# Is Unreal open source? **URL:** \ **Category:** Off-Topic\ **Tags:** unreal-engine, UE4, question\ **Created:** [November 1, 2020, 9:21am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823 "2020-11-01T09:21:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cloodo\_yaan](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@cloodo\_yaan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/cloodo_yaan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 9:21am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/1 "2020-11-01T09:21:19Z")
if there is not a feature that i need can i add it by myself ? ---
**Author:** ![LogierJan](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/logierjan/32/88718_2.png) [@LogierJan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/LogierJan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 9:33am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/2 "2020-11-01T09:33:27Z")
To answer the title question, unreal is not open source. Acces to the source code doesn’t make it open source. Check the UELA for more info about that: > **[Unreal Engine | Publishing EULA](https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/eula/publishing)** > > Design and build stunning games and interactive off-the-shelf products. To answer the question in your text: Since you have acces to the source code you can build upon the engine, and add your own functionality. ---
**Author:** ![cloodo\_yaan](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@cloodo\_yaan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/cloodo_yaan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 10:07am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/3 "2020-11-01T10:07:07Z")
so you can add you own features to it. ---
**Author:** ![LogierJan](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/logierjan/32/88718_2.png) [@LogierJan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/LogierJan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 10:16am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/4 "2020-11-01T10:16:24Z")
If you mean adding to the engine for everyone, yes, more info about that can be found here: > **[Contributing to Unreal Engine 4](https://docs.unrealengine.com/4.27/en-US/ProgrammingAndScripting/ProgrammingWithCPP/DownloadingSourceCode/ContributingToUnreal/)** > > Describes how to use the GitHub Pull Request mechanism to submit changes you've made to the Unreal Engine source back to Epic. You can also make you own plugins that add functionality. ---
**Author:** ![cloodo\_yaan](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@cloodo\_yaan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/cloodo_yaan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 10:27am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/5 "2020-11-01T10:27:05Z")
but can you add tools with plugins ( can you add whatever you want with plugins ) ---
**Author:** ![LogierJan](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/logierjan/32/88718_2.png) [@LogierJan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/LogierJan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 10:54am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/6 "2020-11-01T10:54:11Z")
Yes most certainly! ---
**Author:** ![cloodo\_yaan](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@cloodo\_yaan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/cloodo_yaan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2020, 6:00pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/7 "2020-11-08T18:00:19Z")
what is then the difference between open source and plugins ? ---
**Author:** ![LogierJan](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/logierjan/32/88718_2.png) [@LogierJan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/LogierJan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2020, 6:39pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/8 "2020-11-08T18:39:25Z")
Open source is a licensing model. Unreal is **not** open source. meaning of open source: > **[Open-source license](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_license)** > > An open-source license is a type of license for computer software and other products that allows the source code, blueprint or design to be used, modified and/or shared under defined terms and conditions. This allows end users and commercial companies to review and modify the source code, blueprint or design for their own customization, curiosity or troubleshooting needs. Open-source licensed software is mostly available free of charge, though this does not necessarily have to be the case.\[ Licen... Unreal Licensing agreement: > **[Unreal Engine | Publishing EULA](https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/eula/publishing)** > > Design and build stunning games and interactive off-the-shelf products. What unreal offers is **access to the source code**. This allows you to look into the engine code, and build upon it/extending it your to your own liking. A Plugin is a module with reusable logic throughout multiple projects, if you’d want to extend the engine you’d put your logic in one of these. more info on unreal plugins: > **[Plugins](https://docs.unrealengine.com/4.27/en-US/ProductionPipelines/Plugins/)** > > How to create Unreal Engine plugins. ---
**Author:** ![cloodo\_yaan](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@cloodo\_yaan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/cloodo_yaan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2020, 6:59pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/9 "2020-11-08T18:59:44Z")
ok thanks ---
**Author:** ![cloodo\_yaan](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@cloodo\_yaan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/cloodo_yaan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/10 "2020-11-08T19:03:59Z")
but you can add your own functionality to the engine with plugins ---
**Author:** ![cloodo\_yaan](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@cloodo\_yaan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/cloodo_yaan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2020, 9:52pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/11 "2020-11-08T21:52:42Z")
what makes blender and godot open source and unreal not ---
**Author:** ![LogierJan](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/logierjan/32/88718_2.png) [@LogierJan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/LogierJan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2020, 9:55pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/12 "2020-11-08T21:55:36Z")
Please read the links I posted about open source. This will explain you what it is. If you then read the unreal license agreement you will see the differences. ---
**Author:** ![CLEEDO1](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@CLEEDO1](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/CLEEDO1)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2022, 6:54pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/13 "2022-02-21T18:54:45Z")
But why would use the source code if you can do the same thing with plugins ? ---
**Author:** ![PrecisionRender](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/precisionrender/32/477509_2.png) [@PrecisionRender](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/PrecisionRender)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2022, 10:14pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/is-unreal-open-source/473823/14 "2022-02-23T22:14:54Z")
Since this thread was bumped back up from over a year ago, I’ll just answer this question. > [@cloodo\_yaan](#): > > what makes blender and godot open source and unreal not Blender and Godot are Open Source because their source code is available for anyone to use however they’d like, in addition to being able to contribute back to the program. In Blender’s case, if you use their code, then your application also has to be Open Source. The reason Unreal Engine is _not_ Open Source is because its source code is not available for anyone to use. It’s simply available as a reference for developers, and like Open Source, it allows the community to contribute code back to Unreal Engine. Even if you do use the UE source and make your own program out of it, Epic Games still has all the rights to it. When this is the case, where you can find the source code for a program but can’t use it however you’d like, it’s called _source available_. There is a huge misconception that if a program’s source code is available, that it is Open Source. This is not the case. As @LogierJan said, Open Source is a licensing model. Plugins have nothing to do with the source code subject. They are a way to extend a program and add functionality into it that wasn’t there before. Most modern-day programs support this, including Photoshop, Unity, and Google Docs, even though none of those programs are Open Source or even source available. Unreal Engine supports this concept as well. For more detailed information, reference the post in this thread by @LogierJan.