AccelByte PlaytestHub vs Poki Playtesting

AccelByte PlaytestHub is an open-source, self-hosted application for running closed game playtests from applications through feedback. Players apply for a place, accept an NDA, get a game code or download, play, and complete a survey. Studios can distribute Steam keys, AGS Campaign redemption codes, or ADT build download URLs. Players sign in with Discord through AGS IAM, which provides the backend with an AGS user identity. Studios can review signups, manage code pools, examine structured feedback, and send bulk announcements from the AGS Admin Portal. Surveys support versioned text, 1–5 ratings, and multiple-choice questions; players must accept a revised NDA before submitting a survey response. Playtest windows can open and close on a schedule, and a configured number of initial signups can be approved automatically. The backend runs as an AGS Extend Service Extension, while the player frontend is a static bundle. The hosted admin UI is currently available for Internal Shared Cloud only. The MIT-licensed tool costs nothing and requires AGS Extend.

Poki Playtesting is a free web service for game developer teams that want player feedback, bug findings, and design checks. Poki supplies players, devices, and tracking tools, while developers choose test devices and audience categories. Uploaded web builds or prototypes can come from any development stage, subject to content moderation; Poki recommends builds that work on desktop, mobile, and tablet. Each playtest returns 10 recordings containing button inputs, console output, session duration, country, and device type. Players join through a Mystery Tile and must consent to recording. After 10 recordings are watched, a player fit test can measure playtime with 500 players, usually in about five hours and up to twice daily. A web fit test presents the game on Poki category pages to around 10,000 players and measures click-through rate, average time on page, and conversion to play over roughly seven days. Poki for Developers provides upload, analysis, updating, and recording review tools. Supported workflows cover engines including Unity, Godot, Phaser, GameMaker, and others. Tests are free and repeatable, but uploading does not guarantee testing or platform placement.