Crux vs PlayFab
Crux
crux.supercraft.hostPlayFab
developer.microsoft.comSide by side
| Figure | Crux | PlayFab |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $10/mo | $99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 5 |
| Spec score · Game Leaderboard Software | 8.6 (#12) | 8.9 (#6) |
| Spec score · Game LiveOps Software | 8.6 (#12) | 8.9 (#6) |
| Integrations | The maker lists Unity, Roblox, Godot, and custom game servers as supported integrations, and publishes JavaScript, Godot, Unity, and Roblox client SDKs. | The product page lists integrations for Xbox, Steam, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, Apple App Store and Google Play. |
| Intended users | Crux says it is best suited to dedicated-server and multiplayer survival or co-op games, including indie and mid-size studios, and less suited to offline single-player games. | Microsoft describes PlayFab as serving game developers, from indie titles to AAA franchises. |
| Privacy | The maker says player data is processed on the game developer's behalf, and states that it does not sell personally identifying profile data to third parties. | The terms state that Microsoft will not sell Game Data processed on the customer’s behalf within the scope of the CCPA. |
| Product | Crux provides multiplayer game backend services including player authentication, persistent data, leaderboards, server registry, live config, economy, and matchmaking. | PlayFab provides backend services for live games and connects players across platforms. |
| Security | Crux describes PostgreSQL row-level security, environment isolation, and separate API key, server token, and player JWT access modes. | Microsoft says developer sign-in migration adds MFA, conditional access, encryption and single sign-on through Microsoft accounts. |
| Support | Dev includes community support, Launch includes email support, and Scale includes priority email support. | PlayFab describes ticketed support and 24/7 emergency escalations, with real-time service health at status.playfab.com. |
Plans
PlayFab
- Free to StartFree
- Standard Plan$99 a month
- Premium Plan$1,999 a month
- Enterprise PlanPriced on request
- Pay-as-you-goFree
In their own words
Crux
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.
PlayFab
PlayFab provides managed backend services for live games and connects players across platforms. Its player services include identity, groups, friends, chat, profiles, stats, game saves and shared data, alongside competitive leaderboards and multiplayer networking. Live-operations tools support remote gameplay tuning, real-time player segmentation and A/B testing. Economy and user-generated-content tools cover virtual economies, live offers, monetization and built-in moderation. Game Data Stream can monitor player activity, analyze retention and revenue, and export raw data. The product lists Unreal and Unity SDKs, custom-engine language support, and integrations including Xbox, Steam, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, App Store and Google Play. Development Mode is free and permits up to 1,000 lifetime player account creations per title, with up to 10 titles per account. Free to Start costs nothing. Standard Plan costs $99 a month; Premium Plan costs $1,999 a month.