FishNet vs Open Match
FishNet
fish-networking.gitbook.ioOpen Match
open-match.devSide by side
| Figure | FishNet | Open Match |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Networking Middleware | 8.7 (#3) | 8.1 (#12) |
| Integrations | The community integration list includes voice, server hosting and lobby tools, gameplay extensions, utilities, and Steamworks wrappers; the project says it does not officially maintain these assets or guarantee their support. | The matchmaking guide describes integration with external game frontends, Directors, and dedicated game server allocation systems. |
| Purpose | FishNet is a free networking solution for Unity games. | Open Match is an open-source framework for building scalable, extensible game matchmakers. |
| Security | The documentation describes customizable authenticators that require a client to pass authentication before communicating with the game server. | The documentation includes a guide for enabling TLS transport encryption. |
| Support | The docs direct users to troubleshooting guides and the official Discord community for help, and say Pro purchases can include priority support. | The project lists Slack, issue filing, and a mailing list as support channels. |
Plans
In their own words
FishNet
FishNet is a networking solution for Unity games using a client-server model and a server-authoritative design. It supports dedicated servers, while developers can also run a server and client together for development and testing. Users may choose a host, including self-hosting or player-hosted servers, and the free plan has no CCU caps or paywalls. Its high-level API synchronizes state, logic, and objects; events and inheritance provide lower-level functionality. Built-in client-side prediction includes desynchronization smoothing and Rigidbody prediction, and Addressables support covers network scenes and prefabs. Other listed tools include buffered remote calls, area-of-interest controls, configurable SyncTypes, tick-based timing, and broadcasts. Customizable authenticators can require client authentication before server communication. Communication is unencrypted by default; FishyUnityTransport can enable DTLS for UDP or TLS for WebSocket. FishNet costs nothing. FishNet Pro costs $50, paid once and adds lag compensation and automatic removal of sensitive server logic from client builds. The documentation says prediction collider components currently support primitive shapes such as boxes, spheres, and circles.
Open Match
Open Match has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.