Edgegap

Edgegap is multiplayer-game infrastructure for studios that need matchmaking alongside managed server deployment. It suits teams serving players across regions who want on-demand placement or a hybrid private fleet; its edge reach is attractive, but the 24-hour cloud runtime cap rules out some workloads.

Overview

Edgegap combines game-server hosting and orchestration with automated matchmaking and a server browser. Its regionless service caches and deploys servers on demand across 615 locations, without an SDK. The orchestrator chooses an available server; Edgegap says this can reduce player latency by up to 58%, a potential benefit rather than a guaranteed result.

Hybrid orchestration can deploy to a Private Fleet alongside Edge Cloud. That gives studios a way to mix on-demand public capacity with persistent, always-on private infrastructure. Founded in October 2018, Edgegap is based in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada.

Key features

Matchmaking and the server browser run on fully managed clusters, with dedicated environment tiers for teams that need more capacity. Game-server deployment integrations include plugins for Unity, Unreal Engine and Godot. Other listed integrations cover Unity Gaming Services matchmaking, Heroic Labs Nakama, PlayFab and Epic Online Services Lobbies; networking options include Mirror, Unity Netcode for GameObjects, Fish Networking, Photon Fusion 2, PurrNet and Netfox. That breadth can help teams connect familiar tools, though the service is specifically oriented around multiplayer-game infrastructure rather than general-purpose application hosting.

The homepage advertises instant DDoS protection, and adding a credit card unlocks DDoS protection among other capabilities. Support includes community resources, a documentation-trained AI chatbot and a team supporting live games 24/7. Enterprise services add a dedicated 24/7 team with guaranteed response times and an uptime SLA, a more explicit commitment for studios that need operational assurances.

Edge Cloud containers have a 24-consecutive-hour runtime limit. The pricing page points users who need longer-running containers to Private Fleets. Distributed Relays are for peer-to-peer networking: they include neither compute nor authoritative game-server capability, so they are not a substitute for hosting those servers.

Pricing

Edgegap has usage-based and fixed monthly options, but the advertised $0.00 starting figure does not mean every service is free. Edge Cloud charges per vCPU per minute, with no commitment and no charge for zero active servers; deployments range from 0.25 to 4 vCPU, and egress costs $0.10/GB monthly. Its 615-plus locations and idle-cost model suit variable demand, while the per-minute compute and egress charges make usage important to budget. The 24-hour runtime cap still applies.

Three trials let teams explore different services, each with a meaningful limit. Matchmaking & Server Browser — Free Trial costs nothing on a shared environment for three hours, with all features but limited resources. Game Server Hosting — Free Trial costs nothing with no credit card, but is capped at one app, two versions, 1.5 vCPU, one concurrent deployment and 60 minutes of uptime per deployment, with usage caps. Distributed Relays — Free Trial costs nothing and includes up to 50 CCU and 160 GB egress, but no compute. These are short evaluation paths, not a permanent free plan.

Matchmaking & Server Browser — Hobbyist is $0.03 a month, billed at $0.0312/hour and estimated at $22/month at 24h/30d usage; it includes a dedicated environment with 1 vCPU and 2 GB RAM. It fits smaller deployments that need dedicated resources, but the hourly estimate assumes continuous use. Studio is $0.15 a month, billed at $0.146/hour and estimated at $105/month at 24h/30d usage, with 6 vCPU and 12 GB RAM. Enterprise is $0.55 a month, billed at $0.548/hour and estimated at $395/month at 24h/30d usage, with 18 vCPU and 48 GB RAM for high traffic. The larger tiers make capacity differences clear, but the same continuous-use assumption matters when comparing monthly estimates.

Distributed Relays — 100 CCU costs $8 a month and includes 325 GB egress; the 500 CCU tier costs $115 a month with 1,625 GB egress. Choose between them by expected concurrency and included traffic, remembering neither tier supplies compute. Private Fleet (Bare Metal) is $0.03 a month, billed per vCPU per hour monthly and always on: $280 per host/month at the 12-month rate or $350 monthly. Each host provides 16 vCPU (15 usable), persistent 24/7 capacity across 58 locations and 6 TB monthly egress included. The commitment buys steady capacity, but the always-on model is less suited to workloads that can scale down to zero.

Platforms

Edgegap supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows and web, as well as API integrations. Container support, persistent storage and custom domains are available. The broad platform coverage suits cross-platform games, while the runtime distinction between Edge Cloud and Private Fleets remains important for server workloads.

Who it's for

Edgegap is aimed at studios and developers building multiplayer games, including mobile, VR, extended-reality and WebGL/HTML titles. It is a strong fit when matchmaking, geographically distributed deployment and integrations with game engines or networking stacks are priorities. Teams needing containers to run beyond 24 consecutive hours should plan around Private Fleets; teams seeking authoritative hosting should not mistake relays for game servers.

Pros and cons

• Wide edge reach: on-demand deployment spans 615 locations without an SDK, useful for games serving players across regions.
• Flexible hosting mix: hybrid orchestration combines Edge Cloud with persistent Private Fleet capacity.
• Game-focused integrations: engine, service and networking integrations cover a range of common multiplayer tools.
• Runtime constraint: Edge Cloud containers stop at 24 consecutive hours, pushing longer-running workloads to Private Fleets.
• Relays are narrowly scoped: they support peer-to-peer networking but provide no compute or authoritative server hosting.
• Trial caps are short or small: the matchmaking trial lasts three hours, while hosting and relay trials impose deployment, uptime or usage limits.

Alternatives

brainCloud is a freemium alternative with a free plan and free trial; consider it if free-plan access is a priority. GS2-Matchmaking has a free plan and targets individuals or corporations below its stated sales threshold, so it is worth comparing if that eligibility fits. Metaplay offers free local development with its full SDK and local server, making it a better fit when local development without hard limits is the priority. Photon Realtime has a free development tier limited to 20 concurrent users and 60.0 GB traffic per month, suited to small development use rather than a need for Edgegap's stated edge deployment. AccelByte Gaming Services offers Public Cloud Foundations free while building, with usage fees as players arrive, a possible alternative for teams seeking that model. Colyseus offers a free open-source option for self-hosting on a team's own servers with community support and no restrictions; choose it when self-managed hosting is preferable. Epic Online Services is free to use with no royalty or hosting fees, making it an option when those terms matter. SmartFoxServer is another alternative to compare for multiplayer projects.

For broader comparisons, see Game Matchmaking Software and Game Backend Services.

Verdict

Choose Edgegap if your studio needs managed matchmaking and on-demand game-server placement across many locations, with a private-fleet route for persistent capacity. Its strongest case is the combination of broad edge reach and flexible hosting; look elsewhere or plan for Private Fleets if your containers must run longer than 24 hours, and do not buy relays expecting authoritative server compute.