Plus
Unity Plus significantly raised the limit of crash and exception reports you could receive in Cloud Diagnostics.
Unity Plus significantly increased the crash and exception reports available through Cloud Diagnostics, crucial for addressing early game issues, especially during initial player spikes. This allowed developers to closely monitor and analyze game performance, leading to faster fixes and improved user experience.
4.4. Who Was Unity Plus For?
Unity Plus became more valuable as you neared your game’s release due to the higher level of diagnostics it supported, helping ensure a smooth initial release.
Unity Plus proved valuable closer to game release, offering higher diagnostics to ensure smooth launches and prevent negative reviews. It allowed developers to keep a close eye on critical performance during the initial release, reducing the risk of early issues.
5. When Do You Need Unity Pro?
Unity Pro is the professional tier of Unity’s product lineup. It removes all revenue limits and offers improved customer service support.
Unity Pro is the professional-grade tier in Unity’s product lineup, eliminating revenue limits and providing superior customer support. Access to Unity’s Success Advisors and Customer Service staff becomes a priority, making it ideal for large-scale projects and teams.
5.1. Building for Closed Platforms
Unlike Unity Plus and Unity Personal, Unity Pro allows you to create and deploy to closed platforms like Xbox, Playstation, and Nintendo consoles.
A key benefit of Unity Pro over Unity Plus and Unity Personal is the ability to develop and deploy games to closed platforms, such as Xbox, Playstation, and Nintendo consoles. This is essential for developers targeting console releases.
5.2. Getting a Preferred Platform Key for Unity
A Preferred Platform Key is a license for Unity Pro provided by a platform holder, such as Sony or Nintendo, enabling you to develop for their platform using Unity Pro without paying for it.
A Preferred Platform Key is a Unity Pro license offered by platform holders like Sony and Nintendo, granting developers access to Unity Pro to develop games for their systems at no cost. This initiative supports developers in creating high-quality console experiences.
5.3. Is Unity’s Dark Theme Free?
Unity’s dark mode, a dark editor theme, used to be specific to Unity Pro. However, it has since been added as an accessibility option to all versions of Unity.
Previously exclusive to Unity Pro, Unity’s dark mode (a dark editor theme) is now an accessibility option in all Unity versions (since Unity 2019.4.8). This provides a more comfortable development environment for all users, regardless of their subscription.
5.4. Who Is Unity Pro For?
If you need Unity Pro, you likely already have it or know you need to get it. One of the main reasons for getting it is for development and deployment to closed platforms.
If you need Unity Pro, you likely have it or know you need it. The main reasons for opting for Pro include developing for closed platforms or exceeding the revenue limits of the Personal license.
5.5. How Much Does Unity Pro Cost?
There are two costs associated with Unity Pro: the use of the Unity Editor and distribution of the Unity Runtime.
Unity Pro incurs two types of costs: the Unity Editor license and the distribution of the Unity Runtime. The editor fee is $185 per month or $2,040 annually, while the runtime fee depends on specific circumstances.
6. The Unity Runtime Fee and Revenue Share Explained
The Runtime Fee is related to your distribution of the Unity Runtime when selling a game built in the Unity Editor.
The Runtime Fee is linked to the distribution of the Unity Runtime when you sell a game developed using the Unity Editor. This fee applies under specific conditions, impacting only the most successful and widely played games.
6.1. Who Will Need to Pay the Unity Runtime Fee?
The runtime fee applies if your project is built using Unity 6 or higher, you’re using Unity Pro or Enterprise, your project has exceeded a million dollars in gross revenue in the last 12 months, and your game has more than a million initial engagements.
To be charged the runtime fee, the following criteria must be met: your project is built with Unity 6 or newer, you’re using Unity Pro or Enterprise, your project’s gross revenue has surpassed $1 million in the last year, and your game has over 1 million initial engagements. If all conditions are true, you’ll pay either a calculated fee based on initial engagements or 2.5% of monthly revenue, whichever is lower.
6.2. Unity Revenue Share vs Unreal Revenue Share
Unreal has monetized its game engine for years, typically asking for a 5% royalty once the lifetime gross revenue of a project reaches one million dollars.
For years, Unreal has monetized its engine by charging a 5% royalty once a project’s lifetime gross revenue hits $1 million. At that point, a 5% royalty is due on earnings above that amount, so long as your game’s revenue for each quarter continues to exceed $10,000.
6.3. Unity Enterprise vs Other Plans
Unity Enterprise is a large-scale Unity plan starting at a minimum of 20 seats, adding included Build Server licensing and additional support and learning resources.
Unity Enterprise is a comprehensive Unity plan tailored for large teams, starting with a minimum of 20 seats. It offers additional benefits such as Build Server licensing and enhanced support and learning resources.
