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Unity Multiplayer VS Photon Engine

Compare Unity Multiplayer VS Photon Engine and see what are their differences

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Unity Multiplayer logo Unity Multiplayer

Create real-time, networked games.

Photon Engine logo Photon Engine

Independent networking engine and multiplayer platform.
  • Unity Multiplayer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-17
  • Photon Engine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-25

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 Engine features and specs

  • Scalability
    Photon Engine can handle thousands of concurrent users, making it ideal for both small and large-scale multiplayer games.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Photon supports multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and HTML5, allowing developers to reach a wider audience without platform-specific re-coding.
  • Ease of Use
    The engine provides comprehensive documentation and an intuitive API, which makes it easier for developers to integrate and implement multiplayer functionalities.
  • Real-time Communication
    Photon Engine excels in providing low latency and real-time communication, which is crucial for multiplayer gaming experiences.
  • Community and Support
    A robust community and active forums provide support and shared knowledge to solve common issues and improve development workflows.

Possible disadvantages of Photon Engine

  • Pricing
    While Photon Engine offers a free tier, advanced features and higher CCU (concurrent user) limits require a paid subscription, which can be costly for small developers.
  • Complexity for Beginners
    Despite having good documentation, the complexity of setting up multiplayer features can be challenging for novice developers without prior networking experience.
  • Limited Customization
    Some developers may find the out-of-the-box solutions limiting if they require highly customized networking features not directly supported by Photon.
  • Third-party Dependence
    Relying on an external service for networking can make a project dependent on the service's uptime and business decisions.
  • Latency Variance
    Although generally low, network latency can vary based on server locations, which might affect game performance in some regions.

Unity Multiplayer videos

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Photon Engine videos

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Unet vs Photon Engine - A comparison

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Unity Multiplayer and Photon Engine)

Unity Multiplayer

Photon Engine

Developer Tools
40 40%
Developer Tools
60% 60
Game Development
39 39%
Game Development
61% 61
Game Engine
38 38%
Game Engine
62% 62
App Development
43 43%
App Development
57% 57

User comments

Share your experience with using Unity Multiplayer and Photon Engine. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Photon Engine 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: 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

Photon Engine mentions (2)

  • 'Foxhole' players launch organised in-game strike to demand change
    Source: photonengine.com (provides server networking and hosting for tens of millions of daily users on steam and other platforms). Source: over 3 years ago
  • steam vs itch.io
    With Steam you get 70% of the money you make from your game, and it costs $100 to put your game on the platform. But you get stuff like Steam Networking, VAC, Steam Achievements, etc. You might also get more sales if you put your game on Steam. With itch.io however, you get 100% of the money you make, and it's free to put your game on the platform. The problem is you will get less players than if you were to put... Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

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

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.

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

SmartFoxServer - Massive multiplayer platform

PlayFlow Cloud - Simplified Multiplayer Game Server Hosting

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

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