Game Development · head to head
PlayFab vs Defold
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; Defold the Defold License requires you to include the Defold license and copyright notice in any work you create with the engine
- They diverge on capability: PlayFab covers Player authentication, Defold covers Lua scripting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PlayFab and Defold actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Defold
- Lua scripting
- Physics engine
- Sprite system
- Particle effects
- Sound management
- Collection editor
- Mobile optimization
- Lightweight
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 Defold
- Hosting dedicated multiplayer game servers on Azurenot Defold
- LiveOps, in-game economy and player segmentation for game studiosnot Defold
Defold
- Building 2D games for mobile, desktop, web and console from a single projectnot PlayFab
- Shipping small-footprint HTML5 gamesnot PlayFab
- Teams wanting a free engine with no revenue share on gamesnot 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
Defold
- The Defold License requires you to include the Defold license and copyright notice in any work you create with the engine
- The licence forbids commercialising original or modified versions of the Defold editor or engine itself
- Significant changes made to the Defold source must be documented under the licence terms
Pricing, plan by plan
PlayFab
Free- FreeFree
- 100K monthly active users
- Basic API
- Player authentication
- Professional$100/month
- Unlimited MAU
- Advanced features
- Priority support
Defold
Free- FreeFree
- Full editor
- Lua scripting
- Physics engine
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 Defold if
- You need lua scripting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want physics engine.
Questions people ask
- Is PlayFab or Defold better?
- Neither clearly leads. PlayFab starts at Free and Defold at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PlayFab or Defold?
- PlayFab starts at Free and Defold at Free.
- Does PlayFab or Defold run on more platforms?
- PlayFab runs on Cross-platform. Defold 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 Defold is typically brought in for.
- What can PlayFab do that Defold cannot?
- PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features. Defold covers Lua scripting, Physics engine, Sprite system, Particle effects.