7. Choosing the Right Unity License for You
If you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, Unity Personal is the best option, provided you’re eligible.
Unity Personal is generally the best option for beginners and experienced developers alike, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. Its extensive features enable you to create high-quality games while generating income, as verified by COMPARE.EDU.VN.
7.1. Making the Most of Unity Personal
Unity Personal makes sense as an upgrade when you’re either making too much money from your games to keep using it, or because the number of players you have mean that Unity Plus’ extra features were going to be important to your success.
Unity Personal is a great starting point. Consider upgrading when your revenue exceeds the limit or when extra features like increased cloud diagnostics become critical for your game’s success.
7.2. Upgrading to Unity Pro
You’ll need Unity Pro to release your game on consoles. However, some platforms, like Playstation and Switch, may provide a Preferred Platform Key for Unity Pro anyway.
To release games on consoles, Unity Pro is necessary. However, remember that platforms like PlayStation and Switch may offer a Preferred Platform Key, providing Unity Pro as part of their development program.
7.3. Projects and License Tiers
Unity projects are tied to the tier of license that they were created with, meaning that you can only open a project if you hold the same license or higher.
Unity projects are connected to the license tier they were created with, meaning you can only access a project if you have the same or higher license. Consider this carefully before upgrading, as you might need to maintain a specific license level to access certain projects.
7.4. The Bottom Line
Unity’s paid subscriptions tend to scale with success. The controversial runtime fee has been revised, meaning you only pay more if you actually earn more.
Unity’s paid subscriptions are structured to grow with your success. The revised runtime fee policy ensures that you only pay more when you earn more, providing a scalable solution for developers.
8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the main difference between Unity Personal and Unity Pro?
The main differences include revenue limits, access to closed platforms, and customer support. Unity Personal has a revenue limit of $200,000, while Unity Pro does not. Additionally, Unity Pro is required for deploying to closed platforms like Xbox and PlayStation.
2. Is Unity truly free to use?
Unity offers a free version called Unity Personal, which is available for individuals and small businesses with revenue or funding less than $200,000 in the last 12 months.
3. What is the Unity Runtime Fee, and who has to pay it?
The Unity Runtime Fee is a charge for the distribution of the Unity Runtime in commercially successful games. It applies to projects built with Unity 6 or higher, using Unity Pro or Enterprise, and exceeding $1 million in gross revenue in the last 12 months with over 1 million initial engagements.
4. Can I remove the “Made with Unity” splash screen in Unity Personal?
Yes, in newer versions of Unity (Unity 6 and above), you can optionally remove the “Made with Unity” splash screen even in Unity Personal.
5. What happens if my revenue exceeds the Unity Personal limit?
If your revenue exceeds the Unity Personal limit of $200,000, you must upgrade to Unity Pro or Enterprise to continue using Unity legally.
6. Can I use Unity Personal if I’m working for a company that makes over $200,000?
If you’re a freelancer or contractor using Unity to provide services to a client, their revenue, not yours, determines eligibility for Unity Personal. If the company makes over $200,000, you cannot use Unity Personal for that work.
7. What are Unity seats, and how do they work?
Unity seats are licenses purchased for individual users. Each user must have a seat assigned to their Unity ID, which can be activated on up to two machines at a time.
8. What is a Preferred Platform Key, and how can I get one?
A Preferred Platform Key is a Unity Pro license provided by platform holders like Sony or Nintendo. It enables you to develop games for their platforms using Unity Pro without paying for the license yourself.
9. Is Unity’s dark theme available in all versions?
Yes, Unity’s dark theme is available as an accessibility option in all versions of Unity since Unity 2019.4.8.
10. How does Unity’s revenue share compare to Unreal Engine’s?
Unity charges 2.5% revenue share. Unreal Engine charges 5% royalty once the lifetime gross revenue of a project reaches one million dollars.
9. Conclusion
Choosing the right Unity license depends on your specific needs, revenue, and development goals. Unity Personal is a powerful, free option for many developers, while Unity Pro offers additional features and removes revenue limits for larger projects. Understanding the differences between Unity Free vs Pro will help you make the best choice for your game development journey.
If you still find it challenging to make a decision, visit COMPARE.EDU.VN to explore detailed comparisons and reviews, ensuring you make the best choice for your needs.
10. Call to Action
Ready to make an informed decision about Unity? Head over to COMPARE.EDU.VN to explore more comparisons and reviews to help you choose the best option for your game development journey.
For more detailed comparisons and reviews to help you choose the best option for your game development journey, visit COMPARE.EDU.VN. Our comprehensive comparisons ensure you make the most informed decision. Need help or have questions? Contact us at 333 Comparison Plaza, Choice City, CA 90210, United States, Whatsapp: +1 (626) 555-9090. We’re here to assist you every step of the way. Visit our website at compare.edu.vn.
