Side by side
Open Match vs Photon Server
Both stand on game networking middleware. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APISelf-hosted
Open Match provides building blocks rather than a ready-made matchmaking service, with customization central to how matches are formed. Teams should account for Kubernetes operations, production resource needs, and TLS configuration.
Visit Open Match Paid APISelf-hostedWindows
Photon Server provides a customizable, protocol-rich foundation for self-hosted multiplayer services. Teams must supply persistence separately and meet its licensing membership, server-count, CCU and application restrictions.
Visit Photon ServerThe facts
| Open Match | Photon Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Self-hosted | API, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | open-match.dev | photonengine.com |
| On game networking middleware | #22 of 29 | #26 of 29 |
Open Match: what it does well
- Developers control matchmaking logic
- Supports match quality and latency measurement
- Provides REST APIs over HTTP and gRPC
- Offers TLS transport encryption
- Includes a default Evaluator for common cases
What to know first
- Self-hosting requires a Kubernetes cluster
- APIs are unencrypted by default
- Production setup requires significant resources
- Backfill requires custom changes
Photon Server: what it does well
- On-premises hosting on chosen machines
- Customizable C# server source
- Multiple real-time transport protocols
- Matchmaking support
- Several authentication providers
What to know first
- No persistence layer included
- Requires a valid license
- Licenses limited to Industries Circle members
- License server and CCU limits apply
Alternatives to Open Match Alternatives to Photon Server The whole list