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EA Play vs Ubisoft Connect

EA Play logo

EA Play

Gaming

Subscription access to the EA back catalogue with timed trials of new releases

From
$5.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ubisoft Connect logo

Ubisoft Connect

Gaming

Ubisoft launcher, rewards programme and the Ubisoft+ subscription

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ubisoft Connect has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: EA Play the advertised early access on the standard tier is a ten hour timed trial, not the game, and the clock runs whether or not you are making progress.; Ubisoft Connect ubisoft revoked access to The Crew after shutting its servers down in 2024, which established that a purchased title with a single player mode can be made unplayable, and no purchase here is insulated from that.
  • They diverge on capability: EA Play covers Catalogue access, Ubisoft Connect covers Launcher and patching.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which EA Play and Ubisoft Connect actually diverge.

Attributes where EA Play and Ubisoft Connect differ
AttributeEA PlayUbisoft Connect
Starting price$5.99/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, PlayStation, XboxWindows, PlayStation, Xbox, Web

Identical on both: pricing model (Per user per month), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Gaming).

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 EA Play

  • Catalogue access
  • Ten hour trials
  • Purchase discount
  • Pro tier full releases
  • In game rewards
  • Bundled with Game Pass Ultimate

Only in Ubisoft Connect

  • Launcher and patching
  • Cross platform progression
  • Units rewards
  • Ubisoft+ Premium
  • Ubisoft+ Classics
  • Cloud saves

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

EA Play

  • Playing the current sports title a year late, when the previous edition has entered the catalogue and the gameplay difference is smallnot Ubisoft Connect
  • Trying a new EA release for ten hours before deciding whether to buy it at full pricenot Ubisoft Connect
  • A household already paying for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, where EA Play arrives at no extra chargenot Ubisoft Connect
  • Working through a back catalogue such as Mass Effect, Dead Space or Battlefield over a couple of months for the price of one gamenot Ubisoft Connect

Ubisoft Connect

  • Playing a single big Ubisoft release at launch for one or two months of subscription instead of seventy up frontnot EA Play
  • Carrying progress between a PC and a console on titles that support cross platform savesnot EA Play
  • Households already on PlayStation Plus at a tier that bundles Ubisoft+ Classics, where the back catalogue costs nothing extranot EA Play
  • Running Ubisoft titles bought on Steam, where the launcher is required whether you want it or notnot EA Play

Where each one falls short

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

EA Play

  • The advertised early access on the standard tier is a ten hour timed trial, not the game, and the clock runs whether or not you are making progress.
  • Titles are withdrawn from the catalogue when EA loses or ends a licence, so a series can lose an entry while you are part way through it and there is no warning period worth relying on.
  • On PC the subscription runs through the EA app, which is mandatory even for Steam purchases and has a long record of download, launch and cloud save faults.
  • Everything is limited to EA published titles, so it complements rather than replaces a general subscription and the ten percent discount never applies to anything else.
  • Cancelling ends access immediately, including to saves that only open inside the game, so a lapsed subscription during a busy month can strand a long single player campaign.

Ubisoft Connect

  • Ubisoft revoked access to The Crew after shutting its servers down in 2024, which established that a purchased title with a single player mode can be made unplayable, and no purchase here is insulated from that.
  • The launcher is mandatory even for copies bought on Steam or Epic, so you run two clients, two overlays and two update services for one game.
  • Ubisoft+ leaves nothing behind when you stop paying and there is no credit toward buying a title outright, so a subscription kept across a quiet release year is money with no residue.
  • Ubisoft has operated an inactive account closure policy, which means a library can be put at risk by simply not logging in for a long period.
  • At around eighteen a month the Premium tier costs more than three big releases a year, so it only pays for players who genuinely play a lot of Ubisoft output.

Pricing, plan by plan

EA Play

$5.99/month
  • EA Play$5.99/month
    • Catalogue access on PC, PlayStation and Xbox
    • Ten hour trials of new releases
    • Ten percent discount on EA purchases
  • EA Play Pro$16.99/month
    • PC only
    • New EA releases in full at launch
    • Deluxe editions and their content included

Ubisoft Connect

Free
  • Ubisoft ConnectFree
    • Free launcher, account and rewards programme
    • Required to run Ubisoft titles bought anywhere
    • Games bought individually from the store
  • Ubisoft+ Premium$17.99/month
    • New PC releases at launch
    • Back catalogue, expansions and premium editions
    • Cancel any time, access ends immediately
  • Ubisoft+ Classics$7.99/month
    • Console tier covering older titles
    • Included within some PlayStation Plus tiers

Which should you pick?

Choose EA Play if

  • You need catalogue access.
  • You work on Windows, PlayStation, Xbox.
  • You also want ten hour trials.
EA Play review

Choose Ubisoft Connect if

  • You need launcher and patching.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, Web.
  • You also want cross platform progression.
Ubisoft Connect review

Questions people ask

Is EA Play or Ubisoft Connect better?
Neither clearly leads. EA Play starts at $5.99/month and Ubisoft Connect at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, EA Play or Ubisoft Connect?
Ubisoft Connect has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5.99/month for EA Play and Free for Ubisoft Connect.
Does EA Play or Ubisoft Connect run on more platforms?
EA Play runs on Windows, PlayStation, Xbox. Ubisoft Connect runs on Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, Web.
Can I use Ubisoft Connect for free?
Yes. Ubisoft Connect has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. EA Play starts at $5.99/month.
What is EA Play best used for?
EA Play is most often used for playing the current sports title a year late, when the previous edition has entered the catalogue and the gameplay difference is small, trying a new ea release for ten hours before deciding whether to buy it at full price, a household already paying for xbox game pass ultimate, where ea play arrives at no extra charge, working through a back catalogue such as mass effect, dead space or battlefield over a couple of months for the price of one game. Of those, playing the current sports title a year late, when the previous edition has entered the catalogue and the gameplay difference is small and trying a new ea release for ten hours before deciding whether to buy it at full price are not what Ubisoft Connect is typically brought in for.
What can EA Play do that Ubisoft Connect cannot?
EA Play covers Catalogue access, Ten hour trials, Purchase discount, Pro tier full releases. Ubisoft Connect covers Launcher and patching, Cross platform progression, Units rewards, Ubisoft+ Premium.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

EA Play: Do I keep the games if I cancel?

No. Access ends with the subscription. Only purchases made with the subscriber discount remain yours.

Ubisoft Connect: Do I need Ubisoft Connect if I buy on Steam?

Yes. Ubisoft PC titles bought on Steam still install and launch the Ubisoft Connect client and require a Ubisoft account.

EA Play: Is EA Play included with Xbox Game Pass?

It is included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Lower Game Pass tiers do not necessarily include it, so check the current tier list before subscribing separately.

Ubisoft Connect: Can Ubisoft take away a game I bought?

It has done so. The Crew was delisted and access revoked in 2024 after the servers were shut down. Treat purchases as licences, not property.

EA Play: What is the difference between EA Play and EA Play Pro?

Pro is PC only, costs about three times as much, and gives new releases in full at launch instead of ten hour trials.

Ubisoft Connect: Does Ubisoft+ include Assassin Creed releases at launch?

Premium does on PC. The cheaper Classics tier covers older titles only, so new releases are not included there.

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