Compare / Metaplay

Metaplay vs Lonca

Metaplay is a server-authoritative C# backend with a Unity SDK and a strong LiveOps Dashboard, shipped with source code. Engineers define game logic and each event type in C#, and live-ops staff schedule them. Lonca is a managed backend where the event types already exist, so a studio without C# backend engineers can run live ops on Unity, Godot or web.

Book a 20-minute early access call

Pick Metaplay when

You're a Unity team building a long-lived free-to-play game, want to own the source code, and have C# engineers to extend the server.

Pick Lonca when

You don't have backend engineers, want ready-made event types and social features, or build on Godot or web.

At a glance

How Metaplay and Lonca differ before you look at a single feature.

Metaplay

Lonca

What it is

Metaplay

A server-authoritative C# game backend with a Unity SDK and LiveOps Dashboard, delivered as source code.

Lonca

An open-source game backend for casual and mobile games, with live ops built in.

How live ops are built

Metaplay

The LiveOps Dashboard schedules events, offers, mail and experiments. Each new event type is first written as a C# class by an engineer.

Lonca

Configured in the console from 18 event templates, with a flow builder, versions, and dev and staging environments to test in. No server code.

Engine SDKs

Metaplay

Unity only, including WebGL. Other engines get API access without shared logic.

Lonca

Unity, Godot and web, generated from one API description.

Custom server logic

Metaplay

C# on .NET, shared between client and server.

Lonca

Rarely needed. Flows cover the logic between events; webhooks reach your own server when you need more.

Hosting

Metaplay

Metaplay Cloud on AWS, or your own cloud on the Private Cloud plan.

Lonca

Lonca Cloud, run for you on shared infrastructure with each game's data, limits and keys kept apart. Or self-host on your own infrastructure.

Source code

Metaplay

Source-available to customers. Not open source.

Lonca

Open-source core. Lonca Cloud is the managed edition.

Pricing

Metaplay

Free for local development. The Production plan starts at €1,985 a month, priced per daily player above an included amount.

Lonca

Self-hosting has no license fee. Lonca Cloud targets $0.05 per daily active player per month; early access pricing is agreed with each studio.

Feature by feature

What each one gives a casual or mobile game out of the box. The Lonca column is what early access is designed to include; Lonca is not generally available yet.

Feature

Metaplay

Lonca

Players

Accounts and sign-in

Metaplay

Built in

Google, Apple, Facebook and Steam, with account recovery

Lonca

Built in

Guest, Google, Apple, Facebook and username. Steam, Game Center and Play Games planned.

Cloud save

Metaplay

Built in

Server-authoritative player state

Lonca

Built in

Versioned, with conflict detection, history and restore

Live ops

Live events without code

Metaplay

Partly

Scheduled in the dashboard after each event type is written in C#

Lonca

Built in

18 templates, scheduled and tested in staging

Segments and targeting

Metaplay

Built in

Lonca

Built in

Level, platform, app version, audience and country

A/B tests and remote config

Metaplay

Built in

Experiments and over-the-air configs

Lonca

Planned

A/B variants planned after early access

Push notifications

Metaplay

Built in

Lonca

Planned

Planned after early access

Competition

Leaderboards with seasons

Metaplay

Built in

Leagues and divisions with seasons

Lonca

Built in

Seasons, archives, friends, team and country views

Tournaments and leagues

Metaplay

Partly

Through leagues

Lonca

Built in

Rooms, brackets and leagues with bots

Social

Teams and clans

Metaplay

Built in

Guilds

Lonca

Built in

Roles, help requests and team events

Chat

Metaplay

Write it in code

Build it or use a third party

Lonca

Built in

Global, team, group and direct, with moderation

Friends

Metaplay

Write it in code

Not documented

Lonca

Built in

Friend codes, suggestions and blocking

Inbox with rewards

Metaplay

Built in

In-game mail with rewards

Lonca

Built in

Scheduled broadcasts, claimed exactly once

Economy

Currencies and inventory

Metaplay

Built in

Server-authoritative, defined in C# and configs

Lonca

Built in

A ledger that never goes negative, lives and timers

Promo codes

Metaplay

Write it in code

No documented promo code feature

Lonca

Built in

Shared, unique and personal codes

Purchase receipt validation

Metaplay

Built in

Including Steam, subscriptions and refunds

Lonca

Planned

Planned after early access

Multiplayer

Real-time multiplayer

Metaplay

Partly

Multiplayer entities and async matchmaking; no real-time netcode

Lonca

Not yet

Not in early access; may come later. Lobbies hand off to your match server, and async PvP is built in.

Platform

Product analytics

Metaplay

Partly

Event streaming to your warehouse, player views in the dashboard

Lonca

Planned

Planned after early access

Where Metaplay is stronger

Source code access
Customers get the source of the server, the Unity SDK and the dashboard.
Shared C# logic
Game logic runs the same on client and server, which makes cheating hard.
Deep LiveOps Dashboard
Segments, experiments, offers, mail and player inspection, extendable with custom pages.
Purchases covered
Receipt validation including Steam, subscriptions and refunds.

Where Lonca is different

Event types ready on day one
Lonca ships 18 event types as templates, with rooms, bots and prize tables. In Metaplay each event type starts as C# work before live-ops staff can schedule it.
Unity, Godot and web
Lonca's SDKs are generated for every supported engine from one API. Metaplay is built around Unity.
Social systems included
Friends, chat, teams and promo codes are part of Lonca.
Sized for smaller studios
Lonca Cloud targets a price per daily player with no monthly floor and needs no backend team to run. Self-hosting has no license fee at all.

Moving from Metaplay

Metaplay games keep player state in server-authoritative models and configs in spreadsheets. Lonca does not run shared C# logic, so the move fits games whose logic is mostly client-side with server-side events, economy and social.

1
Tell us what you run
Your events, leaderboards, economy and the server code behind them. A 20-minute call is enough to map it.
2
Map it to Lonca
We match each event to a template and each system to its Lonca module, and list honestly what would not move.
3
Try it in staging
Early access studios get dev and staging environments with test players and a time offset, so an event can be checked before any player sees it.

Questions studios ask

Is Lonca a Metaplay alternative?

For casual and mobile studios that want live ops without a backend team, yes. If you need shared deterministic C# logic on client and server, Metaplay is the better fit.

Can I get Lonca's source code like Metaplay's?

Yes. Lonca's core is open source, so you can read it and run it on your own infrastructure. The difference is that Lonca doesn't run shared C# game logic: you configure live ops in the console and extend them with webhooks.

Does Lonca work with Unity?

Yes, and with Godot and web games too.

Can a product manager create a new event in Lonca without an engineer?

Yes, from any of the 18 templates: set the schedule, who can join, stages, rooms and prizes, test it in staging and publish.

Other comparisons

Based on the public documentation and pricing pages of Metaplay, as of October 2026. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.

Metaplay is a trademark of Metaplay Ltd. Lonca is not affiliated with Metaplay Ltd.

Running on Metaplay today?

Tell us what you run and what you'd like your product team to launch on its own. We'll tell you honestly whether Lonca fits your game.

SDKs for Unity, Godot and web games.
Open source: Lonca Cloud or self-hosted.
Built for casual and mobile games with live ops on day one.
A founder answers every signup.