[Comparison Analysis] What is a reasonable priced game chat solution? #PriceComparison #GameChat #SendBird #Photon

I learned how to choose a good chat solution, but the features and prices offered by each chat solution vary greatly! What is the most suitable and reasonable chat solution for the game I am developing? In this article, I have compared the usage fees of 5 game chat solutions.

'Game Chat Solution' Usage Fees and Features #GameChat #Sendbird #Stream #Pusher #Photon

* The content below refers to the official website information of each solution provider as of July 2021. Most domestic and foreign game companies mainly use chat solutions, with Sendbird being a representative example, along with Stream, Pusher, Photon, and various products like Game Chat from Naver Cloud. Let's compare the prices of these five chat solutions. :-)

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Most domestic and foreign game companies mainly use chat solutions, with Sendbird being a representative example,

​Stream, Pusher, Photon, and Game Chat from Naver Cloud,

among various products.

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Let's compare the prices of these five chat solutions. :-)

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Each solution has different pricing criteria, but usually, the fees are based on MAU or CCU.

Just a moment! MAU (Monthly Active User) means => the number of active users in a month. CCU (Concurrent Connected User) means => the number of simultaneous connections.

#1 Sendbird ChatSource: https://sendbird.com/pricing

* overage is the additional charge per each exceeded user. [ Sendbird Chat Features ]

✔ Product Types: Starter, Pro, Enterprise

✔ Peak CCU is 2% of MAU (MAU : CCU = 50 : 1)

✔ MAU, CCU overage varies by package (see the second table)

✔ Relatively fewer Peak CCUs compared to MAUs than other solutions

✔ Free trial lasts 30 days, with Starter and Pro features available for trial

✔ The number of messages that can be sent and received in a month and the number of messages stored on the server during the month are unlimited.

#2 Stream Chat MessagingSource: https://getstream.io/chat/pricing/

[ Stream Chat Messaging Features ]

✔ Product Types: Startup, Standard, Premium, Enterprise

✔ Peak CCU is 5% of MAU (MAU : CCU = 20 : 1)

✔ Free trial lasts for 30 days

✔ The number of messages stored on the server during the month is unlimited.

#3 Pusher ChannelsSource: https://pusher.com/channels/pricing

[ Pusher Channels Features ]

✔ Product Types: Sandbox, Startup, Pro, Business, Premium, Growth, Plus, Growth Plus

✔ MAU does not affect the price, but unlike other solutions, there are limits on the daily message volume based on the package.

#4 Photon ChatSource: https://www.photonengine.com/en-US/Chat/Pricing

* From 500 CCU, the price difference between monthly and annual charges becomes significant, so it is calculated at the cheaper annual rate. ** Prices vary by region => in South Korea it's $0.10/GB

[ Photon Chat Features ]

✔ Product Types: Public, Premium, Enterprise

✔ Unlike other solutions, the Bad Words Filter feature, which automatically filters profanity and explicit words, is not included by default and requires an additional charge to use.

✔ Like Game Chat, there is an additional charge for network overage.

✔ Network usage is free for up to 0.5GB per CCU, and additional charges of $0.05 or $0.10 apply for exceeding that limit.

#5 Game ChatSource: https://www.ncloud.com/product/game/gameChat

* Traffic overage is 100 won/GB

[ Game Chat Channel Features ]

✔ Pricing is based on CCU and network transmission volume.

✔ Free tier: 200 CCU, 100GB of network provided.

✔ Provides 2TB of network transmission volume for up to 2,000 CCU, with a price of 7,333 won per day, equivalent to 219,990 won per month based on 30 days.

✔ For networks, there’s an extra charge of 100 won per GB for exceeding 2TB.

✔ Products are not made based on the features provided.

'Game Chat Solution' Price Comparison Cases #GameChat #Sendbird #Stream #Pusher #Photon

Even with the same MAU and CCU, the usage fees can vary significantly depending on which solution you use. Did you notice? Based on specific MAU and CCU figures and ratios, let's compare which solution is more price advantageous.

The prices are based on monthly fees, and I compared various cases.

$1 = ₩1,122 assuming the exchange rate...

Idle Action RPG Mobile Game 'H'

In the case of the idle action RPG mobile game 'H', the MAU : CCU is 2,000 : 400, maintaining a ratio of about 5 : 1.

This is data comparing each solution assuming the same MAU and CCU.

The Game Chat costs about 220,000 won, while Sendbird costs 1,800,000 won, and Stream is around 600,000 won. It's evident that Sendbird and Stream are definitely more expensive compared to other solutions! When MAU and CCU are not large, this level of pricing can be burdensome. So, what is the cheapest solution? It is Pusher, but as seen in the image below, it lacks many features compared to other solutions and has a functional limitation with a maximum of 100 users in a group chat room.

Sendbird vs Pusher (Source: https://sendbird.com/blog/product-comparison-sendbird-vs-pushers-chatkit)

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Stream vs Pusher (Source: https://getstream.io/blog/stream-vs-pusher/)

​So, what about Photon?!

In the case of Photon, since the profanity filter included in other solutions is not provided by default, additional charges must be factored in. Additionally, there are extra charges for network usage, which could lead to higher costs if traffic usage increases!

Then, how about Naver Cloud Platform's Game Chat?

▼ Game Chat Product Introduction ▼

When using Game Chat, the fees are set based solely on CCU, regardless of MAU, allowing for a more reasonable price compared to other solutions that consider both MAU and CCU. Furthermore, it possesses all the essential features needed for game chatting, making it a very suitable solution for game developers needing various chat-related functionalities!

In this article, I examined what the most suitable and reasonable chat solution for my game is through a comparison of game chat solution fees! I hope you can build a successful chat service within your game using the reasonably priced Game Chat while possessing all the required features!