I’m a single dev making simple mobile games. I was looking at corona sdk for my next project. I don’t understand what the difference between the paid version and the free version is. It seems that the whole SDK is free, so what does the paid version give you that the free version doesnt? I’ve been reading through the site, but I’m not quite getting it.
I will need to interface with apple’s game center etc… is that not accessible to me without paying?
Hi @tameem50,
Welcome to Corona! The SDK is free for all, for both creating and publishing apps. There is no “free” vs. “paid” version anymore, unless you are referring to specialty add-ons like Corona Enterprise or CoronaCards. The core SDK, however, remains entirely free and there are no restrictions or user tiers at this time.
Hope this helps,
Brent
I don’t think that really helped me…
What are the limitations to the free version. What are the real distinctions between the enterprise version and free version? Can the free version interface with Apple’s Game Center? Why would someone purchase the enterprise version if there’s no difference?
I’m a single developer wanting to create free indie games. I’m looking at corona as a solution to developing on both android and ios, but I’m uncertain about starting down this path when I may have to pay $79 / mo
Hi @tameem50,
Sorry for the confusion. I will be more specific:
Corona SDK is entirely free. This will allow you to create and publish apps for iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8, and (soon) Windows and OS X desktop. Previously, there were different “tiers” of Corona SDK such as Pro, Basic, and Starter, but these were eliminated and the entire SDK is now free.
Corona Enterprise is an additional product, and it is not free. Enterprise is for more advanced developers, and it allows you to integrate native OS-specific features and functionality into a Corona app (various features which are not included/accessible in the SDK).
CoronaCards is another additional product, and it is not free. This allows you to implement Corona “views” inside apps built natively. Again, this is for more special development cases, beyond the needs of the typical app developer.
Best regards,
Brent
Can you give me an idea of what os-specific features you would use with corona enterprise. Are apple’s api’s accessible with corona “standard” will I be able to access game center etc?
Hi @tameem50,
As a general overview, you can look at the APIs and plugins which are available in Corona SDK (no need for Enterprise):
https://docs.coronalabs.com/api/index.html
https://docs.coronalabs.com/plugin/index.html
If you have more specific questions on what is or isn’t supported in the free SDK, please let me know.
Brent
To summarize it for you,
IF you are just an indie/entry level dev., use Corona SDK and Corona SDK is entirely free. Enterprise lets you call APIs you have created yourself for doing specific things with your app. Corona uses Lua, if you have your own library in C++/Java and you need to use those, you must have Corona Enterprise and that is not free.
For your specific concern, yes Apple game center can be used in Corona SDK and is entirely free. In fact, you can also do In App Purchases and ads (iAds, AdMob and Vungle) through Corona SDK and they are free too( Corona SDK is free and as of yet no revenue sharing/splitting). FYI, if you wanna publish your apps in the stores, Apple has a $99 yearly developer fee and Android has a $25 registration fee Those are irrespective of what platform (in this case Corona SDK) you chose to use, and you pay that to Apple/Google. Corona itself is free, unless you wanna use your own Java/C++ library. Hope that helps.
Here are all the functionality you get with SDK:
https://docs.coronalabs.com/api/index.html Go to gamenetworks to see Apple Game Center.
CoronaCards is designed for native app developers who want to add a Corona View to their app. Working with OpenGL in native apps like Objective C/Swift or Java requires a lot of work to open images, put graphics on the screen and maintain them. Using CoronaCards, you can quickly add animated, OpenGL based views to your existing native app.
CoronaEnterprise is for people who need to include 3rd party libraries that Corona Labs doesn’t provide access to. For instance, if you wanted to access HealthKit, we currently don’t provide any access to HealthKit. You could use Corona Enterprise to use your Corona SDK built app and create blend native programming and Lua/Corona SDK based programming.
Rob
Hey so here are my 2 cents for you on this… You go ahead and develop with the free version and you’ll be 100% fine…
Here is the website of some of the more popular games that were made with corona SDK - https://coronalabs.com/halloffame/
not sure if all of them were made with only corona SDK maybe some with enterprise…
Just go ahead and download the latest build and install it and start coding!.. I’m 99% sure you wont need enterprise…
Here’s a website that could start you off - http://coronatemplates.tk/
Good Luck!
