Godot vs Unity in 2025: Which is Right for You?

Summary

This video compares Godot and Unity game engines in 2025, focusing on their growth, community involvement, and recent developments. Godot has seen significant growth, especially after Unity's controversial runtime fee cancellation, and is praised for its open-source nature and ease of use. While Godot is considered more beginner-friendly, Unity is recognized for its larger tutorial base and job opportunities, being the industry standard. The video highlights the differences in their community-driven development, programming languages, and performance for 2D and 3D games, concluding that both engines have their strengths depending on the developer's needs and goals.

Takeaways

• 😀 Godot has shown significant growth in recent years, reaching over 37% of games in the 2024 GMTK Game Jam, up from 17% in 2020.
• 😀 Unity still holds a larger share of the market, but its usage dropped significantly in 2023, with many developers transitioning to Godot.
• 😀 Godot is an open-source engine maintained by the community, whereas Unity is closed-source and controlled by the company.
• 😀 Godot's open-source model allows for frequent updates, often every 7-15 days, while Unity updates are less frequent but larger in scope.
• 😀 Unity faced major backlash in 2024 after implementing and quickly canceling a controversial runtime fee for game downloads.
• 😀 Godot’s simplicity, beginner-friendly interface, and node-based system make it a preferred choice for indie developers and 2D games.
• 😀 Unity, using C# and a game object hierarchy, offers more complex development options, particularly suited for large-scale, realistic 3D games.
• 😀 Godot has a smaller resource pool compared to Unity, but its community-driven growth means more tutorials and resources are emerging.
• 😀 Unity is the industry standard, with vast resources, tutorials, and more job opportunities, especially in larger studios and formal game development companies.
• 😀 Godot excels in 2D game development, with an easier 2D workflow compared to Unity, but Unity’s 3D capabilities are more robust for large-scale and realistic projects.
• 😀 The choice between Godot and Unity ultimately depends on your goals: Godot is great for indie and 2D games, while Unity is better for industry-standard 3D development and job prospects.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The video primarily focuses on comparing Godot and Unity in 2025, with emphasis on the developments and growth in 2024 and expectations for the future.

What does the 2024 graphic about the GMTK Game Jam reveal about Godot and Unity's growth?

The graphic shows that Godot, although relatively new, now accounts for 37% of the games created during the GMTK Game Jam in 2024. Unity still holds the majority with 43%, but Godot has shown significant growth, especially with its jump from 20% in 2023 to over 40%.

How does Godot's open-source nature contribute to its development?

As an open-source engine, Godot allows anyone to access and modify its source code. The engine is maintained by the community through donations, and updates are driven by volunteers, contributing to its rapid growth.

What was the controversy surrounding Unity in 2024, and how did it affect its reputation?

Unity introduced a runtime fee, where developers would be charged per download of their games, which led to significant backlash. The fee was quickly canceled, but the controversy tarnished Unity's reputation, especially regarding transparency and community management.

How does Unity's closed-source nature differ from Godot's open-source model?

Unity is closed-source and operated by a company that generates revenue through licenses and paid workers. In contrast, Godot is open-source, relying on community support and donations for its development and maintenance.

What are the main differences in the frequency of updates between Godot and Unity?

Godot, being a smaller engine, is updated more frequently, with updates occurring every 7 to 15 days. Unity, being larger, releases updates less often, sometimes taking months or even years between major versions.

What are some of the differences between Godot and Unity in terms of programming languages and hierarchy systems?

Godot uses GDScript, a beginner-friendly programming language, and has a node-based hierarchy system that is simpler to navigate. Unity, on the other hand, uses C# and a more complex game object hierarchy system, which is more suited to experienced developers.

Why does Unity have more tutorials and resources compared to Godot?

Unity has been around since 2005 and is the industry standard, leading to an abundance of tutorials and resources created over a decade. In comparison, Godot, being much newer (since 2014), has fewer tutorials, though its resources have grown significantly in recent years.

How does Godot compare to Unity in terms of job opportunities?

Unity has significantly more job opportunities due to its status as the industry standard. Godot, while growing in popularity, mainly serves indie developers or smaller teams and has fewer formal job opportunities in larger studios.

Which engine is better for creating 3D games, and why?

Unity is better for creating 3D games, as it offers more powerful 3D capabilities than Godot. While Godot has good 3D support, Unity is better suited for realistic 3D games and large-scale projects.