The short answer
Unity is free on the Personal plan until your company passes $200,000 in revenue and funding over the last 12 months. Above that you need Unity Pro at $2,310 per seat per year (or $210 per seat per month). Companies above $25 million in annual revenue need Enterprise, which is custom priced. There is no per-install Runtime Fee: Unity cancelled it in September 2024 for every version, including Unity 6. You pay per seat, not per download.
The plans at a glance
| Plan | Who it is for | Price (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | Individuals and companies with up to $200K in revenue and funding | Free; splash screen optional in Unity 6 |
| Pro | Companies above $200K in revenue or funding | $2,310 per seat per year prepaid, or $210 per seat per month |
| Enterprise | Companies above $25M in annual revenue | Custom; a minimum subscription may apply |
| Industry | Non-game industrial and enterprise use | Custom; unchanged in the 2026 update |
Pro and Enterprise went up 5% on 12 January 2026. Existing subscribers moved to the new price at their first renewal on or after that date. Regional prices can differ because of tax and currency, so check the figure at checkout.
What happened to the Runtime Fee
In 2023 Unity announced a fee per game install, and the backlash was one of the biggest in the industry's history. Unity scaled it back, then cancelled it outright on 12 September 2024, and moved back to the seat-based model. If you read older articles warning about install fees, they are out of date. A hit game on Unity costs the same in licences as a flop with the same team size.
The smaller 2026 changes that still matter
- Version control got cheaper. From 1 March 2026, Unity Version Control in the public cloud has no seat charges, the Personal limit of three free seats became unlimited, free storage rose from 5 GB to 25 GB per organisation, and 100 GB of egress per month is free, then $0.10 per GB.
- Free build minutes. Build Automation includes monthly free Windows, Mac and Linux minutes on every plan.
- Havok is gone from Pro. From Unity 6.3, Havok Physics is no longer included in Pro, Enterprise or Industry. If your game depends on it, budget for a separate Havok licence or plan a move to Unity Physics.
What it costs a real team
| Team | Plan | Annual licence cost |
|---|---|---|
| Solo developer earning under $200K | Personal | $0 |
| Indie studio of 3 after a funding round above $200K | Pro × 3 seats | $6,930 |
| Studio of 10 developers and artists using the editor | Pro × 10 seats | $23,100 |
| Same studio paying monthly | Pro × 10 seats, monthly | $25,200 |
Only people who open the Unity editor need a seat. Producers, marketers and most QA testers working with builds do not.
Unity vs Unreal vs Godot on cost
Unreal Engine is free to use for games, then charges a 5% royalty on lifetime gross revenue above $1 million per product, with a reduced rate under Epic's programme for games that also launch on the Epic Games Store. Godot is free and open source under the MIT licence, with no seats or royalties. Unity charges for seats and nothing on revenue.
For a game that earns $3 million over its life, Unreal's standard royalty is 5% of $2 million, or $100,000. Ten Unity Pro seats for three years cost $69,300. A five-person team on Unity for three years pays $34,650. Below $1 million in revenue, Unreal costs nothing, and for teams that have not yet earned or raised $200,000, Unity Personal costs nothing too. The engine fee is rarely the deciding factor; the team's skills, the target platforms and the type of game matter far more. Our comparisons of Unity vs Unreal and Unity vs Godot cover those trade-offs.
If a studio builds your game
When you hire an outside studio, the studio's developers work on their own licences while they build. Before you start, ask two questions in writing: whose licence covers the development, and which plan you will need if your own team takes the project over after handover. A good studio answers both in the proposal. Every project we deliver includes 100% source-code ownership, so the project is yours to open on your own Unity licence.
Bottom line
For most small teams, Unity is either free or a predictable line item of a few thousand dollars a year, and the Runtime Fee scare is over. The bigger 2026 cost risk is technical, not licensing: projects still on the deprecated Built-in Render Pipeline face an upgrade. Our Unity 6 upgrade guide explains how to plan it.
Sources: Unity: changes to plans and pricing · Game Developer on the Runtime Fee cancellation. Checked October 12, 2026.
Related: Unity game development · Game cost guide · Unity vs Unreal
Quick answers ❓
Is Unity free in 2026?
Yes, on the Personal plan, for individuals and companies with up to $200,000 in revenue and funding over the last 12 months. Unity 6 also makes the splash screen optional on Personal.
How much does Unity Pro cost in 2026?
Unity Pro costs $2,310 per seat per year when prepaid annually, or $210 per seat per month on monthly billing, after a 5% increase that took effect on 12 January 2026.
Does Unity still have a Runtime Fee?
No. Unity cancelled the Runtime Fee on 12 September 2024 for all versions, including Unity 6, and returned to seat-based subscriptions.
When do I need Unity Enterprise?
Unity Enterprise is required for companies with more than $25 million in annual revenue. It is custom priced and a minimum subscription may apply.
Is Unity cheaper than Unreal Engine?
It depends on revenue and team size. Unreal is free until a game passes $1 million in lifetime gross revenue, then charges a 5% royalty above that. Unity charges per seat and takes nothing from revenue, so successful games with small teams usually pay less on Unity.
Related guides
Unity 6 upgrade guide: Built-in is deprecated → Unity vs Godot for mobile games →Building in Unity? 🔷
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