How to download unity paid assets for free - 2021 Best Sites for Free Unity Assets
You can save time and money when developing games with free Unity assets. Read on for the best sites for 3D models and other assets!
United We Stand
Set the stage in a flash (Source: keithfertilesoil via Reddit)
Unity is a great open-source game development program that allows individuals to create awesome-looking games on a budget. But, as you may have guessed, creating a game on the Unity engine takes a decent amount of time.
Just consider the time taken to create character models, terrain, behaviors, music, and so on. This is where Unity assets come in: They save you time and energy by eliminating the need to create these aspects of the game yourself. And the best part is… we’ve found some sites that have them free to download!
All of the sites in the list below feature the following:
Strong community support: It’s great to have a network of people with the same interests and experiences. Forums or blogs can help to both discuss ideas and get help troubleshooting.
Diverse selection: These sites all have a wide selection of assets to choose from, especially the free ones. Being able to find anything that might be useful from 3D models to VFX in one place is a strong and resourceful advantage.
With that in mind, we won’t keep you waiting any longer. Let’s take a look at these sites!
Looking to Import Models of Your Own?
Blender to Unity: How to Import Blender Models in Unity
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1
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Unity Asset Store
Unity is a great open-source game development program that allows individuals to create awesome-looking games on a budget. But, as you may have guessed, creating a game on the Unity engine takes a decent amount of time.
Just consider the time taken to create character models, terrain, behaviors, music, and so on. This is where Unity assets come in: They save you time and energy by eliminating the need to create these aspects of the game yourself. And the best part is… we’ve found some sites that have them free to download!
All of the sites in the list below feature the following:
Strong community support: It’s great to have a network of people with the same interests and experiences. Forums or blogs can help to both discuss ideas and get help troubleshooting.
Diverse selection: These sites all have a wide selection of assets to choose from, especially the free ones. Being able to find anything that might be useful from 3D models to VFX in one place is a strong and resourceful advantage.
With that in mind, we won’t keep you waiting any longer. Let’s take a look at these sites!
Looking to Import Models of Your Own?
Blender to Unity: How to Import Blender Models in Unity
ADVERTISEMENT
1
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Unity Asset Store
Get the Unity supply drop! (Source: Centre of Nothing via Unity Asset Store)
Why not go straight to the source? Unity is known for its dedication to the developers. Its gaming development software is free for professionals and hobbyists alike to make and share their creations. This approach is extended to their own asset store, where creators can both buy and sell their programs.
The Unity Asset Store is a community-created platform with over 2,000 free 3D models that come as FBXs and OBJs. All assets found through the store can be used for commercial purposes.
To download models, you’ll need to have a registered version of the Unity game engine. Assets are then downloaded directly into the engine and aren’t compatible with any other platform.
Community: The platform is supported by a community of over 100,000 users and includes an online forum for assistance. All assets are reviewed by the community so that you can have faith in what you’re getting.
Diversity of assets: Even though there are paid assets, the platform also contains thousands of assets that can be downloaded for free. The range is huge, including 2D and 3D models, add-ons, audio, essentials, templates, tools, and VFX.
Audience: The store has a supply for a wide variety of creators. Everyone can find something here.
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2
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Itch.io
Why not go straight to the source? Unity is known for its dedication to the developers. Its gaming development software is free for professionals and hobbyists alike to make and share their creations. This approach is extended to their own asset store, where creators can both buy and sell their programs.
The Unity Asset Store is a community-created platform with over 2,000 free 3D models that come as FBXs and OBJs. All assets found through the store can be used for commercial purposes.
To download models, you’ll need to have a registered version of the Unity game engine. Assets are then downloaded directly into the engine and aren’t compatible with any other platform.
Community: The platform is supported by a community of over 100,000 users and includes an online forum for assistance. All assets are reviewed by the community so that you can have faith in what you’re getting.
Diversity of assets: Even though there are paid assets, the platform also contains thousands of assets that can be downloaded for free. The range is huge, including 2D and 3D models, add-ons, audio, essentials, templates, tools, and VFX.
Audience: The store has a supply for a wide variety of creators. Everyone can find something here.
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2
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Itch.io
Sell your game ideas (Source: Itch.io)
Itch.io is an open marketplace geared towards independent video game fans. Users of the platform can sell their creations on their own content pages, and sellers don’t need to jump over any hurdles (like a number of votes to have their content approved).
