Free plan
- horizOn is stronger than
- PlayFab, Nakama, brainCloud, Beamable
- Stronger than horizOn
- Supabase
- Even or different in kind
- Firebase, AccelByte, LootLocker
Backend as a Service for Game Developers, Honestly Compared
Nine providers on ten criteria, every value with its source and check date. horizOn is one of them and loses several criteria.
Nine Game Backends, Side by Side
No backend wins for everyone. The detail pages show where each one is stronger and where horizOn is.
PlayFab
Free up to 1,000 players per title, then metered; Standard $99, Premium $1,999 per month
LootLocker
Free up to 10,000 MAU under $100,000 revenue, then $500 per month plus MAU
Game Backend Comparison: Features at a Glance
horizOn's 13 player features as yardstick. This favours horizOn, the criteria below do not.
| Feature | horizOn | Firebase | PlayFab | Supabase | Nakama | brainCloud | AccelByte | LootLocker | Beamable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| User Management | |||||||||
| Leaderboards | |||||||||
| Player Profile | |||||||||
| Validated Actions (anti-cheat) | |||||||||
| Cloud Save | |||||||||
| Crash Reporting | |||||||||
| User Logs | |||||||||
| Remote Config | |||||||||
| News / Announcements | |||||||||
| Localization | |||||||||
| Email Sending | |||||||||
| Gift Codes | |||||||||
| User Feedback |
Partial means only with your own code, through a separate paid product, or with a limit. The sources name the details per provider.
Who Is Stronger Where
Per criterion: against whom horizOn is stronger, weaker or even. Each comparison page has the details and sources.
Pricing model and price jumps
- horizOn is stronger than
- Firebase, PlayFab, Supabase, Nakama, brainCloud, AccelByte, LootLocker, Beamable
Regions
- horizOn is stronger than
- Firebase, PlayFab, Supabase, Nakama, brainCloud, AccelByte, LootLocker, Beamable
Engines and SDKs
- horizOn is stronger than
- Firebase, PlayFab, Supabase, AccelByte, Beamable
- Stronger than horizOn
- Nakama, LootLocker
- Even or different in kind
- brainCloud
Consoles
- Stronger than horizOn
- PlayFab, Nakama, brainCloud, AccelByte, LootLocker
- Even or different in kind
- Firebase, Supabase, Beamable
Ready-made player features
- horizOn is stronger than
- Firebase, PlayFab, Supabase, Nakama, brainCloud, AccelByte, LootLocker, Beamable
Own server logic and cheat protection
- Stronger than horizOn
- Firebase, PlayFab, Supabase, Nakama, brainCloud, AccelByte, Beamable
- Even or different in kind
- LootLocker
Real-time multiplayer
- Stronger than horizOn
- Firebase, PlayFab, Supabase, Nakama, brainCloud, AccelByte, Beamable
- Even or different in kind
- LootLocker
Leaving and self-hosting
- horizOn is stronger than
- Firebase, PlayFab, brainCloud, AccelByte, LootLocker
- Stronger than horizOn
- Supabase, Nakama
- Even or different in kind
- Beamable
Availability, contract and data protection
- Stronger than horizOn
- Firebase, brainCloud
- Even or different in kind
- PlayFab, Supabase, Nakama, AccelByte, LootLocker, Beamable
Who horizOn Fits
Indie studios with PC or mobile games without real-time multiplayer, with players on several continents and a fixed monthly budget, who do not want to build operations features themselves.
Not a fit for console titles, real-time multiplayer games or launches that expect hundreds of thousands of concurrent players: horizOn has no console support, no matchmaking and no automatic scaling.
Sources
Each comparison page lists the source of every value.
| Provider | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Firebase | Sources per criterion | 2026-10-12 |
| PlayFab | Sources per criterion | 2026-10-12 |
| Supabase | Sources per criterion | 2026-10-12 |
| Nakama | Sources per criterion | 2026-10-12 |
| brainCloud | Sources per criterion | 2026-10-12 |
| AccelByte | Sources per criterion | 2026-10-12 |
| LootLocker | Sources per criterion | 2026-10-12 |
| Beamable | Sources per criterion | 2026-10-12 |
Found an outdated value? Open a support ticket and we correct it with a new check date.
Detailed horizOn vs. Competitor Comparisons
Deep-dive into how horizOn compares to each game backend provider individually.
Firebase
Free Spark plan with daily limits, then pay per use on Blaze
Detailed ComparisonPlayFab
Free up to 1,000 players per title, then metered; Standard $99, Premium $1,999 per month
Detailed ComparisonSupabase
Free plan, Pro from $25 per month plus compute and usage
Detailed ComparisonNakama
Open source to self-host, Heroic Cloud from $600 per month
Detailed ComparisonbrainCloud
Free for development, then from $15 per month plus API call metering
Detailed ComparisonAccelByte
Free up to 30 concurrent players, then billed by the daily peak
Detailed ComparisonLootLocker
Free up to 10,000 MAU under $100,000 revenue, then $500 per month plus MAU
Detailed ComparisonBeamable
90-day trial, then from $125 per month by API calls and MAU
Detailed Comparison
Does horizOn Fit Your Game?
Start on the free plan without a time limit and check it against your own requirements.