Software · head to head
PlayFab vs FMOD
The short version
- They diverge on capability: PlayFab covers Player authentication, FMOD covers FMOD Studio.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PlayFab and FMOD actually diverge.
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 FMOD
- FMOD Studio
- Real-time mixing
- Adaptive music
- 3D audio
- Occlusion
- DSP effects
- Live update
- Profiling tools
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 FMOD
- Hosting dedicated multiplayer game servers on Azurenot FMOD
- LiveOps, in-game economy and player segmentation for game studiosnot FMOD
FMOD
- Game audionot PlayFab
- Adaptive musicnot PlayFab
- Sound effectsnot PlayFab
- VR audionot 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
FMOD
Nothing recorded yet. See the FMOD review.
Pricing, plan by plan
PlayFab
Free- FreeFree
- 100K monthly active users
- Basic API
- Player authentication
- Professional$100/month
- Unlimited MAU
- Advanced features
- Priority support
FMOD
Free- IndieFree
- Full feature set
- Up to $200K budget
- All platforms
- Commercial$6000/project
- Full feature set
- Unlimited budget
- Priority support
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 FMOD if
- You need fmod studio.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Consoles.
- You also want real-time mixing.
Questions people ask
- Is PlayFab or FMOD better?
- Neither clearly leads. PlayFab starts at Free and FMOD at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PlayFab or FMOD?
- PlayFab starts at Free and FMOD at Free.
- Does PlayFab or FMOD run on more platforms?
- PlayFab runs on Cross-platform. FMOD runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Consoles.
- 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 FMOD is typically brought in for.
- What can PlayFab do that FMOD cannot?
- PlayFab covers Player authentication, Data storage, Analytics, Multiplayer features. FMOD covers FMOD Studio, Real-time mixing, Adaptive music, 3D audio.