Itch.io not only provides a wide array of independent video games, but also a collection of Unity assets, such as backgrounds, simple AI, languages, and styles. It’s built as a marketplace for creators to make money, but there are some assets that can be downloaded for free.
Community: Itch.io doesn’t have an on-site community, but it does have active Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter pages. Anyone can use the platform to share or sell their own creations.
Diversity of assets: The website has a limited number of free options, most of which are camera and style assets. But if you create your own models and are just looking for the details, this could be perfect for you!
Audience: The site focuses on indie game fans and developers.
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BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
GitHub
Itch.io is an open marketplace geared towards independent video game fans. Users of the platform can sell their creations on their own content pages, and sellers don’t need to jump over any hurdles (like a number of votes to have their content approved).
Itch.io not only provides a wide array of independent video games, but also a collection of Unity assets, such as backgrounds, simple AI, languages, and styles. It’s built as a marketplace for creators to make money, but there are some assets that can be downloaded for free.
Community: Itch.io doesn’t have an on-site community, but it does have active Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter pages. Anyone can use the platform to share or sell their own creations.
Diversity of assets: The website has a limited number of free options, most of which are camera and style assets. But if you create your own models and are just looking for the details, this could be perfect for you!
Audience: The site focuses on indie game fans and developers.
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3
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
GitHub
Built by developers for developers (Source: Unity-Technologies via GitHub)
GitHub is an online hub where developers from all over the world can learn about, share, and collaborate on software projects. The website is very community-oriented, with anyone being able to look at and update each other’s code to make it better.
GitHub might not have been your first thought as a place to find gaming assets, but it’s worth a look. There are some unexpected goldmines, including a huge collection of 3D models from NASA!
Community: GitHub is made of a community of over 56 million, but that’s across all of its many, many projects (most of which have nothing to do with Unity). It maintains a reputation for collaboration, being sure to include everyone in projects. People from the community are welcome to identify issues with programs and provide possible solutions or updated code.
Diversity of assets: Everything is offered by fellow developers for free, providing over 100 pages of assets to choose from. With some digging, you can find useful programs like skeletal tracking and surface textures.
Audience: If you’re a person who’s big into the development side of things, this is the place for you.
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BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
TurboSquid
GitHub is an online hub where developers from all over the world can learn about, share, and collaborate on software projects. The website is very community-oriented, with anyone being able to look at and update each other’s code to make it better.
GitHub might not have been your first thought as a place to find gaming assets, but it’s worth a look. There are some unexpected goldmines, including a huge collection of 3D models from NASA!
Community: GitHub is made of a community of over 56 million, but that’s across all of its many, many projects (most of which have nothing to do with Unity). It maintains a reputation for collaboration, being sure to include everyone in projects. People from the community are welcome to identify issues with programs and provide possible solutions or updated code.
Diversity of assets: Everything is offered by fellow developers for free, providing over 100 pages of assets to choose from. With some digging, you can find useful programs like skeletal tracking and surface textures.
Audience: If you’re a person who’s big into the development side of things, this is the place for you.
ADVERTISEMENT
4
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
TurboSquid
TurboSquid has a huge selection of assets, though not all are free (Source: TurboSquid)
TurboSquid is a marketplace with over 21,000 free 3D models and hundreds of thousands more in the paid category. The site provides both paid and free assets along with a brief description of the quality. The quality of a model is judged on aspects such as scale and texture resolution, to award either “Lite or Pro CheckMate Certification”.
The site is easy to navigate with a search bar in the middle of the screen and a carousel below the header image, which links to free models. In addition to 3D models, you can find texture maps, sound effects, scripts, and software.
To download a model from the site, you’ll need to create an account. Models downloaded from TurboSquid are royalty-free and can be used for commercial purposes.
Community: The community made of professionals and hobbyists alike to both buy and sell their 3D models. If help is needed, the website contains a support page.
Diversity of assets: The site is a good source for 3D model packs from the community. There are both free and priced 3D models, including trees, characters, and devices, as well as other assets, such as textures, sound effects, and scripts.
Audience: This website is mainly geared towards 3D artists and professionals, but the huge range of free options means anybody can benefit.
