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Construct 3 vs PlayFab

Construct 3 logo

Construct 3

Software

Create games without coding. Powered by the Scirra engine.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PlayFab logo

PlayFab

Software

Player data backend for games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Construct 3 the free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account; PlayFab a title in development mode can only have up to 1,000 lifetime player account creations
  • They diverge on capability: Construct 3 covers Visual event system, PlayFab covers Player authentication.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Construct 3 and PlayFab actually diverge.

Attributes where Construct 3 and PlayFab differ
AttributeConstruct 3PlayFab
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebCross-platform
Founded20071975

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Construct 3

  • Visual event system
  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Physics engine
  • Sprite editor
  • Particle effects
  • Sound effects
  • Web-based
  • HTML5 support

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.

Construct 3

  • Building 2D browser games without writing codenot PlayFab
  • Publishing HTML5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one projectnot PlayFab

PlayFab

  • Backend as a service for live games, covering accounts, leaderboards and player datanot Construct 3
  • Hosting dedicated multiplayer game servers on Azurenot Construct 3
  • LiveOps, in-game economy and player segmentation for game studiosnot Construct 3

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Construct 3

  • The free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account
  • Free projects are limited to 2 layers, 2 special effects, 1 timeline animation of up to 5 seconds and 1 web font
  • The free version can only publish to HTML5 and the Construct Arcade, so desktop, Android, iOS and Facebook Instant Games all need a paid plan
  • Licences are per seat and annual, at $129.99 for Personal, $168.99 for Startup Business and $468.99 for Business

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

Construct 3

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Web-based editor
    • HTML5 export
    • Asset library
  • Personal$99/year
    • All Free features
    • Offline editor
    • Advanced export

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 Construct 3 if

  • You need visual event system.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want drag-and-drop editor.
Construct 3 review

Choose PlayFab if

  • You need player authentication.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cross-platform.
  • You also want data storage.
PlayFab review

Questions people ask

Is Construct 3 or PlayFab better?
Neither clearly leads. Construct 3 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, Construct 3 or PlayFab?
Construct 3 starts at Free and PlayFab at Free.
Does Construct 3 or PlayFab run on more platforms?
Construct 3 runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. PlayFab runs on Cross-platform.
Can I use Construct 3 for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Construct 3 best used for?
Construct 3 is most often used for building 2d browser games without writing code, publishing html5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one project. Of those, building 2d browser games without writing code and publishing html5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one project are not what PlayFab is typically brought in for.
What can Construct 3 do that PlayFab cannot?
Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Drag-and-drop editor, Physics engine, Sprite editor. PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features.
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