CRYENGINE vs Flax Engine
CRYENGINE
cryengine.comFlax Engine
flaxengine.comSide by side
| Figure | CRYENGINE | Flax Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Spec score · Game Engine Software | 9.0 (#5) | 8.9 (#10) |
| Spec score · Game Development Software | 8.8 (#6) | 8.8 (#7) |
| Community Channels | The community can use Discord and GitHub. | The site links to a community forum and Discord. |
| Console export | Yes | Yes |
| Founded | 1999 | 2012 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Poland |
| Mobile export | Yes | Yes |
| Multiplayer tools | Yes | Yes |
| Scripting languages | C++,Lua,Schematyc visual scripting | C#,C++ |
| Source Code Access | The offering includes full source code. | Flax provides full source code. |
| Source code model | source_available | source_available |
| Target platforms | Windows,Linux,macOS,PlayStation,Xbox,Nintendo Switch,Android,iOS,Web,VR | Windows,Linux,Android,iOS,PlayStation 4/5,Xbox One/Series,Nintendo Switch |
| Visual scripting | Yes | Yes |
Plans
In their own words
CRYENGINE
CRYENGINE is a game engine for building projects targeting PC, consoles, mobile, web and VR. Its offering includes full source code, engine features and access to supported platforms. Developers can use C++, Lua or Schematyc visual scripting, along with multiplayer tools and mobile export. The Sandbox Editor creates worlds without baking and exports them as they appear in the editor. Rendering includes dynamic global illumination and a physically based rendering workflow; physics simulations account for physical properties. The engine also includes particle tools, animation systems and a physics solution for dynamic destruction. CRYENGINE can be used for free under royalty-based licensing: a 5% royalty applies when a project ships, while the first $5K in annual revenue per project is royalty-free. Documentation includes guides and tutorials, and community channels include Discord and GitHub. The maker was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany.
Flax Engine
Flax Engine is a 3D game engine written in C++ and C#, with visual scripting and full Editor source code available. It supports C++, C#, and visual scripting, with hot-reloading for both programming languages in the Editor. Rendering features include real-time global illumination, reflections using custom software ray tracing, and GPU lightmap baking. World-building tools cover terrain, foliage, fog, nested prefabs, level streaming, and large-world 64-bit coordinates. Multiplayer projects can use low- and high-level networking APIs. Its Online system supports services such as Steam, Xbox Live, and PlayStation Network for profiles, friends, achievements, presence, and cloud saves. Supported targets include Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, macOS, web, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series, and Nintendo Switch. Web support is experimental and lacks C# scripting, video playback, and some other engine features. NDA-protected platform support is excluded from the public repository. The engine is free for non-commercial or educational use; commercial releases pay a 4% royalty on earnings exceeding $250,000 per calendar quarter.