Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Unity Multiplayer VS Photon

Compare Unity Multiplayer VS Photon and see what are their differences

Unity Multiplayer logo Unity Multiplayer

Create real-time, networked games.

Photon logo Photon

The fastest way to build beautiful Electron apps using simple HTML and CSS.
  • Unity Multiplayer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-17
  • Photon Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-27

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.

Photon features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Photon is designed to work across multiple operating systems, providing a consistent look and feel on Windows, macOS, and Linux. This feature is beneficial for developers who need to create applications that run on different platforms without significant modifications.
  • Lightweight Design
    Photon provides a lightweight and minimalistic design that's easy to integrate into various development environments. This can lead to faster load times and a more responsive application experience for the user.
  • Intuitive User Interface
    With a focus on simplicity, Photon offers an intuitive user interface that can be easily understood and navigated by users, which can enhance user satisfaction and reduce the learning curve.
  • Customizable Components
    Photon provides a range of customizable components that developers can tailor to suit the specific needs of their applications. This flexibility allows for more creativity and unique application designs.

Possible disadvantages of Photon

  • Limited Feature Set
    While Photon offers a range of basic components and functionalities, it may lack some advanced features and tools found in more comprehensive development frameworks, potentially limiting more complex application development.
  • Community Support
    Compared to leading development frameworks, Photon has a smaller community. This can lead to fewer resources, such as tutorials and community forums, making it harder to find solutions and support.
  • Lack of Regular Updates
    Photon may not receive updates as frequently as more popular frameworks, which can result in slower adaptation to new technologies or longer times to fix known issues.
  • Integration Challenges
    Developers might face challenges when integrating Photon with other tools and libraries, especially if those other technologies are not designed to work seamlessly with Photon's framework.

Unity Multiplayer videos

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Photon videos

Anycubic Photon 3D Printer Review

More videos:

  • Review - Honest Review of the Anycubic Photon Resin Printer - Owned for 5 months, 100's of prints shown
  • Review - MVP Photon Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Unity Multiplayer and Photon)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Game Development
66 66%
34% 34
Cross-Platform Desktop Development
Game Engine
66 66%
34% 34

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Photon might be a bit more popular than Unity Multiplayer. We know about 2 links to it since March 2021 and only 2 links to Unity Multiplayer. 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: over 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: about 3 years ago

Photon mentions (2)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Unity Multiplayer and Photon, you can also consider the following products

Photon Engine - Independent networking engine and multiplayer platform.

Metaplay.io - Build and operate Unity games at scale, featuring a liveops platform, game economy pipelines, scalable cloud servers, game programming tools, and more.

PlayFab - PlayFab is a backend platform for games, delivering powerful real-time tools and services for LiveOps.

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

Pragma - The home base for Ethereum developers.

Colyseus - Multiplayer Game Server for Node.js. Focus on the gameplay instead of networking.