Unity’s Package Manager supports two package types:
.unitypackage extension. Asset packages are a handy way of sharing and re-using Unity projects and collections of assets. More info.unitypackage format).The following table compares the differentiating characteristics of these package types:
| Characteristic | UPM packages | Asset packages |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Collection of files and folders, which might be compressed, depending on the distribution method. | A compressed file with a .unitypackage extension. |
| Primary source for the package | Unity registry, scoped registry, or Asset StoreA growing library of free and commercial assets created by Unity and members of the community. Offers a wide variety of assets, from textures, models and animations to whole project examples, tutorials and Editor extensions. More info See in Glossary. |
Asset Store |
| Typical contents | ScriptsA piece of code that allows you to create your own Components, trigger game events, modify Component properties over time and respond to user input in any way you like. More info See in Glossary, tools, utilities, and SDKs. |
Art and media assets (such as models, textures, animations, audio.) |
| Supports package dependencies | Yes | No |
| Supports version switching in the Editor | Yes | No |
| Uses a package manifestEach package has a manifest, which provides information about the package to the Package Manager. The manifest contains information such as the name of the package, its version, a description for users, dependencies on other packages (if any), and other details. More info See in Glossary file |
Yes | No |
| UI action for adding the package to a project | Install | Download and import |
| Folder structure | Standardized | Free-form |
| Project folder the package is added to | Packages |
Assets |
| Cache the package is added to | Global cache | Asset package cache. Refer to Location of downloaded asset package files. |
| You can manually remove the package from the cache | No | Yes |
| Sets of tabs that appear in the Details panel | Description, Version History, Dependencies, Samples (if provided), Images (if provided) | Overview, Releases, Imported Assets, Images |
If you’re creating a package, follow these guidelines to help you determine which format to choose:
.unitypackage) for one-time imports of art assets such as (but not limited to) models, textures, animations, and audio. This format is also appropriate for informal package sharing, rather than distributing in a registry (scoped or otherwise).