Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Construct 2 VS PlayFab

Compare Construct 2 VS PlayFab and see what are their differences

Construct 2 logo Construct 2

Scirra Construct is a 2D game development engine with a focus on building games visually.

PlayFab logo PlayFab

PlayFab is a backend platform for games, delivering powerful real-time tools and services for LiveOps.
  • Construct 2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-21
  • PlayFab Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-14

Construct 2 features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Construct 2 offers a drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible for users without programming skills to create games.
  • Fast Prototyping
    The visual scripting system allows for quick iteration and experimentation, enabling rapid development and testing of game concepts.
  • Cross-Platform Export
    Games developed in Construct 2 can be exported to multiple platforms including HTML5, Android, iOS, Windows, and more.
  • Extensive Documentation and Community Support
    Construct 2 has comprehensive documentation and an active community, which provides tutorials, forums, and asset stores that help in learning and improving game development skills.
  • Performance Optimization
    Construct 2 is built to optimize the performance of games running on various devices, ensuring smoother gameplay experience.

Possible disadvantages of Construct 2

  • Limited 3D Support
    Construct 2 is primarily a 2D game engine and lacks the capability to handle 3D game development efficiently.
  • Licensing Cost
    While there is a free version, more advanced features and export options require purchasing a license, which can be costly for some users.
  • Performance Overhead
    Games built with Construct 2 can have performance overhead compared to those developed with native code, which can affect the performance on less powerful devices.
  • Limited Customization
    While the visual scripting language is powerful, it can be restrictive for advanced users who need more control and customization over their game logic and performance.
  • Dependency on HTML5
    Construct 2’s primary export format is HTML5, which may not be suitable for all types of games, particularly those that require high-performance or native features.
  • Secondary Focus on Newer Engine
    Construct 2 is not the latest engine from Scirra; Construct 3 is its successor. Newer updates and features are likely to prioritize Construct 3, potentially slowing down the development and support for Construct 2.

PlayFab features and specs

  • Comprehensive Backend Services
    PlayFab provides a wide range of backend services including player data management, authentication, leaderboards, and cloud scripting, allowing developers to focus on game development rather than infrastructure.
  • Scalability
    Being hosted on Azure, PlayFab can scale seamlessly to accommodate a growing user base, ensuring performance remains optimal even with a large number of concurrent users.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    PlayFab supports a wide variety of platforms including iOS, Android, and major gaming consoles, enabling developers to create cross-platform games with ease.
  • Analytics and Insights
    PlayFab offers robust analytics tools that provide deep insights into player behavior and game performance, helping developers make data-driven decisions.
  • Community and Support
    PlayFab has a strong community and offers comprehensive support, including documentation, forums, and customer service, making it easier for developers to troubleshoot issues and learn best practices.

Possible disadvantages of PlayFab

  • Cost
    While PlayFab offers a free tier, the costs can increase significantly as the number of users and the usage of various services grow, which can be a concern for small developers or those on a tight budget.
  • Complexity
    Given its wide array of features, PlayFab can be complex to set up and manage, especially for less experienced developers who might find the learning curve steep.
  • Dependency on Azure
    Since PlayFab is heavily integrated with Microsoft Azure, developers are somewhat locked into the Azure ecosystem, which might not be ideal for those who prefer or are already using other cloud service providers.
  • Limited Offline Support
    PlayFab is primarily designed for online games, which means it offers limited support for games that need offline functionality, potentially limiting its use cases.
  • Performance Overhead
    There can be a performance overhead due to the cloud-based nature of PlayFab services, affecting response times for players, especially in regions with slower internet connections.

Construct 2 videos

Construct 2 - How To Make a Game - Review

More videos:

  • Review - Construct 2 = Easiest Game Maker EVER!

PlayFab videos

GameSparks vs PlayFab: Best Price? Trust? Features? Current+Future Value?

More videos:

  • Tutorial - PlayFab Tutorial - Multiplayer Back-End for Unity
  • Review - Meet Playfab - The Intelligent Backend Platform for Games

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Construct 2 and PlayFab)
Game Development
71 71%
29% 29
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Game Engine
74 74%
26% 26
3D Game Engine
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Construct 2 and PlayFab

Construct 2 Reviews

The Top 10 Video Game Engines
What better than an HTML-based engine to wrap up the list? Construct 2 doesn’t hinge on your ability to code. Sign me up!
The Best 15 Mobile Game Engines / Development Platforms & Tools in 2020
Construct 2 is a HTML5 platform for creating 2D games. It is very easy to use as coding is not required and it has many features that will help you in developing visually appealing games in a short time. It also allows for multiplatform export so your project will be ready to be launched in different devices at once.
Source: thetool.io

PlayFab Reviews

We have no reviews of PlayFab yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PlayFab seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 16 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Construct 2 mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Construct 2 yet. Tracking of Construct 2 recommendations started around Mar 2021.

PlayFab mentions (16)

  • Multiplayer developers, how do you store player data?
    I think the best way to get started is PlayFab they have a great C++ & Blueprint UE plugin. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Any suggestion for a backend as a service for highscore/ranking data that is more customizable than Google Play?
    I’ve used playfab in the past to good success https://playfab.com/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Magtatanong lang po.
    Kung gusto mo multiplayer game you can use Azure Playfab: https://playfab.com may "free" tier sila for development. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Leaderboard online in Unreal Engine 4.26
    Look into Microsoft's Azure PlayFab for something like this. There's a plugin for Unreal, though all of PlayFab's documentation seems to be for C# for Unity. Source: about 3 years ago
  • The Fundamentals of LiveOps with PlayFab
    This video blog provides a high-level overview of Azure PlayFab and how its services like LiveOps can be used to makes games more engaging for your players. Source: about 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Construct 2 and PlayFab, you can also consider the following products

Godot Engine - Feature-packed 2D and 3D open source game engine.

Nakama - Nakama is an open-source distributed social and realtime server for games and apps.

GDevelop - GDevelop is an open-source game making software designed to be used by everyone.

Firebase - Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications for mobile and web.

Unreal Engine - Unreal Engine 4 is a suite of integrated tools for game developers to design and build games, simulations, and visualizations.

Photon Engine - Independent networking engine and multiplayer platform.