Photon Engine
- Android app
- Yes
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid plans from
- $125/mo
- Runs on
- Android, api, iOS, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows
Summary
Photon Engine provides networking products and infrastructure for building and running real-time multiplayer games and applications. Its SDKs are described as compatible with Unity, Unreal Engine, and native C/C++. Fusion offers state synchronization with tick-based simulation, client-side prediction, and snapshot interpolation; Quantum uses deterministic multiplayer simulation with rollback for physics and inputs. The Realtime API includes rooms and lobbies, matchmaking, region selection, message relay, and cloud webhooks. Photon Voice uses the Opus codec and has server-side integrations with GGWP, Voice Patrol, and ToxMod by Modulate. Photon Chat supports public and private messages, reliable delivery, encryption, and per-channel buffers. Plans are measured by concurrent connected users across an application, and traffic above an allowance incurs overage fees. Free options include development-only access for 20 connected users and a games-only plan for 100. The 100 CCU plan is 95.00 USD per once, billed for 12 months. PUN 2 is in maintenance and long-term support, with no further feature updates planned; Photon recommends Fusion or Quantum for new projects.
Who it is for
Photon suits developers building multiplayer games or applications who need networking, matchmaking, voice, or chat capabilities. Its plans distinguish development-only use, games-only access, and higher connected-user allowances.
What is good
- Provides Fusion, Quantum, and Realtime networking options.
- Realtime includes matchmaking, rooms, and lobbies.
- Voice uses the Opus codec.
- Chat supports encrypted public and private messages.
- Offers a free plan for 100 connected users.
What to know first
- Plans above their traffic allowance incur overage fees.
- The 100 CCU plan is 95.00 USD per once, billed for 12 months.
- PUN 2 has no further feature updates planned.
- The 20-user free option is development only.
Verdict
Photon offers multiple networking approaches alongside voice and chat products for multiplayer projects. Consider the connected-user and traffic allowances, and note that PUN 2 is not planned to receive feature updates.
Photon Engine plans and pricing
All plansCompared on game backend services
- Free plan
- Yesphotonengine.com
- Multiplayer networking
- Yesphotonengine.com
- Player accounts
- Yesphotonengine.com
- Matchmaking
- Yesphotonengine.com
- Cloud data
- Yesphotonengine.com
- Live-ops tools
- Yesphotonengine.com
- Deployment model
- hybridphotonengine.com
Facts
- Product
- Photon provides multiplayer networking products and infrastructure for developing and running real-time multiplayer games and applications.doc.photonengine.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Fusion
- Photon Fusion provides state synchronization networking with tick-based simulation, client-side prediction, and snapshot interpolation.photonengine.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Quantum
- Photon Quantum is a deterministic multiplayer engine that predicts and rolls back physics and inputs.photonengine.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Realtime API
- Photon Realtime is a low-level networking API with rooms and lobbies, matchmaking, region selection, message relay, and cloud webhooks.doc.photonengine.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Voice integrations
- Photon Voice uses the Opus codec and provides server-side integration with GGWP, Voice Patrol, and ToxMod by Modulate.doc.photonengine.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Chat features
- Photon Chat supports public and private text messages, reliable delivery, message encryption, and per-channel buffers.doc.photonengine.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Cloud operations
- Photon says its operations team monitors Cloud servers 24/7 and that Cloud hosting is available across major regions.photonengine.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Support
- All plans include online documentation, free samples and tutorials, and help with non-technical account, billing, and service-status issues; Gaming Circle offers premium development support.photonengine.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Plan measurement
- Photon measures plans by concurrent connected users across the application, and traffic above the plan allowance incurs overage fees.doc.photonengine.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Legacy product
- PUN 2 is in maintenance and long-term support mode, with no further feature updates planned, and Photon recommends Fusion or Quantum for new projects.doc.photonengine.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Company
- The maker is Exit Games GmbH, headquartered at Hongkongstraße 7, 20457 Hamburg, Germany; a company blog page states Exit Games was founded in 2003.photonengine.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Developer tools
- Photon SDKs are described as compatible with Unity, Unreal Engine, and native C/C++.photonengine.com · 30 Sept 2026
Company
- Founded
- 2003photonengine.com · 28 Sept 2026
- Headquarters
- Hamburg, Germanyphotonengine.com · 28 Sept 2026
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Sources
- doc.photonengine.com/photon/current/getting-started· checked 30 Sept 2026
- photonengine.com/fusion· checked 30 Sept 2026
- photonengine.com· checked 30 Sept 2026
- doc.photonengine.com/photon/current/photon-products· checked 30 Sept 2026
- photonengine.com/quantum/pricing· checked 30 Sept 2026
- doc.photonengine.com/photon/current/pricing· checked 30 Sept 2026
- photonengine.com/contact· checked 30 Sept 2026
- photonengine.com/industries· checked 30 Sept 2026