Mirror Networking vs Normcore
Mirror Networking
mirror-networking.com
Normcore
normcore.ioSide by side
| Figure | Mirror Networking | Normcore |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $49/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 |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Spec score · Game Networking Middleware | 8.1 (#10) | 8.4 (#6) |
| Core features | Mirror provides message handlers, high performance serialization, distributed object management and state synchronization. | Normcore provides networked physics, persistent spaces, voice chat, and XR support. |
| Headquarters | Germany | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Product | Mirror is a system for building multiplayer capabilities for Unity games. | Normcore is a complete networking solution for Unity that scales to millions of users. |
| Security | The maker says Mirror follows common information security practices, has over 80% test coverage, and relies on no closed-source dependencies other than Unity. | Normcore Private Cloud includes Cloudflare L3/L4 DDoS protection and L7 protection built into private game servers. |
| Support | The maker invites users to contact [email protected] with questions or policy review requests and says it is happy to help with projects. | Normcore offers community support through its official Discord and enterprise support through a private Slack channel and dedicated account manager. |
Plans
Normcore
- PublicFree
- Pro$49 a month
- Unlimited$49 a month
- Enterprise SupportPriced on request
In their own words
Mirror Networking
Mirror Networking is a free system for adding multiplayer capabilities to Unity games. It uses a server-authoritative model by default and supports dedicated servers as well as client hosts. Core tools include message handlers, serialization, distributed object management, and state synchronization. Unity components such as NetworkManager, NetworkIdentity, and NetworkBehaviour connect game objects and scripts, with automatic synchronization for transforms and script variables. Built-in transport choices include KCP UDP, Telepathy TCP, WebSockets, a multiplexer, latency simulation, encryption, and Edgegap Relay. Other transport connections include Steam, Epic Online Services, LiteNetLib, and ENet. Mirror is MIT licensed, with no paywalls or CCU costs. The maker says it stores no user data and performs no tracking, analytics, or advertising. Its feature list marks lag compensation and encryption as Beta, unreliable sync mode as in development, and bitpacking and prediction as being researched. The GitHub README recommends Unity 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 LTS, or 6000.1 to get started.
Normcore
Normcore is a networking solution for Unity multiplayer applications. It provides networked physics, persistent spaces, voice chat and XR support, with EasySync for synchronizing properties without code; that component can also be converted to a C# RealtimeComponent. Voice over IP and audio streaming can be added to a prefab using a Unity component. For Unity WebGL builds, it supports multiplayer and voice chat through WebRTC without code modifications. The service is aimed at desktop, console, mobile, VR, AR and WebGL projects, with game servers across cloud providers that select regions based on client latency. Normcore Private offers deployment on dedicated cloud servers or on-premises hardware, with support for custom server-side C# or C++ plugins. Its Public plan is free and includes 100 room hours and 120GB of bandwidth per month. Pro costs $49 a month and includes 10,000 room hours and 3TB of bandwidth. Unlimited costs $49 a month plus usage beyond 10,000 room hours and 3TB of bandwidth.