PlayFab vs Professor ARPDAU
PlayFab
developer.microsoft.comProfessor ARPDAU
arpdau.comSide by side
| Figure | PlayFab | Professor ARPDAU |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $99/mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 5 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Monetization Software | 9.0 (#2) | 6.9 (#19) |
| Intended users | Microsoft describes PlayFab as serving game developers, from indie titles to AAA franchises. | The site describes its tools for product managers and teams working on free-to-play mobile games. |
| Privacy | The terms state that Microsoft will not sell Game Data processed on the customer’s behalf within the scope of the CCPA. | The site says no account is required for its free modeling tools and that company data is not stored on its servers. |
| Product | PlayFab provides backend services for live games and connects players across platforms. | Professor Arpdau offers free-to-play mobile game analytics tools and geographical pricing tools. |
| Support | PlayFab describes ticketed support and 24/7 emergency escalations, with real-time service health at status.playfab.com. | The site offers a free one-hour seminar and directs technical support requests to [email protected]. |
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
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.
Professor ARPDAU
Professor ARPDAU is a web service for product managers and teams working on free-to-play mobile games. Its analytics tools model retention, lifetime value, campaign break-even timing, daily active users and revenue. The retention calculator fits a regression curve from D1, D3, D7 and optional D30 observations; at least two observations are needed, while a 0% observation is excluded. The LTV predictor multiplies ARPDAU by the retention-curve total. A break-even analyzer uses CPI, observed LTV and retention metrics to estimate when cohort revenue exceeds acquisition cost. Another predictor models DAU from daily installs and retention scenarios, then estimates daily revenue with ARPDAU. Its geographical pricing tool can update in-app prices by country, with user-controlled targeting and adjustments, using Google Play Console access and Google’s API. Free modeling tools need no account.