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5
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Sketchfab
TurboSquid is a marketplace with over 21,000 free 3D models and hundreds of thousands more in the paid category. The site provides both paid and free assets along with a brief description of the quality. The quality of a model is judged on aspects such as scale and texture resolution, to award either “Lite or Pro CheckMate Certification”.
The site is easy to navigate with a search bar in the middle of the screen and a carousel below the header image, which links to free models. In addition to 3D models, you can find texture maps, sound effects, scripts, and software.
To download a model from the site, you’ll need to create an account. Models downloaded from TurboSquid are royalty-free and can be used for commercial purposes.
Community: The community made of professionals and hobbyists alike to both buy and sell their 3D models. If help is needed, the website contains a support page.
Diversity of assets: The site is a good source for 3D model packs from the community. There are both free and priced 3D models, including trees, characters, and devices, as well as other assets, such as textures, sound effects, and scripts.
Audience: This website is mainly geared towards 3D artists and professionals, but the huge range of free options means anybody can benefit.
ADVERTISEMENT
5
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Sketchfab
Build a city in a day (Source: Sketchfab)
Sketchfab is a website geared towards making it easy for anyone to publish and find 3D content on an online platform. You can choose models with confidence by previewing them in Sketchfab’s real-time 3D and VR viewer and model inspector, which lets you interact with the models in the browser.
Sketchfab gives users access to over 3 million models and contains both free and paid content. However, since there’s no specific filter for free 3D models, it’s difficult to tell just how many of those are free. Free models on the site use a Creative Commons license and all are royalty-free.
Although Sketchfab recommends OBJ, Blender, and FBX file formats, they also support many others. Downloading them requires you to create an account, but Sketchfab also has a download API. It allows you to search the entire Sketchfab database and download models into your application.
Community: Sketchfab has a community of over 3 million registered users. There are multiple community platforms such as blogs, forums, and Discord support. Sellers and buyers have transparency on the quality of the 3D model with the use of Sketchfab’s real-time viewer.
Diversity of assets: The site only provides 3D model assets with the exception of architectural models and backgrounds, which could be used to add more elements to your independent game.
Audience: Sketchfab appeals to both professional and novice model creators and architects.
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6
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Kenney
Sketchfab is a website geared towards making it easy for anyone to publish and find 3D content on an online platform. You can choose models with confidence by previewing them in Sketchfab’s real-time 3D and VR viewer and model inspector, which lets you interact with the models in the browser.
Sketchfab gives users access to over 3 million models and contains both free and paid content. However, since there’s no specific filter for free 3D models, it’s difficult to tell just how many of those are free. Free models on the site use a Creative Commons license and all are royalty-free.
Although Sketchfab recommends OBJ, Blender, and FBX file formats, they also support many others. Downloading them requires you to create an account, but Sketchfab also has a download API. It allows you to search the entire Sketchfab database and download models into your application.
Community: Sketchfab has a community of over 3 million registered users. There are multiple community platforms such as blogs, forums, and Discord support. Sellers and buyers have transparency on the quality of the 3D model with the use of Sketchfab’s real-time viewer.
Diversity of assets: The site only provides 3D model assets with the exception of architectural models and backgrounds, which could be used to add more elements to your independent game.
Audience: Sketchfab appeals to both professional and novice model creators and architects.
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6
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Kenney
Get the right kit for your game development (Source: Kenney)
Kenney is a great resource for game assets. Though the 3D model selection is a bit limited, in total, Kenney has over 40,000 images, audio files, and 3D models. Every collection you download comes in a range of file formats, by default, which gives you the flexibility to use assets in other programs, too!
Assets from Kenney are in the public domain and are completely free for use in personal, educational, and commercial projects. Downloading assets from the website doesn’t require an account; all a user has to do is search for an asset, select it, and download it. And while there’s no cost to download, the site does accept donations, and also has a page on Patreon.
Community: The website has a Discord channel, where users can meet and share with other game developers. If you really want to get involved, there’s also a community on Patreon, where you can get early access to new assets as well as exclusive content (for a monthly contribution).
Diversity of assets: While there aren’t as many 3D models as some other sites on this list, there are great selections of audio files, 2D images, and even pre-built games.
Audience: Kenney would be a great starting point for beginners to build up a collection of assets, but with commercial use also permitted, there’s something for professional developers, too.
