Side by side
Photon Realtime vs Riptide Networking
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 AndroidAPIiPhone+5
Photon Realtime provides matchmaking, transport and persistence features for multiplayer games, with cloud hosting across global regions. Review the plan’s usage terms and the SDK platform constraint that applies to your application.
Visit Photon Realtime Free plan AndroidiPhoneLinux+3
Choose Riptide if you are building a C# multiplayer game for Unity or another .NET environment and want a free library with multiple transports and message modes. Look elsewhere if the game must run in a browser or requires peer-to-peer networking without source changes.
Visit Riptide NetworkingThe facts
| Photon Realtime | Riptide Networking | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, API, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Premium Cloud: $0.29 a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 8 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | photonengine.com | github.com |
| On game networking middleware | #15 of 29 | #19 of 29 |
Photon Realtime: what it does well
- Matchmaking supports random, parameter-based and open-room options.
- Players can rejoin rooms after disconnection.
- Supports UDP, TCP, HTTP and WebSockets.
- Free development tier allows 20 concurrent users.
What to know first
- Free plan is for development only.
- The 100 CCU plan is billed for 12 months.
- .NET SDK is only tested for Windows applications.
Riptide Networking: what it does well
- Free to use under the MIT license.
- Works with Unity and other .NET environments.
- Lists UDP, TCP, and Steam transports.
- Offers Reliable, Unreliable, and Notify message modes.
- Supports dedicated servers, relay servers, and host clients.
What to know first
- Browser-based games are unsupported because there is no web transport.
- True peer-to-peer use requires source changes.
- VR and consoles have not been officially tested.
Alternatives to Photon Realtime Alternatives to Riptide Networking The whole list