Flax Engine vs GameSalad
Flax Engine
flaxengine.comGameSalad
gamesalad.comSide by side
| Figure | Flax Engine | GameSalad |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $2.42/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 8 |
| Spec score · Game Engine Software | 8.9 (#10) | 8.5 (#29) |
| Spec score · Game Development Software | 8.8 (#7) | 8.3 (#22) |
| Founded | 2012 | 2010 |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Headquarters | Poland | Austin, Texas, United States |
| Mobile export | Yes | Yes |
| Product | Flax Engine is a modern 3D game engine written in C++ and C#. | GameSalad Creator lets users make video games with a visual programming interface. |
| Source code model | source_available | closed_source |
| Support | The feature page promises direct communication and help from engine developers, and the site provides a contact form. | The education instructor guide lists support by email at [email protected] and by phone at 1-844-837-8387. |
| Target platforms | Windows,Linux,Android,iOS,PlayStation 4/5,Xbox One/Series,Nintendo Switch | web,iOS,Android,HTML5,desktop |
| Visual scripting | Yes | Yes |
Plans
GameSalad
- GameSalad Basic$19 a month
- GameSalad Home EduPrice not published
- GameSalad Pro$29 a month
- GameSalad Learn@Home$19 a month
- K-12 Bundle$29 a year
- Higher Ed Bundle$57 a year
- Developer EDU Discount$149 a year
- Site/Building$1,495 a year
In their own words
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.
GameSalad
GameSalad Creator is a visual programming tool for making mobile and web games. GameSalad describes its approach as no-code, and says creators and learners ages 12 and beyond can use it. Creator downloads are available for macOS and Windows; iOS and Android Viewer apps support native-device previews. Publishing depends on the plan: Basic subscribers can use Creator’s behaviors and functions, preview with Viewer, and publish to GameSalad Arcade. Pro subscribers get access to all publishing platforms, including iOS App Store, Android App Store and HTML5 publishing, as well as priority technical support. Plans include GameSalad Basic at $19 a month and GameSalad Pro at $29 a month. Education options include lesson plans, tutorials, classroom management and student progress views through a teacher dashboard. App store publishing requires separate store processes, credentials and fees, which are not included in the education license. GameSalad is based in Austin, Texas, and launched in 2010.