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BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Unity Asset Free
You can download everything from characters and scenery to touchscreen gestures! (Source: Unity Asset Free)
The Unity Asset Free team works 24/7 to deliver a huge library of Unity assets for the purpose of learning. They also provide tutorials to help a beginner developer become a pro in no time. The website is supported through donations.
The assets they offer range from things as simple as 3D character models to more complicated files such as VR interaction frameworks. All the assets are intended specifically for use in Unity, so you shouldn’t have any issues.
Community: There’s no real website community, but the site does have a Telegram app page. There are tutorials included with downloads to help you become a pro, and there’s a 24/7 team ready to help.
Diversity of assets: The site contains 170 pages of free assets ready to download. Assets listed include VR interaction tools, models, and dialogue systems.
Audience: This option is ideal for beginner developers with a tight budget. It’s a particularly good source if you want to get into augmented or virtual reality creation.
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BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
CGTrader
Grow your video game building skills (Source: CGTrader)
CGTrader prides itself on being the world’s largest source of licensable custom 3D models, 4,000 of which are free low-poly models. Though easy to navigate, it is a bit cluttered; a filter of free models will still intersperse paid content so that only every other image you’re looking at is actually free.
The website is managed by a community of over 3 million users, who ensure that enterprise customers and online retailers can transform their 2D product mock-ups into 3D models suited for high-grade augmented reality.
Like most sites, CGTrader also requires a login to download models. Files are available in 3DS, MLT, C4D, Blender, STL, and FBX formats. All models downloaded from the site have a royalty-free license.
Community: The community includes over 3 million users sharing models and ideas. The site is open to enterprise customers and freelance developers alike. If you need support, there’s a customer help center and blog.
Diversity of assets: The site is only for 3D models, but there are over 6,000 pages of free models that are high in quality. You can also inquire about custom models, but there will be a charge.
Audience: This is a place for 3D model developers and retailers who want to have a photorealistic model for presentations of products.
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9
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Open Game Art
Everything from 4K photography to 8-bit backgrounds! (Source: Open Game Art)
If you’re a huge fan of the old Atari- or Gameboy-style video games, Open Game Art is the place for you. Artists sell their creations, whether it’s backgrounds, characters, or music to anyone wanting to use them in commercial projects as long as they adhere to the license terms.
Unlike most other sites, Open Game Art has all the resources a game developer would need for graphics and sound production. It also hosts over 3,000 3D models and a forum where users can discuss with other game enthusiasts.
Community: The site features an online forum with weekly leaderboards ranking the most favored downloads. When posting your own projects, you can indicate if you want to be credited.
Diversity of assets: There’s a limited number of game templates, backgrounds, shading, music, and art styles. All of the art has a retro video game style.
Audience: This is a great place for independent game developers and makers who are fans of retro-style games.
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10
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Free3D
Kenney is a great resource for game assets. Though the 3D model selection is a bit limited, in total, Kenney has over 40,000 images, audio files, and 3D models. Every collection you download comes in a range of file formats, by default, which gives you the flexibility to use assets in other programs, too!
Assets from Kenney are in the public domain and are completely free for use in personal, educational, and commercial projects. Downloading assets from the website doesn’t require an account; all a user has to do is search for an asset, select it, and download it. And while there’s no cost to download, the site does accept donations, and also has a page on Patreon.
Community: The website has a Discord channel, where users can meet and share with other game developers. If you really want to get involved, there’s also a community on Patreon, where you can get early access to new assets as well as exclusive content (for a monthly contribution).
Diversity of assets: While there aren’t as many 3D models as some other sites on this list, there are great selections of audio files, 2D images, and even pre-built games.
Audience: Kenney would be a great starting point for beginners to build up a collection of assets, but with commercial use also permitted, there’s something for professional developers, too.
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7
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Unity Asset Free
You can download everything from characters and scenery to touchscreen gestures! (Source: Unity Asset Free)The Unity Asset Free team works 24/7 to deliver a huge library of Unity assets for the purpose of learning. They also provide tutorials to help a beginner developer become a pro in no time. The website is supported through donations.
The assets they offer range from things as simple as 3D character models to more complicated files such as VR interaction frameworks. All the assets are intended specifically for use in Unity, so you shouldn’t have any issues.
