Is Unreal Engine free?

Yes, Unreal Engine is free to download and use. Epic Games, the developer behind Unreal Engine, offers the engine under a free-to-use license for most developers, creators, and hobbyists.

However, there are some important conditions regarding royalty fees and the use of the engine in commercial projects:

Unreal Engine's Free License (as of 2024):

1. Free for Development: You can download and use Unreal Engine for free, including its full suite of features and tools, for personal, educational, or non-commercial use. This is a major advantage for indie developers, hobbyists, and anyone looking to learn game development or experiment with the engine.

2. Royalties on Commercial Projects:

   • For Games and Interactive Media: If you use Unreal Engine to create a commercial product (like a game or interactive media), Epic Games requires you to pay a royalty fee. Specifically, once your game or project earns more than $1 million USD in gross revenue, you'll owe 5% of the revenue beyond that threshold to Epic Games.

   • For Certain Types of Media: Some types of commercial use may have different royalty conditions. For example, if you're developing a project for film, TV, or virtual production, the royalty agreement may vary depending on the terms you negotiate with Epic Games.

3. No Royalties for Certain Use Cases:

   • If Your Project Earns Less Than $1 Million: If your commercial project makes less than $1 million USD, you don’t owe any royalties to Epic Games.
   • Custom Licenses: Some large companies or high-profile projects may negotiate custom licensing agreements with Epic, which can potentially remove or alter the standard royalty structure.
   • Epic MegaGrants: Epic offers grants (called Epic MegaGrants) for developers who are working on certain kinds of creative projects, which can be used to fund development or give you special access to Unreal Engine.

4. Unreal Engine for Enterprise and Non-Game Projects:

   • For non-game projects, such as architectural visualization, product design, virtual reality applications, and other interactive media, Unreal Engine can be used with different licensing agreements depending on the specific use case. These are typically more customized deals, especially for large corporations.

Unreal Engine Features You Get for Free:

• Full Source Code Access: You get full access to the source code of Unreal Engine, allowing you to modify and customize the engine itself to fit your needs.
• No Upfront Costs: There are no upfront costs to use Unreal Engine for developing your project, making it an accessible option for both individuals and small studios.
• Marketplace Access: You can access Unreal Engine's Marketplace, where you can buy or download free assets to help you build your game or project.

Conclusion:

Unreal Engine is free for most developers to use, with royalties only kicking in once your project earns more than $1 million USD. This makes it an excellent choice for indie developers and smaller studios, allowing them to create high-quality games and applications without upfront costs, but with a revenue-sharing model if their projects become successful.

For more detailed information about licensing and royalty fees, you can visit the official Unreal Engine website:

• Unreal Engine Pricing and Licensing