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Is Unity Really Free ?
I readed here about Unity being free, and thought "WOW awesome its free now" but if i start Unity it shows up that i need to buy it and that i need an Internet access for license purchasing.
So, is it really free?
If it is, how can i start it without having an Internet connection at home ?
Many Greets, Leiche aka. Dead corpse
Answer by Lucas Meijer 1 · Nov 10, 2009 at 12:48 AM
Yes.
Unity is a very rich game development tool, that you can download for free.
It is totally cool if you make money with it.
In fact, we even recommend it :) You don't owe Unity Technologies a dime.
There is also Unity Pro, which costs $1499. You can find the exact differences here, but the most important ones (imho) are:
- All webgames display a Unity logo for about three secounds on startup. (Only goes for webgames, standalone do not have the logo)
- Unity Pro packs a few more features than regular Unity.
- You need to make less than $100K per year at the time of your purchase.
You do need to have an internet connection to activate Unity the first time you run it.
Answer by ADTC · Sep 10, 2010 at 10:15 AM
- You need to make less than $100K per year at the time of your purchase.
Wrong information!
EULA:
2) LICENSING RESTRICTIONS:
(a) Unity Pro may be licensed by any company, incorporated entity, or individual.
(b) Companies or incorporated entities that had a turnover in excess of US$100,000 in their last fiscal year must use Unity Pro.
(c) A company, incorporated entity, or individual may not use both Unity and Unity Pro.
Anybody can buy Unity Pro regardless of his or her yearly income. The licensing restrictions only state that any company or incorporated entity (note: does not include individuals) whose business income (turnover) is more than US$100K per year must use Unity Pro and cannot use the Unity Free.
In other words, Unity Free is free for any individual to use, regardless of income. It is also free for any company or incorporated entity to use as long as their annual turnover is less than $100K per year. If the turnover is more than the limit, they are required to purchase Unity Pro.
You do need to have an internet connection to activate Unity the first time you run it.
Also wrong! You can perform Manual Activation. You only need to transfer the activation file from the computer without internet to a computer with internet, upload it in that page, then transfer the downloaded activation file back. This method can also be used if the internet activation fails (even if you have working internet). Read more about Activation here.
- All webgames display a Unity logo for about three secounds on startup. (Only goes for webgames, standalone do not have the logo)
Actually, standalone games created with Unity Free will display a "Made with Unity" splash screen. Also, you are not clear in this one. Unity Free is the package that displays Unity logo or Unity splash screen in the final products. Unity Pro does not display the logo or splash screen.
Answer by AngryAnt · Nov 09, 2009 at 01:29 PM
Yes. http://blogs.unity3d.com/2009/10/29/a-free-unity/
Unity needs to be activated though - which requires an internet connection. By following the guide of Unity activation, you are lead to a page where you can request a free activation.
Answer by RFoster · Feb 18, 2015 at 01:17 PM
Buy is not the right statement, Lease usage or rent" is more like it. Buying means Owning your copy. That is not the case with Unity3D. Second, Free is more like a demo and only seems to work for about a week and then is pretty much garbage space taken up on your computer.
30day activation allows you "Some" pro-features but then goes away after that point in time at which you revert back to the so called Free Version which is utterly useless for the most part, or the Pro Version you "Lease," not Buy. You Buy a game. You buy a Car. You Buy Clothing. You Lease Unity. Big difference.
As far as Internet connection how did you post here unless you are on the internet? Donwload, install, choose what you will choose from the options for activation, and then what you do with it offline is really up to you.
Well, yes, being pedantic you don't really own any software - you've merely been given a licence to use it. The same is true of Unity, $$anonymous$$icrosoft Office, anything downloaded from the Apple/Google Play store...
Why so you say Free is utterly useless? $$anonymous$$ost people who've used it to publish successful games would disagree with you.
Answer by seedee3d · Nov 15, 2015 at 08:14 AM
You pay 75 per month for cool stuff. If you want branding everywhere go free
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