Epic Online Services vs Steamworks
Epic Online Services
onlineservices.epicgames.comSteamworks
partner.steamgames.comSide by side
| Figure | Epic Online Services | Steamworks |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Spec score · Sdk | 8.9 (#2) | 7.5 (#8) |
| Spec score · Game Leaderboard Software | 8.9 (#5) | 7.5 (#29) |
| Spec score · Game Backend Services | 8.9 (#6) | 7.4 (#24) |
| Anti-cheat | Easy Anti-Cheat is part of the trust and safety offering, with extra support available under a paid enterprise agreement. | Steam offers anti-cheat APIs and game-ban infrastructure, and developers may also use their own anti-cheat solution. |
| Support | Epic directs developers with unanswered FAQ questions to its EOS support contact. | Steamworks developer support is available by support ticket, and developer discussion boards are another place to seek advice. |
Plans
Epic Online Services
- Epic Online ServicesFree
- Free licenseFree
- Enterprise Anti-Cheat agreementPriced on request
In their own words
Epic Online Services
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.
Steamworks
Steamworks has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.