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vsQuixel Megascans / Fab vs Proofly — UE5-locked vs engine-neutral

Megascans is free — but only inside Unreal Engine. Use any other engine and you pay Fab.

Quixel Megascans became free after Epic Games' acquisition, but that license only applies inside Unreal Engine projects. Blender, Unity, Godot, and every other engine must pay per asset through Fab. Proofly sells PBR 3D models from independent creators — pay once, use in any engine or software, keep the license permanently. No UE5 requirement.

Megascans licensing by engine

What you actually get when you try to use Megascans outside Unreal Engine

Engine / SoftwareMegascans costProofly cost
Unreal Engine 5Free (UE5 only)Pay once per asset
BlenderPaid via FabPay once per asset
UnityPaid via FabPay once per asset
GodotPaid via FabPay once per asset
Three.js / WebGL / any otherPaid via FabPay once per asset

Megascans vs Proofly — feature comparison

FeatureMegascans (via Fab)Proofly
Free for BlenderNo — paid on FabYes (free listings)
Free for UnityNo — paid on FabYes (free listings)
Free for GodotNo — paid on FabYes (free listings)
Pay-once commercial licenseYes (Fab purchase)Yes (every purchase)
In-browser 3D viewer before buyingScreenshots onlyFull 3D viewer — orbit, zoom, wireframe
Independent creator marketplaceCorporate libraryOpen to any creator
Seller commission30% taken by Epic/Fab0% — creator keeps 100%
Per-buyer piracy watermarkNoYes — HiddenMark in every download
FormatsOBJ/FBX + separate texturesGLB (embedded PBR), OBJ, FBX, STL, ZIP
Unique custom assetsStandardised scansCreator-unique styles and subjects

Why Blender and Unity artists need a Megascans alternative

When Epic Games acquired Quixel in 2019, Megascans became free — but only for Unreal Engine. The free licence is embedded in the Unreal EULA: use the assets inside UE5 and pay nothing. Export them to any other software and you need a separate licence through Fab.

For the majority of 3D artists who work in Blender, Unity, Godot, Cinema 4D, or Maya, Megascans is simply a paid Fab store. The integration convenience of Quixel Bridge is real, but the underlying economics are unchanged: you pay per asset for non-Unreal projects.

Proofly as a Megascans alternative: what you get

Proofly is a pay-per-asset marketplace for 3D models: GLB (with embedded PBR textures), OBJ, FBX, STL, and ZIP format bundles. Every asset includes a commercial royalty-free licence. There are no subscription tiers, no engine restrictions, and no separate texture map downloads — GLB files embed albedo, normal, roughness, and metalness in a single file.

Where Megascans specialises in photogrammetry surface scans and environment tiles, Proofly's independent creators offer a broader range: game-ready characters, rigged creatures, sci-fi props, architectural interior pieces, and print-ready mechanical parts — each inspectable in the in-browser 3D viewer before purchase.

Selling PBR 3D assets on Proofly vs Fab

If you create photogrammetry scans, hand-modelled PBR props, or environment kits, Proofly offers significantly better economics than Fab. Fab takes a 30% commission on every sale. Proofly takes 0% — buyers pay a small flat platform fee directly, and you receive 100% of your listed price.

Every download on Proofly embeds a HiddenMark watermark — a steganographic fingerprint unique to the buyer encoded in the mesh geometry. High-resolution photogrammetry scans are among the most frequently pirated assets; HiddenMark lets you trace any leaked file back to the original purchaser for DMCA action.

Frequently asked questions

Is Quixel Megascans free for Blender users?

No. Quixel Megascans was acquired by Epic Games in 2019 and is now free only for projects made with Unreal Engine. For Blender, Unity, Godot, or any other engine, Megascans content is available through Fab (Epic's marketplace), where assets are paid. Proofly sells PBR 3D models individually — you pay once and can use the asset in any software or engine with no restrictions.

What formats does Megascans use?

Megascans exports vary by asset type: 3D assets typically come as OBJ or FBX with separate PBR texture maps (albedo, normal, roughness, metalness). Proofly supports OBJ, FBX, GLB (GLTF with embedded PBR materials), STL, and ZIP bundles. GLB is particularly convenient as it embeds textures, multiple material channels, and optional animations in a single file that works in Blender, Unity, Godot, and Three.js.

Can I use Megascans assets in a Unity game commercially?

Megascans assets used outside Unreal Engine require purchase through Fab (Epic's unified marketplace). Epic provides a personal use license for some content; commercial use requires the Fab license terms and payment. Proofly assets include a commercial royalty-free license in the purchase price — pay once and use the asset in any commercial project without additional fees or per-seat licensing.

Can I sell my 3D scans or photogrammetry models on Proofly?

Yes. Proofly is an open marketplace — any creator can upload scan-based or photogrammetry-derived 3D models. You keep 100% of your listing price (buyers pay a small flat platform fee). There is no exclusivity requirement, so you can list on Proofly alongside other platforms. Proofly's HiddenMark watermarking embeds a unique buyer fingerprint in every mesh download to help trace leaks.

Does Proofly have environment and surface scan assets like Megascans?

Proofly is a creator marketplace — the catalog grows with what independent artists upload, including photogrammetry rocks, terrain, buildings, vehicles, and organic surfaces. Unlike Megascans' corporate library, Proofly's selection reflects active creator niches: game-ready characters, architectural assets, sci-fi props, and print-ready models. You can browse by category and filter by format (GLB/OBJ/FBX) to find what you need.

Does Proofly protect sellers from asset piracy?

Yes. Every paid download on Proofly gets a HiddenMark — a steganographic watermark unique to the buyer embedded in the mesh geometry. If a buyer redistributes your 3D asset, any copy can be uploaded to proofly.store/hiddenmark to identify the original purchaser. This is especially valuable for high-resolution scan-based assets where piracy risk is high.

Browse PBR 3D assets — no engine lock-in

Pay once, use in Blender, Unity, Godot, or any engine. Inspect every asset in the 3D viewer before you buy.