Unity Multiplayer VS Nakama

Compare Unity Multiplayer VS Nakama and see what are their differences

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Unity Multiplayer

Create real-time, networked games.

Nakama

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

Landing page //
2023-08-17

Landing page //
2023-07-20

Unity Multiplayer

Website: unity.com
Pricing URL: -
$ Details: -

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Nakama

Website: heroiclabs.com
Pricing URL: Official Nakama Pricing
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Unity Multiplayer features and specs

Integrated Solution
Unity Multiplayer provides a tightly integrated solution within the Unity ecosystem, streamlining multiplayer game development by eliminating the need for external networking tools.
Scalability
The backend services offer scalable infrastructure, allowing developers to handle large numbers of concurrent players without worrying about server capacity and scaling complications.
Cross-Platform Support
Unity's multiplayer solutions support cross-platform development, enabling games to connect players across various devices such as PCs, consoles, and mobile devices.
Comprehensive Documentation
Unity provides extensive documentation and resources for developers, facilitating easier adoption and troubleshooting of multiplayer features.
Customizability
Offers developers flexibility to customize networking features and gameplay synchronization to suit unique game requirements and player experiences.

Possible disadvantages of Unity Multiplayer

Cost
Using Unity Multiplayer and its associated cloud services can incur significant costs, especially for games with a large user base or complex networking needs.
Complexity
Implementing multiplayer features can be complex and requires a good understanding of networking concepts, which can be challenging for beginners.
Vendor Lock-in
Relying on Unity's backend services can lead to vendor lock-in, making it difficult to migrate to other platforms or solutions if the need arises.
Performance Overheads
Depending on the implementation, there may be performance overheads associated with using managed networking solutions compared to building a custom solution.
Steep Learning Curve
Developers might encounter a steep learning curve when adapting to Unity's multiplayer framework, particularly if they are accustomed to other networking tools.

Nakama features and specs

Scalability
Nakama is designed to handle a large number of concurrent users, making it suitable for games and applications with a high volume of traffic.
Open Source
Nakama is open-source software, offering transparency, flexibility, and the ability for developers to contribute to and modify the codebase according to their needs.
Feature-Rich
Nakama provides a wide range of features out-of-the-box, such as real-time multiplayer, chat, leaderboards, matchmaking, and more, reducing the need for additional third-party services.
Cross-Platform
Nakama supports multiple platforms and languages, allowing for broad integration and compatibility across different types of games and applications.
Active Community
With an active and growing community, developers can find plenty of support, documentation, and community-driven plugins or extensions.

Possible disadvantages of Nakama

Complex Setup
Setting up and configuring Nakama can be complex, requiring a strong understanding of server management and networking, which might be challenging for beginners.
Resource Intensive
Nakama, depending on the features and scale, can demand significant server resources, potentially increasing operational costs.
Limited Documentation
While Nakama's community is active, there are reports that its official documentation can sometimes be lacking in detail, making problem-solving and advanced configuration difficult.
Maintenance Overhead
Being a self-hosted solution, Nakama requires ongoing maintenance and updates, which can be resource-intensive for smaller teams.
Learning Curve
Nakama has a steep learning curve, especially for developers who are not familiar with server-side development, game networking, or the specific technologies used by Nakama.

Unity Multiplayer videos

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Nakama videos

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Nakama - Review by efood

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Unity Multiplayer and Nakama)

Unity Multiplayer

Nakama

Developer Tools

31 31%

Developer Tools

69% 69

Game Development

44 44%

Game Development

56% 56

App Development

29 29%

App Development

71% 71

Game Engine

40 40%

Game Engine

60% 60

User comments

Share your experience with using Unity Multiplayer and Nakama. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Nakama should be more popular than Unity Multiplayer. It has been mentiond 15 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.

Unity Multiplayer mentions (2)

3D models, avatars, gestures
Unity is what they are using, I just know from seeing it in the browser code and researched it a little last year. https://unity.com/solutions/build-backend. Source: about 2 years ago
I teach Unreal. I had an easier time making my game in LittleBigPlanet. That cannot be right, what am I missing.
I never said that Unreal is bad for non BRs, just that it is very good for BRs. The amount of work they put into making Fortnite work as well as it does puts it way above anything else for large match based shooters. I agree that Unity's old multiplayer code was an absolute mess, and I would have previously suggested using a third party solution. I was saying that I've heard good things about their new multiplayer... Source: almost 3 years ago

Nakama mentions (15)

Distributed server for social and realtime games and apps
Dozens -- probably hundreds -- of games use this. There are case studies you can read at https://heroiclabs.com (Not sure why it was posted today -- it was first posted on HN 8 years ago.). - Source: Hacker News / 2 days ago
Next steps for Postgres pluggable storage
To add more detail on the recent work on the ZHeap storage engine. We (Heroic Labs) sponsored work for the Cybertec team to bring it up to date with latest improvements and changes with Postgres' pluggable storage engine:. Source: about 2 years ago
Is there anyway to create an “online guild” system in my idle game.
You can do that, but for what platform? html5? windows? android?, the most easiest way is use firestore a service from firebase (offer a free tier), it is the easiest way not the better, other way is use a service like nakama that is more professional and something in the middle can be mmm pocketbase or supabase. Source: about 2 years ago
Starred a game and want to make multi-player like stardew, tips?
I recommend the backend solution called Nakama since you’re using Godot: https://heroiclabs.com/. Source: about 2 years ago
I discover that MMORPG are really hard to make
I read using nakama server for this is convinient. Https://heroiclabs.com/. Source: over 2 years ago