Multiplayer API vs PlayFab
Multiplayer API
api.michitai.comPlayFab
developer.microsoft.comSide by side
| Figure | Multiplayer API | PlayFab |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $25/mo | $99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 3 | 5 |
| Spec score · Game Leaderboard Software | 8.1 (#16) | 8.9 (#6) |
| Intended users | The project says it aims to help indie developers and studios ship multiplayer features without building and operating their own backend infrastructure. | Microsoft describes PlayFab as serving game developers, from indie titles to AAA franchises. |
| Security | The privacy policy says passwords use bcrypt, API communications use HTTPS/TLS, authenticated requests require API tokens, and database access uses prepared statements. | Microsoft says developer sign-in migration adds MFA, conditional access, encryption and single sign-on through Microsoft accounts. |
| Self-hosting | The project can be self-hosted under its MIT-0 license; for self-hosted instances, the operator's own deployment and privacy policy apply. | Microsoft's open-source Thundernetes project lets developers run Windows or Linux game servers on Kubernetes clusters, including on-premises clusters. |
| Support | The maker directs users to [email protected] for questions, bug reports, and feature requests. | PlayFab describes ticketed support and 24/7 emergency escalations, with real-time service health at status.playfab.com. |
| What it does | Multiplayer API is a hosted backend for online games, providing player accounts, rooms, matchmaking, leaderboards, and realtime state updates. | PlayFab is a managed backend platform for games combining game services, real-time analytics and live-operations management. |
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
Multiplayer API
Multiplayer API has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
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.