Editor’s note (Sept. 22, 2023): We have updated the Runtime Fee policy based on your feedback. Read about the changes in a letter from Unity's Marc Whitten (above) and visit the FAQ for additional details. This blog's information is out of date, but remains available for your reference. Editor’s note (Sept. 17, 2023): We have heard you. We apologize for the confusion and angst the runtime fee policy we announced on Tuesday caused. We are listening, talking to our team members, community, customers, and partners, and will be making changes to the policy. We will share an update in a couple of days. Thank you for your honest and critical feedback. |
Effective January 1, 2024, we will introduce a new Unity Runtime Fee that’s based on game installs. We will also add cloud-based asset storage, Unity DevOps tools, and AI at runtime at no extra cost to Unity subscription plans this November.
As many of you know, the Unity Engine is in fact two substantial software components – the Unity Editor and the Unity Runtime. The Unity Runtime is code that executes on player devices and makes Made with Unity games work at scale, with billions of monthly downloads.
We are introducing a Unity Runtime Fee that is based upon each time a qualifying game is downloaded by an end user. We chose this because each time a game is downloaded, the Unity Runtime is also installed. Also we believe that an initial install-based fee allows creators to keep the ongoing financial gains from player engagement, unlike a revenue share.
Games qualify for the Unity Runtime Fee after two criteria have been met: 1) the game has passed a minimum revenue threshold in the last 12 months, and 2) the game has passed a minimum lifetime install count. We set high revenue and game install thresholds to avoid impacting those who have yet to find scale, meaning they don’t need to pay the fee until they have reached significant success.
Only games that meet the following thresholds qualify for the Unity Runtime Fee:
With this new policy, as of January 1, 2024, we will offer Unity Personal to anyone regardless of how much revenue they make to provide more flexibility in how creators manage their licenses. Once a game passes the revenue and install thresholds, the studio would pay a small flat fee for each install (see the table below).
To adjust for scale, Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise subscribers will be eligible for volume discounts that rapidly reduce the per-install cost of the Unity Runtime Fee. This means that in addition to other benefits, the cost of Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise licenses can be offset by the savings as the game grows.
Finally, we structured our fees so that they take into account the variability of game monetization between more established regions like North America and Europe versus emerging gaming regions such as India. A breakdown of the pricing and discount structure is below. See the FAQ for additional details.
Unity Runtime Fee Schedule Check if the Unity Runtime Fee applies to your game and estimate any applicable fees. The fee applies to new installs beginning January 1, 2024, billed monthly. | |||
Step 1: Check Your Eligibility Your game must meet both revenue AND install thresholds for the fee to apply. | |||
Unity Personal and Unity Plus | Unity Pro | Unity Enterprise | |
---|---|---|---|
Revenue Threshold (last 12 months) | $200,000 (USD) | $1,000,000 (USD) | $1,000,000 (USD) |
Install Threshold (lifetime) | 200,000 | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 |
Step 2: Calculate the Fee If your game meets both thresholds, the tiered rates apply and will be charged once per new install. | |||
Unity Personal and Unity Plus | Unity Pro | Unity Enterprise | |
New installs per month | Standard rate (if thresholds are met) | ||
1–100,000 | $0.20 per install | $0.15 per install | $0.125 per install |
100,001–500,000 | $0.075 per install | $0.06 per install | |
500,001–1,000,000 | $0.03 per install | $0.02 per install | |
1,000,001+ | $0.02 per install | $0.01 per install | |
New installs per month | Emerging market rate (if thresholds are met) | ||
1+ | $0.02 per install | $0.01 per install | $0.005 per install |
Unity Runtime Fee Schedule Check if the Unity Runtime Fee applies to your game and estimate any applicable fees. The fee applies to new installs beginning January 1, 2024, billed monthly. | |
Step 1: Check Your Eligibility Your game must meet both revenue AND install thresholds for the fee to apply. | |
Unity Personal and Unity Plus | |
Revenue Threshold (last 12 months) | $200,000 (USD) |
Install Threshold (lifetime) | 200,000 |
Unity Pro | |
Revenue Threshold (last 12 months) | $1,000,000 (USD) |
Install Threshold (lifetime) | 1,000,000 |
Unity Enterprise | |
Revenue Threshold (last 12 months) | $1,000,000 (USD) |
Install Threshold (lifetime) | 1,000,000 |
Step 2: Calculate the Fee If your game meets both thresholds, the tiered rates apply and will be charged once per new install. | |
Unity Personal and Unity Plus | |
New installs per month | Standard rate (if thresholds are met) |
1–100,000 | $0.20 per install |
100,001–500,000 | |
500,001–1,000,000 | |
1,000,001+ | |
New installs per month | Emerging market rate (if thresholds are met) |
1+ | $0.02 per install |
Unity Pro | |
New installs per month | Standard rate (if thresholds are met) |
1–100,000 | $0.15 per install |
100,001–500,000 | $0.075 per install |
500,001–1,000,000 | $0.03 per install |
1,000,001+ | $0.02 per install |
New installs per month | Emerging market rate (if thresholds are met) |
1+ | $0.01 per install |
Unity Enterprise | |
New installs per month | Standard rate (if thresholds are met) |
1–100,000 | $0.125 per install |
100,001–500,000 | $0.06 per install |
500,001–1,000,000 | $0.02 per install |
1,000,001+ | $0.01 per install |
New installs per month | Emerging market rate (if thresholds are met) |
1+ | $0.005 per install |
Qualifying customers may be eligible for credits toward the Unity Runtime Fee based on the adoption of Unity services beyond the Editor, such as Unity Gaming Services or Unity LevelPlay mediation for mobile ad-supported games. This program enables deeper partnership with Unity to succeed across the entire game lifecycle. Please reach out to your account manager to learn more.
This November, we will update some of the Unity subscription plans to add extra value. New capabilities include better collaboration (Unity DevOps), cloud-based asset management (Unity Asset Manager), role and access controls (Team Administration), and the ability to add AI functionality at runtime (Unity Sentis). These new tools and services will come with no increase in seat prices as we continue to help creators adapt to the growing complexity of game development. Here’s a breakdown:
Finally, Unity Plus is being retired for new subscribers effective today, September 12, 2023, to simplify the number of plans we offer. Existing subscribers do not need to take immediate action and will receive an email mid-October with an offer to upgrade to Unity Pro, for one year, at the current Unity Plus price.
For more information, see the detailed FAQ, contact Unity support, talk with us on the Unity forums, or contact your account manager. Thank you for creating with Unity.