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Game Development · head to head

Defold vs PlayFab

Defold logo

Defold

Game Development

The game engine for the creators of King

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PlayFab logo

PlayFab

Game Development

Player data backend for games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Defold the Defold License requires you to include the Defold license and copyright notice in any work you create with the engine; PlayFab a title in development mode can only have up to 1,000 lifetime player account creations
  • They diverge on capability: Defold covers Lua scripting, PlayFab covers Player authentication.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Defold and PlayFab actually diverge.

Attributes where Defold and PlayFab differ
AttributeDefoldPlayFab
Pricing modelfreeusage-based
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebCross-platform
Founded20051975

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 Defold

  • Lua scripting
  • Physics engine
  • Sprite system
  • Particle effects
  • Sound management
  • Collection editor
  • Mobile optimization
  • Lightweight

Only in PlayFab

  • Player authentication
  • Data storage
  • Analytics
  • Multiplayer features
  • Economy system
  • Matchmaking
  • Cloud saves
  • Leaderboards

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

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

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Defold

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor
    • Lua scripting
    • Physics engine

PlayFab

Free
  • Free to StartFree
    • Up to 10 development titles
    • 1,000 lifetime players per title
    • 750 free VM hours/month
  • Pay-as-you-goFree
    • No minimum charge
    • Community support only
    • Usage-based pricing
  • Standard Plan$99/month
    • Includes $400 monthly meter value
    • Support tickets included
  • Premium Plan$1999/month
    • Includes $8,000 monthly meter value
    • Emergency escalations

Which should you pick?

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.
Defold review

Choose PlayFab if

  • You need player authentication.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cross-platform.
  • You also want data storage.
PlayFab review

Questions people ask

Is Defold or PlayFab better?
Neither clearly leads. Defold starts at Free and PlayFab at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Defold or PlayFab?
Defold starts at Free and PlayFab at Free.
Does Defold or PlayFab run on more platforms?
Defold runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. PlayFab runs on Cross-platform.
Can I use Defold for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Defold best used for?
Defold is most often used for building 2d games for mobile, desktop, web and console from a single project, shipping small-footprint html5 games, teams wanting a free engine with no revenue share on games. Of those, building 2d games for mobile, desktop, web and console from a single project and shipping small-footprint html5 games are not what PlayFab is typically brought in for.
What can Defold do that PlayFab cannot?
Defold covers Lua scripting, Physics engine, Sprite system, Particle effects. PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Defold: How much does Defold cost?

Defold is completely free with no up-front cost, no licensing cost, no royalties, and no runtime fees. The game engine is free forever, supported by the Defold Foundation with source code available under a developer-friendly license.

Source
PlayFab: How much does PlayFab cost?

PlayFab uses a usage-based consumption model. The Free to Start tier includes 1,000 lifetime players per title and 750 free VM hours. Pay-as-you-go has no minimum; Standard plans start at $99/month and include $400 in monthly meter value; Premium plans start at $1,999/month.

Source
Defold: Is Defold free to use commercially?

Yes, Defold is free forever with no royalties or revenue sharing required. Developers can create and monetize commercial games without any fees to Defold.

Source
PlayFab: Is PlayFab free?

PlayFab offers a Free to Start tier for development with limits: up to 10 development titles and 1,000 lifetime players per title. Additionally, pay-as-you-go pricing has no minimum commitment and covers only actual usage.

Source
PlayFab: What are PlayFab's consumption meters and pricing?

PlayFab charges per various consumption metrics: PlayStream Events cost $6.60 per million, Profile Reads cost $0.33 per million, Profile Writes cost $7.15 per million, and Profile Storage costs $1.54 per GB. The first 150k Economy V2 requests monthly are free.

Source
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