Software · head to head
Bevy vs PlayFab
Bevy
Software
A refreshingly simple data-driven game engine built in Rust
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Bevy rust only, so it assumes a language most game teams do not already use; PlayFab a title in development mode can only have up to 1,000 lifetime player account creations
- They diverge on capability: Bevy covers Entity Component System, PlayFab covers Player authentication.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bevy and PlayFab actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Bevy
- Entity Component System
- 2D/3D rendering
- Audio system
- Asset pipeline
- Hot reloading
- Cross-platform
- Modular architecture
- Parallel systems
Only in PlayFab
- Player authentication
- Data storage
- Analytics
- Multiplayer features
- Economy system
- Matchmaking
- Cloud saves
- Leaderboards
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bevy
- 2D and 3D game development in Rustnot PlayFab
- Data-driven design using an entity component systemnot PlayFab
- Shipping to Windows, macOS, Linux, web, iOS and Android from one codebasenot PlayFab
- Projects wanting a permissive licence with no royalties or feesnot PlayFab
PlayFab
- Backend as a service for live games, covering accounts, leaderboards and player datanot Bevy
- Hosting dedicated multiplayer game servers on Azurenot Bevy
- LiveOps, in-game economy and player segmentation for game studiosnot Bevy
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Bevy
- Rust only, so it assumes a language most game teams do not already use
- No visual editor of the kind Unity or Godot provide, so scenes and logic are written in code
- Built around ECS, which is a different mental model from the scene-graph engines most developers come from
PlayFab
- A title in development mode can only have up to 1,000 lifetime player account creations
- Multiplayer server costs are billed per VM compute hour on Azure virtual machines and vary by region and VM family
- Network egress is charged per GB and varies by zone, at $0.05 in Zone 1, $0.08 in Zone 2 and $0.20 in Zone 3
- Pricing is consumption based across a set of separate meters rather than a flat plan
- The vendor states prices are subject to change and that actual costs depend on the PlayFab plan and usage
Pricing, plan by plan
Bevy
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full engine access
- ECS architecture
- Hot reloading
PlayFab
Free- FreeFree
- 100K monthly active users
- Basic API
- Player authentication
- Professional$100/month
- Unlimited MAU
- Advanced features
- Priority support
Which should you pick?
Choose Bevy if
- You need entity component system.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Webgl.
- You also want 2d/3d rendering.
Choose PlayFab if
- You need player authentication.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cross-platform.
- You also want data storage.
Questions people ask
- Is Bevy or PlayFab better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bevy starts at Free and PlayFab at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bevy or PlayFab?
- Bevy starts at Free and PlayFab at Free.
- Does Bevy or PlayFab run on more platforms?
- Bevy runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Webgl. PlayFab runs on Cross-platform.
- Can I use Bevy for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Bevy best used for?
- Bevy is most often used for 2d and 3d game development in rust, data-driven design using an entity component system, shipping to windows, macos, linux, web, ios and android from one codebase, projects wanting a permissive licence with no royalties or fees. Of those, 2d and 3d game development in rust and data-driven design using an entity component system are not what PlayFab is typically brought in for.
- What can Bevy do that PlayFab cannot?
- Bevy covers Entity Component System, 2D/3D rendering, Audio system, Asset pipeline. PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features.