Unreal Engine Free License for Eligible Creators and Game Developers

Unreal Engine remains free for a wide range of creators under Epic’s current licensing model. Epic lists individuals and small businesses with less than $1 million in annual gross revenue as eligible for free use, and educators and schools can use it free without a revenue limit. Game developers can also start without a seat fee; for royalty-bearing games or applications licensed to end users, Epic generally charges a 5% royalty only on lifetime gross product revenue above the first $1 million, with Epic Games Store revenue excluded from that royalty calculation. The free license includes source-code access, all platforms and engine features, documentation and community resources. Licensing changes once revenue or use cases cross Epic’s thresholds, so commercial teams should review the current license before shipping or scaling a paid product.