Compare
Unreal Cloud vs Horde
Horde is Epic's own build system, made for large studios with build engineers. Unreal Cloud is for small teams who want packaged builds without running anything. They rarely suit the same team, so this is mostly about which one is yours.
Build machines
Yours: Horde servers, plus agents with the engine installed
None: we run them, with the engine already installed
Setup
Engine source access, then deploy Horde and write BuildGraph scripts
Connect GitHub or Perforce, pick a platform and engine version
Unreal support
Made by Epic, for Unreal
Built for it: compile, cook, package and automation tests
Upkeep
Servers, agents and engine versions, usually a build engineer's job
None on your side
Platforms
Every platform, including consoles
Windows, Linux and Android. No iOS, macOS or consoles yet
Custom build steps
Anything BuildGraph can express
Not yet: the build pipeline is fixed
Sharing builds
Artifacts on your Horde server, for people with access
Download links anyone can open, no account needed
Steam
Add it to your BuildGraph script
Passing builds upload to a Steam beta branch
Cost
Free with engine source, plus your servers and build machines
$20 per seat per month, build minutes included
Choose Horde if
You are a large studio with build engineers
You ship on consoles or build from engine source
You want distributed compiling across many machines
You already use Perforce and Unreal Game Sync
Choose Unreal Cloud if
You are a small team without a build engineer
You use a standard engine version from Epic
You want builds on every push this week, not after a setup project
You'd rather pay per seat than buy and run hardware
Growing out of Unreal Cloud
If you later need consoles, a custom engine or a build engineer’s level of control, moving to Horde is a normal next step. Your project stays the same; only where it gets built changes.
Questions
Is Horde free?
Horde comes with Unreal Engine's source code at no extra cost. You run it on your own servers and build machines, which is where the cost is.
Do I need engine source to use Horde?
Yes. Horde ships with the engine source on GitHub, so you need access to Epic's source repository.
Can Unreal Cloud build for consoles?
Not yet. Today it builds for Windows, Linux and Android. For consoles, Horde or another system on your own machines is the way to go.
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