Software · head to head
Defold vs PlayFab
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Defold the Defold License requires you to include the Defold license and copyright notice in any work you create with the engine; PlayFab a title in development mode can only have up to 1,000 lifetime player account creations
- They diverge on capability: Defold covers Lua scripting, PlayFab covers Player authentication.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Defold 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 Defold
- Lua scripting
- Physics engine
- Sprite system
- Particle effects
- Sound management
- Collection editor
- Mobile optimization
- Lightweight
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.
Defold
- Building 2D games for mobile, desktop, web and console from a single projectnot PlayFab
- Shipping small-footprint HTML5 gamesnot PlayFab
- Teams wanting a free engine with no revenue share on gamesnot PlayFab
PlayFab
- Backend as a service for live games, covering accounts, leaderboards and player datanot Defold
- Hosting dedicated multiplayer game servers on Azurenot Defold
- LiveOps, in-game economy and player segmentation for game studiosnot Defold
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Defold
- The Defold License requires you to include the Defold license and copyright notice in any work you create with the engine
- The licence forbids commercialising original or modified versions of the Defold editor or engine itself
- Significant changes made to the Defold source must be documented under the licence terms
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
Defold
Free- FreeFree
- Full editor
- Lua scripting
- Physics engine
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 Defold if
- You need lua scripting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want physics engine.
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 Defold or PlayFab better?
- Neither clearly leads. Defold 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, Defold or PlayFab?
- Defold starts at Free and PlayFab at Free.
- Does Defold or PlayFab run on more platforms?
- Defold runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. PlayFab runs on Cross-platform.
- Can I use Defold for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Defold best used for?
- Defold is most often used for building 2d games for mobile, desktop, web and console from a single project, shipping small-footprint html5 games, teams wanting a free engine with no revenue share on games. Of those, building 2d games for mobile, desktop, web and console from a single project and shipping small-footprint html5 games are not what PlayFab is typically brought in for.
- What can Defold do that PlayFab cannot?
- Defold covers Lua scripting, Physics engine, Sprite system, Particle effects. PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features.