Babylon.js vs Unreal: Read Before You Adopt

Choose Babylon.js for high-quality 3D renderings directly in your browser, ideal for web-focused projects. For larger projects spanning multiple platforms, with a focus on gaming or mixed-media industries, Unreal Engine offers profound flexibility and support.

Key Differences Between Babylon.js and Unreal Engine

• Platform: Babylon.js runs on the web while Unreal Engine is platform-agnostic.
• Language: Babylon.js uses TypeScript and JavaScript, Unreal Engine uses C++.
• License: Babylon.js is free under the Apache License 2.0, Unreal Engine charges 5% of revenues over USD 1 million.
• 3D Modelling: Babylon.js uses polygon modeling, Unreal Engine uses constructive solid geometry.
• Creation Market: Unreal Engine offers a marketplace to buy/sell developer creations, Babylon.js does not.
• Educational Use: Unreal Engine is free for academic institutions, Babylon.js licensing does not differentiate.

What Is Babylon.js and Who’s It For?

Babylon.js reigns as a real-time 3D engine empowering users to display 3D graphics via HTML5 in a web browser. Conceived by David Catuhe and fostered by Microsoft, Babylon.js has flourished since its inception in 2013 to its current stable release, 5.3.0. Babylon.js beckons everyone ranging from artists, developers, educators, and researchers who look to render 3D snapshots of virtual worlds and actual data into comprehensible projections.

Whether visualizing crime data or modeling historical sites, Babylon.js facilitates the creation of immersive, interactive experiences. Babylon.js is especially significant for those navigating the realms of fashion avatars, medicine, product design, and military training.

Pros of Babylon.js

• Rich repository with open-source Github code.
• Ability to render photorealistic images with its advanced rendering and post-processing methods.
• Support for popular physics engines.
• Accessible API for user projects.

Cons of Babylon.js

• Functionality dependent on browsers supporting HTML5 and WebGL.
• Limited application of constructive solid geometry operations.

What Is Unreal Engine and Who’s It For?

Unreal Engine (UE), birthed by Epic Games, is a potent suite of 3D computer graphics game engines. First demonstrated in 1998 with the game Unreal, UE originally catered to PC first-person shooters but expanded its clientele to involve industries like films and television, stretching across platforms including mobile, console, and virtual reality. Unreal Engine’s adaptability and wide range of features make it the go-to choice for game developers, film and television production professionals, and educational institutions.

Whether you’re a beginner utilizing project templates for a first or third-person experience or a seasoned developer crafting AAA games, Unreal Engine equips you with the tools and the freedom to mobilize your creative vision. Besides gaming, Unreal Engine serves an array of industries, from filming to architectural visualization, underpinning the need for real-time rendering.

Pros of Unreal Engine

• Support for a wide range of platforms.
• Unreal Engine 5 provides advanced real-time rendering capabilities.
• Offers royalty-free usage for games published on the Epic Games Store.
• Unreal Engine is free for schools and universities.

Cons of Unreal Engine

• 5% revenue charge for products generating over $3,000 per quarter.
• The learning curve can be steep for beginners.

Babylon.js vs Unreal Engine: Pricing

In the high-stakes game of technical prowess, Babylon.js simplifies the field with a cost-free model under Apache License 2.0, whereas Unreal Engine adopts a cut-and-dried approach, levying a 5% royalty on revenues exceeding USD 1 million.

Babylon.js

Babylon.js, the potent 3D engine resonates with a zero-cost model enabled by its developers. It can be obtained free of charge, adhering to the principles of the Apache License 2.0.

Unreal Engine

Unreal Engine, meanwhile, follows a lucrative path. Its business strategy entails a mandatory 5% royalty on revenues exceeding USD 1 million. However, this fee is waived for games hosted on the Epic Games Store. Furthermore, benefiting the educational sector, Unreal Engine is offered free to schools and universities.

Code Examples for Babylon.js & Unreal Engine

Babylon.js

Let’s create an interactive 3D sphere with a gradient texture in Babylon.js. Make sure you have Babylon.js v4.0 or later installed.

var createScene = function () {
    var scene = new BABYLON.Scene(engine);
    var camera = new BABYLON.ArcRotateCamera("Camera", Math.PI / 2, Math.PI / 2, 2, BABYLON.Vector3.Zero(), scene);
    camera.attachControl(canvas, true);
    var light = new BABYLON.HemisphericLight("light1", new BABYLON.Vector3(1, 1, 0), scene);
    var sphere = BABYLON.Mesh.CreateSphere("sphere", 16, 2, scene);
  	var gradTexture = new BABYLON.GradientMaterial("grad", scene);
    gradTexture.topColor = BABYLON.Color3.Red();   
    gradTexture.bottomColor = BABYLON.Color3.Blue();
    gradTexture.offset = 0.25;
    sphere.material = gradTexture;
    return scene; };

Unreal Engine

Here’s a code snippet to generate a rotating actor in Unreal Engine. FTicker function is must to call this function every frame.

#include "RotatingActor.h"
ARotatingActor::ARotatingActor()
{
    PrimaryActorTick.bCanEverTick = true;
    Mesh = CreateDefaultSubobject<ustaticmeshcomponent>(TEXT("Mesh"));
    RootComponent = Mesh;
}
void ARotatingActor::BeginPlay() { Super::BeginPlay(); }
void ARotatingActor::Tick(float DeltaTime) {
    Super::Tick(DeltaTime);
    FRotator CurrentRotation = Mesh->GetComponentRotation();
    CurrentRotation.Yaw += 1.0f;
    Mesh->SetWorldRotation(CurrentRotation); };</ustaticmeshcomponent>

Which reigns supreme: Babylon.js or Unreal?

As we proceed to the verdict after an intense comparison, the choice between Babylon.js and Unreal boils down to your specific needs and domain.

For Web-based 3D Creators

Babylon.js, a real-time 3D engine developed by Microsoft flaunts its prowess in web 3D visualization. With its capability to display 3D graphics seamlessly in web browsers, it provides an unrivaled utility for web-centric 3D developers. Its versatility across realms like virtual worlds, RDF graphs, and product design definitively positions it as the choice for web 3D creators.

For the Gamified Universe

For game-makers aiming for stunning 3D visualizations across multiple platforms, Unreal Engine is the definitive choice. With a history of dedication to high-quality game design and accoutrements like the Unreal Development Kit, game creators, especially in the realm of first-person shooters and advanced gaming applications, are best served by Unreal.

Education Sector and Start-up Enterprises

For entities such as universities, schools, and start-up organizations focused on the economic constraint, Unreal Engine shines with its offer of free use for educational institutions and a forgiving royalty model. Its basic project templates serve as excellent springboards for these users.

While Unreal satisfies immersive application developers with its broad platform compatibility and robust features, Babylon.js stands its ground with superior web 3D visualization. Babylon.js takes the cake for web 3D creators with its user-friendly API and HTML5 browser support. For a broader application scope, including gaming and education, Unreal Engine takes the crown.