Overview

Players can be matched randomly, searched by parameters, or allowed to choose an open room. Synchronous and asynchronous turn-based play, together with room rejoining after a disconnection, gives developers options for both live sessions and play that can resume later. This room-centered model suits games where session formation and recovery are core requirements.

Photon Cloud runs applications across global regions and is described as scaling from a few users to tens of thousands of concurrent users. HTTP webhooks can persist player and room data, properties, and event cache to Photon Cloud or a developer’s own storage. That flexibility is useful when game state must survive beyond a connection, while leaving storage choices to the team.

Key features

Matchmaking and rooms: Random matching, parameter searches, and open-room selection cover several common ways to assemble a session without committing players to one matchmaking flow.
Turn-based support and rejoining: Synchronous and asynchronous modes and room rejoin after disconnection make Realtime relevant to games where a dropped connection should not automatically end the session.
Multiple transports: Photon Cloud supports Reliable UDP, TCP, HTTP, and WebSockets for client-to-server communication. That range gives teams transport choices across different client environments.
Authentication: External providers include Epic EOS, Facebook, Oculus, Steam, and VIVEPORT; custom authentication is also supported.
Persistence hooks: HTTP webhooks can retain player data, room data, properties, and event cache in Photon Cloud or the developer’s own storage.

Pricing

The free Development Only — 20 CCU plan costs 0.00 USD per free and allows 20 concurrent users with 60.0 GB traffic/month. It is development only and has no CCU burst, so it is useful for building and evaluating an integration, not a production launch.

The 100 CCU plan is 95.00 USD per once, billed for 12 months. It includes 100 concurrent users and 0.3 TB traffic/month, but is games only and has no CCU burst. The 500 CCU plan costs 95.00 USD per month, billed per month, and provides 500 concurrent users, 1.5 TB traffic/month, and CCU burst. At 185.00 USD per month, 1,000 CCU raises the limits to 1,000 concurrent users and 3.0 TB traffic/month, also with burst; 2,000 CCU costs 370.00 USD per month and includes 6.0 TB traffic/month with burst. These paid CCU plans are games only. The 100 CCU plan’s 12-month billing term and lack of burst make it a less flexible production choice than the monthly 500 CCU plan, despite the same 95.00 USD headline price.

Premium Cloud costs 0.29 USD per month billed per CCU, with a $580 minimum fee per month and a 2,000 CCU minimum. It includes 6.0 TB traffic and usage-based CCU auto-scaling, with DDoS protection by default. The minimum commitment makes it a better fit for established services needing scaling than for small projects. Enterprise Cloud has custom pricing and adds dedicated servers, unlimited titles, an SLA, priority operations support, server-authoritative plug-ins, and multi-layered DDoS protection.

All plans include online documentation, samples, tutorials, videos, and help with account and billing issues. Paid support options are described for higher tiers.

Platforms

Supported platforms include Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, and Nintendo Switch. Documented Realtime SDK variants are for Unity and .NET, while Photon SDK downloads also include JavaScript and native platform packages. The .NET SDK is only tested for Windows applications; teams targeting broader platforms should account for that constraint. Unity’s SDK lists Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, consoles, and XR devices.

Photon Engine states that it is ISO 27001:2022 certified and aligned with GDPR and CCPA, and that Photon Cloud does not store personally identifiable information. Enterprise Cloud adds dedicated infrastructure and multiple layers of DDoS protection for teams with those operational requirements.

Who it's for

Realtime is aimed at multiplayer game developers from indie teams to AAA studios. It is most compelling for developers who need managed, room-based networking, several matchmaking patterns, and turn-based session recovery. The 20 CCU development plan supports early work, while production teams should size plans against concurrent users and monthly traffic. Teams needing server-authoritative plug-ins, dedicated servers, or an SLA should consider Enterprise Cloud; those seeking a different networking model should compare alternatives before committing.

Pros and cons

Pro: Multiple matchmaking paths and room rejoining support varied session designs and recovery from disconnections.
Pro: UDP, TCP, HTTP, and WebSocket transports, plus external and custom authentication, offer integration choices across client environments.
Pro: Webhooks can persist several kinds of room and player state to Photon Cloud or the developer’s own storage.
Con: The free tier is development only, limited to 20 concurrent users and 60.0 GB traffic/month, with no burst; it cannot serve as a production free tier.
Con: Production plan economics change materially with tier: 100 CCU is billed for 12 months and lacks burst, while Premium Cloud starts at a $580 minimum fee per month and 2,000 CCU.
Con: The .NET SDK is only tested for Windows applications, constraining teams that expect that SDK to cover other targets.

Alternatives

Colyseus is worth comparing for teams that want a free, self-hosted open-source plan with no restrictions and community support, rather than Photon’s managed cloud emphasis.

SmartFoxServer offers a free Community Edition with 100 concurrent users and full features, making it a point of comparison for teams evaluating a larger free concurrency allowance.

Steam Input is another option in this category for teams assessing a free product available across API, Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Photon Fusion has a free 100 CCU plan with one app per customer, games-only use, approximately 40k MAU, 0.3 TB traffic per month, and no CCU burst; compare it when those limits suit the project better.

Photon Quantum has a free 20 connected-user development plan with 60.0 GB traffic per month and no burst, as well as a free 100 CCU plan; compare its plan structure when evaluating another Photon option.

Mirror Networking is free and open source under MIT, with no paywalls or CCU costs, for teams prioritizing that pricing model.

Netick is a free option for teams looking at server-authoritative state-sync networking for Unity; Interest Management and Lag Compensation are Pro features.

Normcore has a free Public plan with unlimited applications, concurrent users, and rooms, no session limits, and 100 room hours, making its stated free allowances a comparison point for teams evaluating usage caps.

Browse Game Networking Middleware and Game Matchmaking Software for more options.

Verdict

Choose Photon Realtime when a multiplayer game needs managed room-based matchmaking, multiple transport choices, and turn-based play that can recover after disconnection. Its strongest case is the combination of hosted scaling and flexible session handling. Look elsewhere if the development-only free tier is not enough for launch, the production concurrency and traffic charges do not fit the budget, or the Windows-tested .NET SDK does not match the intended platform targets.

	Photon Realtime	PlayFlow
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	$0.29/mo	$20/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, api, iOS, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, Web, Windows	api, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	95 /mo	20 /mo
Deployment model	—	managed

Photon Realtime vs PlayFlow

Photon Realtime

PlayFlow