Software · head to head
PlayFab vs Bevy
Bevy
Software
A refreshingly simple data-driven game engine built in Rust
- 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; Bevy rust only, so it assumes a language most game teams do not already use
- They diverge on capability: PlayFab covers Player authentication, Bevy covers Entity Component System.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PlayFab and Bevy 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 PlayFab
- Player authentication
- Data storage
- Analytics
- Multiplayer features
- Economy system
- Matchmaking
- Cloud saves
- Leaderboards
Only in Bevy
- Entity Component System
- 2D/3D rendering
- Audio system
- Asset pipeline
- Hot reloading
- Cross-platform
- Modular architecture
- Parallel systems
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 Bevy
- Hosting dedicated multiplayer game servers on Azurenot Bevy
- LiveOps, in-game economy and player segmentation for game studiosnot Bevy
Bevy
- 2D and 3D game development in Rustnot PlayFab
- Data-driven design using an entity component systemnot PlayFab
- Shipping to Windows, macOS, Linux, web, iOS and Android from one codebasenot PlayFab
- Projects wanting a permissive licence with no royalties or feesnot 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
Bevy
- Rust only, so it assumes a language most game teams do not already use
- No visual editor of the kind Unity or Godot provide, so scenes and logic are written in code
- Built around ECS, which is a different mental model from the scene-graph engines most developers come from
Pricing, plan by plan
PlayFab
Free- FreeFree
- 100K monthly active users
- Basic API
- Player authentication
- Professional$100/month
- Unlimited MAU
- Advanced features
- Priority support
Bevy
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full engine access
- ECS architecture
- Hot reloading
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 Bevy if
- You need entity component system.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Webgl.
- You also want 2d/3d rendering.
Questions people ask
- Is PlayFab or Bevy better?
- Neither clearly leads. PlayFab starts at Free and Bevy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PlayFab or Bevy?
- PlayFab starts at Free and Bevy at Free.
- Does PlayFab or Bevy run on more platforms?
- PlayFab runs on Cross-platform. Bevy runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Webgl.
- 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 Bevy is typically brought in for.
- What can PlayFab do that Bevy cannot?
- PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features. Bevy covers Entity Component System, 2D/3D rendering, Audio system, Asset pipeline.