Unity Technologies, the company behind the Unity cross-platform game engine, is making its basic mobile tools available to independent developers and small studios for free.

The company said its “gigantic indie developer community” can now publish their games and apps to iOS and Android from the build menu. Publishing options for platforms such as BlackBerry and Windows phone 8 “will be included at no additional cost once they are released”.

Unity said that by making add-ons free, which previously cost $800, it is “widening the path for developers looking to take steps towards creative and fiscal freedom”.

David Helgason, CEO, Unity Technologies, said:  “We were able to make Unity free for the web and for desktop computers a while ago, but have been dreaming of doing the same for mobile for what seems like forever.”

Companies and other “incorporated entities” with a turnover in excess of $100,000 in the previous financial year are required to use Unity’s paid tools.