Hi @tameem50,
Welcome to Corona! The SDK is free for all, for both creating and publishing apps. There is no “free” vs. “paid” version anymore, unless you are referring to specialty add-ons like Corona Enterprise or CoronaCards. The core SDK, however, remains entirely free and there are no restrictions or user tiers at this time.
Hope this helps,
Brent
I don’t think that really helped me…
What are the limitations to the free version. What are the real distinctions between the enterprise version and free version? Can the free version interface with Apple’s Game Center? Why would someone purchase the enterprise version if there’s no difference?
I’m a single developer wanting to create free indie games. I’m looking at corona as a solution to developing on both android and ios, but I’m uncertain about starting down this path when I may have to pay $79 / mo
Hi @tameem50,
Sorry for the confusion. I will be more specific:
Corona SDK is entirely free. This will allow you to create and publish apps for iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8, and (soon) Windows and OS X desktop. Previously, there were different “tiers” of Corona SDK such as Pro, Basic, and Starter, but these were eliminated and the entire SDK is now free.
Corona Enterprise is an additional product, and it is not free. Enterprise is for more advanced developers, and it allows you to integrate native OS-specific features and functionality into a Corona app (various features which are not included/accessible in the SDK).
CoronaCards is another additional product, and it is not free. This allows you to implement Corona “views” inside apps built natively. Again, this is for more special development cases, beyond the needs of the typical app developer.
Best regards,
Brent
Can you give me an idea of what os-specific features you would use with corona enterprise. Are apple’s api’s accessible with corona “standard” will I be able to access game center etc?
Hi @tameem50,
As a general overview, you can look at the APIs and plugins which are available in Corona SDK (no need for Enterprise):
https://docs.coronalabs.com/api/index.html
https://docs.coronalabs.com/plugin/index.html
If you have more specific questions on what is or isn’t supported in the free SDK, please let me know.
Brent
To summarize it for you,
IF you are just an indie/entry level dev., use Corona SDK and Corona SDK is entirely free. Enterprise lets you call APIs you have created yourself for doing specific things with your app. Corona uses Lua, if you have your own library in C++/Java and you need to use those, you must have Corona Enterprise and that is not free.
For your specific concern, yes Apple game center can be used in Corona SDK and is entirely free. In fact, you can also do In App Purchases and ads (iAds, AdMob and Vungle) through Corona SDK and they are free too( Corona SDK is free and as of yet no revenue sharing/splitting). FYI, if you wanna publish your apps in the stores, Apple has a $99 yearly developer fee and Android has a $25 registration fee Those are irrespective of what platform (in this case Corona SDK) you chose to use, and you pay that to Apple/Google. Corona itself is free, unless you wanna use your own Java/C++ library. Hope that helps.
Here are all the functionality you get with SDK:
https://docs.coronalabs.com/api/index.html Go to gamenetworks to see Apple Game Center.
CoronaCards is designed for native app developers who want to add a Corona View to their app. Working with OpenGL in native apps like Objective C/Swift or Java requires a lot of work to open images, put graphics on the screen and maintain them. Using CoronaCards, you can quickly add animated, OpenGL based views to your existing native app.
CoronaEnterprise is for people who need to include 3rd party libraries that Corona Labs doesn’t provide access to. For instance, if you wanted to access HealthKit, we currently don’t provide any access to HealthKit. You could use Corona Enterprise to use your Corona SDK built app and create blend native programming and Lua/Corona SDK based programming.
Rob
Hey so here are my 2 cents for you on this… You go ahead and develop with the free version and you’ll be 100% fine…
Here is the website of some of the more popular games that were made with corona SDK - https://coronalabs.com/halloffame/
not sure if all of them were made with only corona SDK maybe some with enterprise…
Just go ahead and download the latest build and install it and start coding!.. I’m 99% sure you wont need enterprise…
Here’s a website that could start you off - http://coronatemplates.tk/
Good Luck!