Software · head to head
PlayFab vs Flax Engine
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; Flax Engine flax charges a 4% royalty on game earnings above $250,000, assessed per calendar quarter
- They diverge on capability: PlayFab covers Player authentication, Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PlayFab and Flax Engine actually diverge.
| Attribute | PlayFab | Flax Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | Cross-platform | Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox |
| Founded | 1975 | 2017 |
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 Flax Engine
- 3D graphics rendering
- Visual editor
- C# scripting
- Physics engine
- Audio system
- Particle effects
- Skeletal animation
- Material system
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 Flax Engine
- Hosting dedicated multiplayer game servers on Azurenot Flax Engine
- LiveOps, in-game economy and player segmentation for game studiosnot Flax Engine
Flax Engine
- Building 3D games in C# and C++ with full engine source accessnot PlayFab
- Multi-platform deployment from one editornot PlayFab
- Prototyping with the bundled Flax Samples projectsnot 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
Flax Engine
- Flax charges a 4% royalty on game earnings above $250,000, assessed per calendar quarter
- Free use is granted for non-commercial or educational usage; commercial releases fall under the royalty
- Users must accept the Flax Engine End-User License Agreement before using the engine or its tools, so it is not an OSI open source licence despite the source being on GitHub
- Non-game uses such as in-house tools or SaaS products need a custom licence negotiated with the vendor, and no rate card is published for per-seat or flat-fee options
Pricing, plan by plan
PlayFab
Free- FreeFree
- 100K monthly active users
- Basic API
- Player authentication
- Professional$100/month
- Unlimited MAU
- Advanced features
- Priority support
Flax Engine
Free- FreeFree
- Full engine
- Visual editor
- C# scripting
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 Flax Engine if
- You need 3d graphics rendering.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox.
- You also want visual editor.
Questions people ask
- Is PlayFab or Flax Engine better?
- Neither clearly leads. PlayFab starts at Free and Flax Engine at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PlayFab or Flax Engine?
- PlayFab starts at Free and Flax Engine at Free.
- Does PlayFab or Flax Engine run on more platforms?
- PlayFab runs on Cross-platform. Flax Engine runs on Windows, Linux, Playstation, Xbox.
- 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 Flax Engine is typically brought in for.
- What can PlayFab do that Flax Engine cannot?
- PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features. Flax Engine covers 3D graphics rendering, Visual editor, C# scripting, Physics engine.