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GDevelop vs PlayFab

GDevelop logo

GDevelop

Software

Create games without coding

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: GDevelop the free tier allows 3 cloud projects and one desktop or Android build per day; PlayFab a title in development mode can only have up to 1,000 lifetime player account creations
  • They diverge on capability: GDevelop covers Visual event editor, PlayFab covers Player authentication.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GDevelop and PlayFab actually diverge.

Attributes where GDevelop and PlayFab differ
AttributeGDevelopPlayFab
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebCross-platform
Founded20101975

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 GDevelop

  • Visual event editor
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Physics engine
  • Particle effects
  • Sprite editor
  • Sound editor
  • Scene editor
  • Extensions 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.

GDevelop

  • Building 2D games with visual event logic rather than codenot PlayFab
  • Exporting one project to web, desktop, Android and iOSnot PlayFab

PlayFab

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

Where each one falls short

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

GDevelop

  • The free tier allows 3 cloud projects and one desktop or Android build per day
  • Free accounts get one leaderboard per game
  • Publishing to the iOS App Store requires the Gold plan, which caps those exports at 15 a month
  • AI credits are metered per tier, from 40 a month on free to 3,000 a week on Pro

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

GDevelop

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor
    • Cross-platform export
    • 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 GDevelop if

  • You need visual event editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want drag-and-drop interface.
GDevelop 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 GDevelop or PlayFab better?
Neither clearly leads. GDevelop 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, GDevelop or PlayFab?
GDevelop starts at Free and PlayFab at Free.
Does GDevelop or PlayFab run on more platforms?
GDevelop runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. PlayFab runs on Cross-platform.
Can I use GDevelop for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is GDevelop best used for?
GDevelop is most often used for building 2d games with visual event logic rather than code, exporting one project to web, desktop, android and ios. Of those, building 2d games with visual event logic rather than code and exporting one project to web, desktop, android and ios are not what PlayFab is typically brought in for.
What can GDevelop do that PlayFab cannot?
GDevelop covers Visual event editor, Drag-and-drop interface, Physics engine, Particle effects. PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features.
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