What is O3DE used for?

O3DE is an open source, real-time 3D engine for building games, 3D worlds, and simulations. It is a good fit for AAA game development, cinema-quality 3D worlds and high-fidelity simulations.

Yes. O3DE is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at o3de/o3de and is written mainly in C++.

Yes. O3DE is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence.

Can I self-host O3DE?

Yes. O3DE can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is O3DE an alternative to?

O3DE is an open-source alternative to Unity and Unreal Engine. Other open-source alternatives to Unity include Stride, Panda3D and Torque3D.

Is O3DE actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to O3DE was on 13 October 2026, and the latest release is 2605.0, published on 27 May 2026. The project has 9.7k stars on GitHub.

O3DE: open-source alternative to Unity, Unreal Engine

About O3DE

O3DE is an Apache 2.0-licensed multi-platform 3D engine. It enables developers and content creators to build AAA games, cinema-quality 3D worlds, and high-fidelity simulations without fees or commercial obligations. The engine provides a comprehensive suite of features and tools, including modular Gems for adding functionality.

Key features

Multi-platform 3D engine
Modular Gems for adding functionality
Content creation tools
Asset import support

Good fit for

AAA game development
Cinema-quality 3D worlds
High-fidelity simulations

Built with: C++ tools
Tags: 3d engine; open source; game development; simulation; real-time

O3DE: questions and answers

What is O3DE used for?: O3DE is an open source, real-time 3D engine for building games, 3D worlds, and simulations. It is a good fit for AAA game development, cinema-quality 3D worlds and high-fidelity simulations.
Is O3DE open source?: Yes. O3DE is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at o3de/o3de and is written mainly in C++.
Is O3DE free?: Yes. O3DE is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence.
Can I self-host O3DE?: Yes. O3DE can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is O3DE an alternative to?: O3DE is an open-source alternative to Unity and Unreal Engine. Other open-source alternatives to Unity include Stride, Panda3D and Torque3D.
Is O3DE actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to O3DE was on 13 October 2026, and the latest release is 2605.0, published on 27 May 2026. The project has 9.7k stars on GitHub.