Community: There’s no real website community, but the site does have a Telegram app page. There are tutorials included with downloads to help you become a pro, and there’s a 24/7 team ready to help.
Diversity of assets: The site contains 170 pages of free assets ready to download. Assets listed include VR interaction tools, models, and dialogue systems.
Audience: This option is ideal for beginner developers with a tight budget. It’s a particularly good source if you want to get into augmented or virtual reality creation.
ADVERTISEMENT
8
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
CGTrader
Grow your video game building skills (Source: CGTrader)CGTrader prides itself on being the world’s largest source of licensable custom 3D models, 4,000 of which are free low-poly models. Though easy to navigate, it is a bit cluttered; a filter of free models will still intersperse paid content so that only every other image you’re looking at is actually free.
The website is managed by a community of over 3 million users, who ensure that enterprise customers and online retailers can transform their 2D product mock-ups into 3D models suited for high-grade augmented reality.
Like most sites, CGTrader also requires a login to download models. Files are available in 3DS, MLT, C4D, Blender, STL, and FBX formats. All models downloaded from the site have a royalty-free license.
Community: The community includes over 3 million users sharing models and ideas. The site is open to enterprise customers and freelance developers alike. If you need support, there’s a customer help center and blog.
Diversity of assets: The site is only for 3D models, but there are over 6,000 pages of free models that are high in quality. You can also inquire about custom models, but there will be a charge.
Audience: This is a place for 3D model developers and retailers who want to have a photorealistic model for presentations of products.
ADVERTISEMENT
9
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Open Game Art
Everything from 4K photography to 8-bit backgrounds! (Source: Open Game Art)If you’re a huge fan of the old Atari- or Gameboy-style video games, Open Game Art is the place for you. Artists sell their creations, whether it’s backgrounds, characters, or music to anyone wanting to use them in commercial projects as long as they adhere to the license terms.
Unlike most other sites, Open Game Art has all the resources a game developer would need for graphics and sound production. It also hosts over 3,000 3D models and a forum where users can discuss with other game enthusiasts.
Community: The site features an online forum with weekly leaderboards ranking the most favored downloads. When posting your own projects, you can indicate if you want to be credited.
Diversity of assets: There’s a limited number of game templates, backgrounds, shading, music, and art styles. All of the art has a retro video game style.
Audience: This is a great place for independent game developers and makers who are fans of retro-style games.
ADVERTISEMENT
10
BEST SITES FOR FREE UNITY ASSETS
Free3D
Free3D has a good range of file formats to download for free (Source: Free3D)
Like it says in its name, Free3D is a platform where you can share 3D models with the world. You can build a portfolio on the site to show off your skills for freelance work, or just browse and download others’ creations.
Free3D contains over 16,000 free models and of that, about half are specifically low-poly. The models are available in a wide variety of formats, including 3DS Max, MLT, C4D, Blender, STL, and FBX. They can be downloaded without a login, but you’ll have to check the licensing of each.
There are a range of 3D models for things like vehicles, terrains, and characters. Recently, Free3D has also started selling “premium” 3D models priced at $100 or less alongside the free collection.
Community: The website doesn’t have a community forum, but instead, there is a company contact section should you need help with troubleshooting. Creators can share their ideas to build a portfolio for freelance work.
Diversity of assets: There are over 16,000 assets free to download, with most being 3D models and terrains.
Audience: The wide range of file types makes this a useful platform for any creator, not just game developers.
Like it says in its name, Free3D is a platform where you can share 3D models with the world. You can build a portfolio on the site to show off your skills for freelance work, or just browse and download others’ creations.
Free3D contains over 16,000 free models and of that, about half are specifically low-poly. The models are available in a wide variety of formats, including 3DS Max, MLT, C4D, Blender, STL, and FBX. They can be downloaded without a login, but you’ll have to check the licensing of each.
There are a range of 3D models for things like vehicles, terrains, and characters. Recently, Free3D has also started selling “premium” 3D models priced at $100 or less alongside the free collection.
Community: The website doesn’t have a community forum, but instead, there is a company contact section should you need help with troubleshooting. Creators can share their ideas to build a portfolio for freelance work.
Diversity of assets: There are over 16,000 assets free to download, with most being 3D models and terrains.
Audience: The wide range of file types makes this a useful platform for any creator, not just game developers.
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