Unity is in an interesting position because they have a version of the product completely free. That's why they're attracting so many more members than other engines. Even jumping a user from free to paying $1 is a difficult task in itself.
I bought into UE4 myself, and from that perspective I have some ideas why Unity is more appealing. First off, Unity offers high level programming (C#, javascript). The only thing Unreal has is drag and drop, and C++. The physics system in UE4 is also rather inflexible, and I quite prefer Unity's over it. However once you understand how it works, it's not too bad all things considered. Unity also has an advantage in the mobile space IMO. Its games can run on a larger number of devices (probably because default UE4 games are so demanding on the gpu). UE4 also has no real tools for developing 2d games, it's not even trying to compete in that space a little, whereas Unity has jumped in heavily on 2d recently.
Man, UE4's shader system blows Unity out of the water though. I have had so much fun playing around with it.
The reason I went with UE4 over Unity, was even if you opt for the "per-month" pricing with Unity, they charge you for a whole year up front. At that point you just might as well buy a license for the major version you're using. Plus, at $75/mo it's quite a bit more than UE4's $19. The only benefit is not having to pay royalties. For an indie like myself, 5% is chump change (because I'll be making so little). When you deal with a game making millions of dollars, you will want to start reconsidering your options. I mean $4500 times a few seats could still save you tens of thousands of dollars over a royalty.
In terms of which engine is better, that's arguable. UE4 has a steep learning curve, but it's very powerful once you dive in. I have no regrets with my purchase.
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