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Software · head to head

CryEngine vs PlayFab

CryEngine logo

CryEngine

Software

Build worlds, break limits. Professional game development 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: CryEngine a royalty of 5% of Gross Receipts is payable to Crytek on every game built with CRYENGINE; PlayFab a title in development mode can only have up to 1,000 lifetime player account creations
  • They diverge on capability: CryEngine covers Advanced graphics, PlayFab covers Player authentication.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CryEngine and PlayFab actually diverge.

Attributes where CryEngine and PlayFab differ
AttributeCryEnginePlayFab
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsWindows, Playstation, Xbox, LinuxCross-platform
Founded19991975

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 CryEngine

  • Advanced graphics
  • Physics engine
  • AI system
  • Animation tools
  • Flow Graph visual scripting
  • C++ and Lua support
  • Entity component system
  • Sandbox editor

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.

CryEngine

  • Building photorealistic first person and open world games with real time global illuminationnot PlayFab
  • Developing with full engine source code accessnot PlayFab
  • Sandbox based level design with what you see is what you get exportnot PlayFab

PlayFab

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

Where each one falls short

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

CryEngine

  • A royalty of 5% of Gross Receipts is payable to Crytek on every game built with CRYENGINE
  • Royalties are waived only on the first USD 5,000.00 of Gross Receipts per year per game
  • Royalties are calculated at source on gross receipts before any publisher or platform deductions, so a developer receiving 70% of USD 100,000 still owes USD 4,750
  • Military projects, gambling, simulation, science, architecture and serious games are excluded from the standard licence and are not covered as Games
  • The licence forbids combining CRYENGINE with code from other game engine providers
  • Supported platforms are limited to those Crytek announces at its sole discretion, listed in the agreement as Windows, Linux, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
  • Support is only provided against payment of a separate Support Fee that Crytek may change at its sole discretion
  • Crytek may modify the licence agreement at any time, with the only remedy for disagreement being to stop using CRYENGINE

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

CryEngine

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full engine access
    • Source code
    • Asset library

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 CryEngine if

  • You need advanced graphics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux.
  • You also want physics engine.
CryEngine 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 CryEngine or PlayFab better?
Neither clearly leads. CryEngine 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, CryEngine or PlayFab?
CryEngine starts at Free and PlayFab at Free.
Does CryEngine or PlayFab run on more platforms?
CryEngine runs on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux. PlayFab runs on Cross-platform.
Can I use CryEngine for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CryEngine best used for?
CryEngine is most often used for building photorealistic first person and open world games with real time global illumination, developing with full engine source code access, sandbox based level design with what you see is what you get export. Of those, building photorealistic first person and open world games with real time global illumination and developing with full engine source code access are not what PlayFab is typically brought in for.
What can CryEngine do that PlayFab cannot?
CryEngine covers Advanced graphics, Physics engine, AI system, Animation tools. PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features.
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