Game Development · head to head
PlayFab vs Adventure Game Studio
Adventure Game Studio
Game Development
Create point-and-click adventure games
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: PlayFab a title in development mode can only have up to 1,000 lifetime player account creations; Adventure Game Studio the AGS editor and IDE run only on Windows (Vista, 7, 8, 10 or 11), even though built games run on Linux, macOS, Android and iOS
- They diverge on capability: PlayFab covers Player authentication, Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PlayFab and Adventure Game Studio actually diverge.
| Attribute | PlayFab | Adventure Game Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | Cross-platform | Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web |
| Founded | 1975 | 1997 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Game Development).
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 PlayFab
- Player authentication
- Data storage
- Analytics
- Multiplayer features
- Economy system
- Matchmaking
- Cloud saves
- Leaderboards
Only in Adventure Game Studio
- Point-and-click editor
- Room system
- Sprite animation
- Built-in scripting
- Inventory system
- Dialog system
- Audio support
- Resolution scaling
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
PlayFab
- Backend as a service for live games, covering accounts, leaderboards and player datanot Adventure Game Studio
- Hosting dedicated multiplayer game servers on Azurenot Adventure Game Studio
- LiveOps, in-game economy and player segmentation for game studiosnot Adventure Game Studio
Adventure Game Studio
- Building point-and-click adventure games in a classic Sierra or LucasArts stylenot PlayFab
- Shipping a commercial or freeware adventure game with no licence feenot PlayFab
- Scripting game logic in a Java or C# style language with a built-in debuggernot PlayFab
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Adventure Game Studio
- The AGS editor and IDE run only on Windows (Vista, 7, 8, 10 or 11), even though built games run on Linux, macOS, Android and iOS
- The editor requires the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, and .NET Framework 4.5 on Windows 7 and Vista
- Video playback supports only FLC and OGV (Ogg Theora) and is full-screen only; AVI and WMV support was dropped after version 3.6.0 and existed only on Windows builds
- MSSCCI source control integration was discontinued in version 3.6.0
- Graphics drivers are limited to Direct3D 9 and OpenGL
- Audio format support is limited to OGG, MP3, WAV, MOD, XM and MIDI
- Support is community-only through forums and Discord, with no vendor support channel
Pricing, plan by plan
PlayFab
Free- FreeFree
- 100K monthly active users
- Basic API
- Player authentication
- Professional$100/month
- Unlimited MAU
- Advanced features
- Priority support
Adventure Game Studio
Free- FreeFree
- Full editor
- Built-in script editor
- Room editor
Which should you pick?
Choose PlayFab if
- You need player authentication.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cross-platform.
- You also want data storage.
Choose Adventure Game Studio if
- You need point-and-click editor.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want room system.
Questions people ask
- Is PlayFab or Adventure Game Studio better?
- Neither clearly leads. PlayFab starts at Free and Adventure Game Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PlayFab or Adventure Game Studio?
- PlayFab starts at Free and Adventure Game Studio at Free.
- Does PlayFab or Adventure Game Studio run on more platforms?
- PlayFab runs on Cross-platform. Adventure Game Studio runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- Can I use PlayFab for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is PlayFab best used for?
- PlayFab is most often used for backend as a service for live games, covering accounts, leaderboards and player data, hosting dedicated multiplayer game servers on azure, liveops, in-game economy and player segmentation for game studios. Of those, backend as a service for live games, covering accounts, leaderboards and player data and hosting dedicated multiplayer game servers on azure are not what Adventure Game Studio is typically brought in for.
- What can PlayFab do that Adventure Game Studio cannot?
- PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features. Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor, Room system, Sprite animation, Built-in scripting.