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Flax Engine vs PlayFab

Flax Engine logo

Flax Engine

Software

Modern 3D game engine with visual editor

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: Flax Engine flax charges a 4% royalty on game earnings above $250,000, assessed per calendar quarter; PlayFab a title in development mode can only have up to 1,000 lifetime player account creations
  • They diverge on capability: Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering, PlayFab covers Player authentication.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flax Engine and PlayFab actually diverge.

Attributes where Flax Engine and PlayFab differ
AttributeFlax EnginePlayFab
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsWindows, Linux, Playstation, XboxCross-platform
Founded20171975

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 Flax Engine

  • 3D graphics rendering
  • Visual editor
  • C# scripting
  • Physics engine
  • Audio system
  • Particle effects
  • Skeletal animation
  • Material system

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.

Flax Engine

  • Building 3D games in C# and C++ with full engine source accessnot PlayFab
  • Multi-platform deployment from one editornot PlayFab
  • Prototyping with the bundled Flax Samples projectsnot PlayFab

PlayFab

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

Where each one falls short

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

Flax Engine

  • Flax charges a 4% royalty on game earnings above $250,000, assessed per calendar quarter
  • Free use is granted for non-commercial or educational usage; commercial releases fall under the royalty
  • Users must accept the Flax Engine End-User License Agreement before using the engine or its tools, so it is not an OSI open source licence despite the source being on GitHub
  • Non-game uses such as in-house tools or SaaS products need a custom licence negotiated with the vendor, and no rate card is published for per-seat or flat-fee options

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

Flax Engine

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full engine
    • Visual editor
    • C# scripting

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 Flax Engine if

  • You need 3d graphics rendering.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox.
  • You also want visual editor.
Flax Engine 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 Flax Engine or PlayFab better?
Neither clearly leads. Flax Engine 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, Flax Engine or PlayFab?
Flax Engine starts at Free and PlayFab at Free.
Does Flax Engine or PlayFab run on more platforms?
Flax Engine runs on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox. PlayFab runs on Cross-platform.
Can I use Flax Engine for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Flax Engine best used for?
Flax Engine is most often used for building 3d games in c# and c++ with full engine source access, multi-platform deployment from one editor, prototyping with the bundled flax samples projects. Of those, building 3d games in c# and c++ with full engine source access and multi-platform deployment from one editor are not what PlayFab is typically brought in for.
What can Flax Engine do that PlayFab cannot?
Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering, Visual editor, C# scripting, Physics engine. PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features.
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