Photon Engine Alternatives

Photon Engine is described as 'Global cross platform multiplayer game backend as a service (SaaS, Cloud) for synchronous and asynchronous games and applications. SDKs are available for android, iOS, .NET., Mac OS, Unity 3D, Windows, Unreal Engine, HTML5 and others' and is an app. There are more than 10 alternatives to Photon Engine for a variety of platforms, including Web-based, Windows, Linux, Mac and Android apps. The best Photon Engine alternative is Nakama, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Photon Engine are PlayFab, GameSparks, Steamworks and Unity Multiplayer.

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Alternatives list

  1. Nakama icon

    Nakama

     10 likes

    Nakama is an open-source distributed social and realtime server for games and apps. It has a large set of services for users, storage, and realtime communication; as well as specialized APIs like realtime multiplayer, groups/guilds, and chat.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Unity
    Nakama screenshot 1
     

    • Nakama is the most popular Web-based, Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Photon Engine.

    • Nakama is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Photon Engine.

    • Nakama is Freemium and Open SourcePhoton Engine is Freemium and Proprietary
  2. PlayFab icon

    PlayFab

     4 likes

    PlayFab is a powerful backend platform for your game.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Microsoft Azure
     
  4. GameSparks icon

    GameSparks

     3 likes

    GameSparks is a Backend-as-a-Service solution provider to mobile game developers to help them reduce the overall cost of development of their games and improve retention of their players and monetization of games post launch.

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    GameSparks screenshot 1
     
  5. Steamworks icon

    Steamworks

     1 like

    Steamworks is a free suite of tools available to any developer to use in their game or software on Steam. Here is a small sampling of the available features:

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
     

    • Steamworks is the most popular commercial alternative to Photon Engine.

    • Steamworks is Paid and ProprietaryPhoton Engine is Freemium and Proprietary
  6. Unity Multiplayer icon

    Unity Multiplayer

     1 like

    Unity Multiplayer is the way to create multiplayer games for Unity. Unity-provided servers ensure that your players can find and play with each other.

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
     
  7. Colyseus icon

    Colyseus

     1 like

    Colyseus is a Authoritative Multiplayer Game Server for Node.js. It allows you to focus on your gameplay instead of bothering about networking.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Node.JS
    Colyseus screenshot 1
     
  9. Reactor Multiplayer Engine icon

    Reactor Multiplayer Engine

     Like

    Reactor is a fully server-authoritative multiplayer system which includes integrated hosting and orchestration as well as the most efficient networking stack available.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     

    • Reactor Multiplayer Engine is the most popular SaaS alternative to Photon Engine.

    • Reactor Multiplayer Engine is Paid and ProprietaryPhoton Engine is Freemium and Proprietary
  10. Xbox Live Creators Program icon

    Xbox Live Creators Program

     Like

    With the Xbox Live Creators Program, anyone can integrate Xbox Live into their title and publish to Xbox One and Windows 10.

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  11. SocketWeaver icon

    SocketWeaver

     1 like

    Multiplayer gaming cloud designed for Unity game developers.

    Cost / License

    • Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    SocketWeaver screenshot 1
     

    • SocketWeaver is the most popular Android & iPhone alternative to Photon Engine.

    • SocketWeaver is Paid and ProprietaryPhoton Engine is Freemium and Proprietary

  12. DarkRift Networking

     Like

    DarkRift Networking is a high performance, multithreaded networking system for Unity designed for speed and flexibility. It aims to be the ideal solution for every type of game, be it a First Person Shooter, a Trading card game or a Massively Multiplayer Online game.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Unity
     
  13. SmartFoxServer icon

    SmartFoxServer

     Like

    SmartFoxServer is a comprehensive SDK for rapidly developing multiplayer games and applications with Adobe Flash/Flex/Air, Unity, HTML5, iOS, Windows Phone 8, Android, Java, Windows 8, C++ and more.

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
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