Crux vs Epic Online Services

Crux provides multiplayer game backend services for player authentication, persistent data, leaderboards, server registration, live configuration, game economies, and matchmaking. Authentication supports email and password, guest sessions, Google, GitHub, and Discord OAuth, as well as Roblox verification. Developers can store player- or project-scoped JSON documents and configure ranked or seasonal leaderboards with recurring resets. Economy tools handle currencies, virtual items, and inventories through atomic, server-authoritative updates. Matchmaking queues players by game mode and region, then assigns them to live servers from the dedicated server registry. The maker lists Unity, Roblox, Godot, and custom game servers as integrations, with client SDKs for JavaScript, Godot, Unity, and Roblox. The hosted API is documented with OpenAPI, and client SDKs are MIT-licensed; the managed backend is proprietary. Crux has a free Dev plan and paid plans from $10.00 per month. Runtime is a capacity-gated closed alpha for Godot 4 Linux dedicated-server exports, with Dev evaluation limited to admitted projects. Crux says it best suits dedicated-server multiplayer survival or co-op games.

Epic Online Services is a suite of modular online services for game developers. Its service areas cover accounts and social features, multiplayer, player and game data, and trust and safety. Social capabilities include crossplay, friends, presence, overlay, and the Epic Games account ecosystem. Multiplayer tools include peer-to-peer features, sessions, lobbies, and voice chat. Developers can use leaderboards, stats, achievements, and storage for player and title data. Trust and safety services include Easy Anti-Cheat, sanctions, player reports, and Kids Web Services. The services can be used with Unreal Engine, Unity, or a developer's chosen engine. SDKs are available for PC in C or C#, Android, and iOS; console SDKs require a request through the Developer Portal. Epic describes the service as free to use, with no royalty or hosting fees, though usage restrictions may apply. Epic says it processes game-service data to operate the services and does not share partner data without explicit authorization. Use may be throttled or suspended for violations of service restrictions.