Software · head to head
PlayFab vs Construct 3
Construct 3
Software
Create games without coding. Powered by the Scirra engine.
- 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; Construct 3 the free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account
- They diverge on capability: PlayFab covers Player authentication, Construct 3 covers Visual event system.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PlayFab and Construct 3 actually diverge.
| Attribute | PlayFab | Construct 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Cross-platform | Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web |
| Founded | 1975 | 2007 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Construct 3
- Visual event system
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Physics engine
- Sprite editor
- Particle effects
- Sound effects
- Web-based
- HTML5 support
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 Construct 3
- Hosting dedicated multiplayer game servers on Azurenot Construct 3
- LiveOps, in-game economy and player segmentation for game studiosnot Construct 3
Construct 3
- Building 2D browser games without writing codenot PlayFab
- Publishing HTML5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one projectnot 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
Construct 3
- The free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account
- Free projects are limited to 2 layers, 2 special effects, 1 timeline animation of up to 5 seconds and 1 web font
- The free version can only publish to HTML5 and the Construct Arcade, so desktop, Android, iOS and Facebook Instant Games all need a paid plan
- Licences are per seat and annual, at $129.99 for Personal, $168.99 for Startup Business and $468.99 for Business
Pricing, plan by plan
PlayFab
Free- FreeFree
- 100K monthly active users
- Basic API
- Player authentication
- Professional$100/month
- Unlimited MAU
- Advanced features
- Priority support
Construct 3
Free- FreeFree
- Web-based editor
- HTML5 export
- Asset library
- Personal$99/year
- All Free features
- Offline editor
- Advanced export
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 Construct 3 if
- You need visual event system.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want drag-and-drop editor.
Questions people ask
- Is PlayFab or Construct 3 better?
- Neither clearly leads. PlayFab starts at Free and Construct 3 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PlayFab or Construct 3?
- PlayFab starts at Free and Construct 3 at Free.
- Does PlayFab or Construct 3 run on more platforms?
- PlayFab runs on Cross-platform. Construct 3 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 Construct 3 is typically brought in for.
- What can PlayFab do that Construct 3 cannot?
- PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features. Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Drag-and-drop editor, Physics engine, Sprite editor.