Software · head to head
PlayFab vs CryEngine
CryEngine
Software
Build worlds, break limits. Professional game development 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; CryEngine a royalty of 5% of Gross Receipts is payable to Crytek on every game built with CRYENGINE
- They diverge on capability: PlayFab covers Player authentication, CryEngine covers Advanced graphics.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PlayFab and CryEngine 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 CryEngine
- Advanced graphics
- Physics engine
- AI system
- Animation tools
- Flow Graph visual scripting
- C++ and Lua support
- Entity component system
- Sandbox editor
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 CryEngine
- Hosting dedicated multiplayer game servers on Azurenot CryEngine
- LiveOps, in-game economy and player segmentation for game studiosnot CryEngine
CryEngine
- Building photorealistic first person and open world games with real time global illuminationnot PlayFab
- Developing with full engine source code accessnot PlayFab
- Sandbox based level design with what you see is what you get exportnot 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
CryEngine
- A royalty of 5% of Gross Receipts is payable to Crytek on every game built with CRYENGINE
- Royalties are waived only on the first USD 5,000.00 of Gross Receipts per year per game
- Royalties are calculated at source on gross receipts before any publisher or platform deductions, so a developer receiving 70% of USD 100,000 still owes USD 4,750
- Military projects, gambling, simulation, science, architecture and serious games are excluded from the standard licence and are not covered as Games
- The licence forbids combining CRYENGINE with code from other game engine providers
- Supported platforms are limited to those Crytek announces at its sole discretion, listed in the agreement as Windows, Linux, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
- Support is only provided against payment of a separate Support Fee that Crytek may change at its sole discretion
- Crytek may modify the licence agreement at any time, with the only remedy for disagreement being to stop using CRYENGINE
Pricing, plan by plan
PlayFab
Free- FreeFree
- 100K monthly active users
- Basic API
- Player authentication
- Professional$100/month
- Unlimited MAU
- Advanced features
- Priority support
CryEngine
Free- FreeFree
- Full engine access
- Source code
- Asset library
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 CryEngine if
- You need advanced graphics.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux.
- You also want physics engine.
Questions people ask
- Is PlayFab or CryEngine better?
- Neither clearly leads. PlayFab starts at Free and CryEngine at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PlayFab or CryEngine?
- PlayFab starts at Free and CryEngine at Free.
- Does PlayFab or CryEngine run on more platforms?
- PlayFab runs on Cross-platform. CryEngine runs on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux.
- 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 CryEngine is typically brought in for.
- What can PlayFab do that CryEngine cannot?
- PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features. CryEngine covers Advanced graphics, Physics engine, AI system, Animation tools.