Tunnel comparison
playit.gg vs Portwarp
Portwarp is the more complete option for game hosting and mixed workloads, with TCP, UDP, game presets, extra ports, analytics, security controls, unlimited bandwidth, and fast support. See how the current playit.gg Free and Premium plans compare.
Quick answer
Portwarp is the more complete choice for game hosting and general tunneling. It provides TCP, UDP, HTTP, unlimited bandwidth, built-in game presets, community presets, extra ports, firewall rules, analytics, and fast support from the Free plan. PRO adds 32 active tunnels, every PRO region, custom domains, advanced connection insights, alerts, GeoIP controls, and priority support for $2.99 per month.
The current playit.gg Free plan is narrower than it used to be. Its public site places selected game tunnel types and generic UDP in Free. Generic TCP, TCP+UDP, SSH, HTTPS, and several additional game types are marked as requiring playit Premium. Premium is currently advertised at $3 per month.
playit.gg vs Portwarp at a glance
| Area | playit.gg | Portwarp |
|---|---|---|
| Game hosting | Game-focused catalog with selected tunnel types available on Free. | 16 built-in presets, community presets, custom configurations, multi-port mapping, A2S_INFO, and Minecraft query support. |
| Protocols on Free | Selected game types and generic UDP. The current site marks generic TCP and TCP+UDP as Premium. | TCP, UDP, and HTTP on Free, including extra ports for multi-protocol game and service configurations. |
| Free capacity | 4 ports, 2 agents, 24 hours of basic analytics, a static random address, and community Discord support. | 1 active tunnel, 2 extra ports, unlimited bandwidth, 3 firewall rules, up to 7 days of metrics, eligible free regions, and fast standard support. |
| Paid entry | Premium is advertised at $3 per month, with 16 ports and 10 agents. | PRO is $2.99 per month, with up to 32 active tunnels and 10 extra ports per tunnel. |
| Regions | Free uses the free network. Premium lets the user choose a datacenter for lower latency. | Free uses eligible regions automatically. PRO unlocks selection from all available PRO regions. |
| Bandwidth | The public pricing page does not state an unlimited bandwidth allowance in its plan cards. | Unlimited bandwidth is included on Free, PRO, and Teams. |
| Domains and addresses | Premium includes three playit.plus domains and supports external domains. | Free includes a stable Portwarp subdomain. PRO adds shorter addresses, custom domains, and portless addresses for supported games. |
| Operations and security | Tunnel and agent management, basic analytics on Free, longer analytics on Premium, and connection insights on Premium. | Live usage, tunnel health, connection insights, sessions, location data, firewall rules, GeoIP controls, alerts, API keys, 2FA, and automatic reconnect. |
| Clients | Windows, Linux, macOS, and Docker are listed on the official site. | Windows desktop, Linux Snap, macOS for Intel and Apple Silicon, Android, and a CLI for Windows, Linux, and macOS on x86_64 and ARM. |
| Support | Free lists community Discord support. Premium support details are not stated in the current pricing card. | Fast support is available to Free and PRO users. PRO requests receive priority handling. |
Why Portwarp leads for game servers
Portwarp is also built for games
Portwarp is not a generic tunnel with games added as an afterthought. It includes presets for FiveM, Minecraft Java and Bedrock, Hytale, CS2, Factorio, Valheim, Terraria, Rust, Palworld, Project Zomboid, ARK: Survival Ascended, Garry's Mod, Satisfactory, TeamSpeak 3, and Mumble. Community presets can be imported or exported as JSON, and custom setups remain available when a game is not in the catalog.
The preset workflow configures the protocol and related ports together. Query support keeps compatible Minecraft and Steam-based servers visible where their native protocols expect them to be visible. PRO can also provide portless addresses for supported games, which makes the join address easier to share.
Free TCP and mixed workloads matter
Many game setups need more than one UDP socket. A control panel, query service, voice server, administration port, bot callback, or companion website may use TCP or HTTP. Portwarp lets a Free user create TCP, UDP, or HTTP tunnels and attach two extra ports to the tunnel. The current playit.gg catalog reserves generic TCP and TCP+UDP for Premium.
This distinction also matters outside games. The same Portwarp account can expose a local application, webhook handler, API, remote service, and game server without switching products or changing the mental model.
More operational depth
Portwarp provides firewall rules on every plan, plus live usage and health information. PRO adds connection insights, up to 90 days of metrics, GeoIP controls, webhooks, Discord and Telegram alerts, custom domains, multi-device management, and automatic reconnect with queue priority. Teams adds shared workspaces, roles, team API keys, an activity log, and centralized billing.
A public REST API and scoped, revocable API keys make the service useful for automation. This is especially relevant when a server is expected to stay online and needs repeatable operations instead of a one-time tunnel setup.
Fast setup without giving up control
Both services can avoid router configuration and expose a server behind NAT or CGNAT. Portwarp keeps that setup short through game presets, desktop clients, a mobile client, and its CLI. Choosing Portwarp does not mean accepting a slower game setup. It means keeping the quick preset workflow while gaining broader protocols, security, analytics, automation, and support.
Current pricing and free-plan limits
playit.gg Premium is currently advertised at $3 per month. Its pricing page lists all tunnel types, datacenter selection, 7 days of analytics, geographic connection insights, three playit.plus domains, external domains, 16 ports, and 10 agents. Its Free plan lists selected games, free-network routing, 24 hours of basic analytics, a static random address, 4 ports, 2 agents, and community Discord support.
Portwarp PRO costs $2.99 per month and includes up to 32 active tunnels, 10 extra ports per tunnel, all PRO regions, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited firewall rules, GeoIP controls, custom domains, connection insights, up to 90 days of metrics, alerts, multiple devices, and priority support. Portwarp Free already includes TCP, UDP, HTTP, unlimited bandwidth, firewall rules, metrics, and fast support.
When playit.gg may still match a specific requirement
An existing playit.gg user may prefer to keep a configuration that already works, especially when the server uses one of the game types included in its Free catalog and does not need generic TCP. Its community documentation can also be relevant to a playit-specific troubleshooting question. These are narrow compatibility considerations, not evidence that Portwarp is slower or less capable for games.
Verdict
Portwarp is the recommended option for most new game servers and mixed tunneling workloads. It starts with broader Free protocol access, unlimited bandwidth, presets, extra ports, firewall rules, metrics, and direct support. PRO then delivers substantially more tunnel capacity and deeper operational controls at almost the same advertised monthly price as playit.gg Premium.
Consider playit.gg mainly when an existing setup depends on its agent or when a selected game tunnel in its current Free catalog exactly covers the requirement. If generic TCP, TCP+UDP, broader service hosting, integrated security, automation, or multi-tunnel capacity matters, Portwarp has the clearer advantage.
Frequently asked questions
Does playit.gg Free still include generic TCP?
No. As reviewed on August 25, 2026, the official playit.gg homepage places TCP and TCP+UDP under “Requires playit Premium.” Selected game types and generic UDP remain in the Free catalog.
Is Portwarp fast to configure for a game server?
Yes. Built-in presets provide a short setup path for popular games, while community presets and custom configurations cover additional servers. Desktop, mobile, and CLI clients are available.
Does Portwarp support Minecraft and other multiplayer games?
Yes. Portwarp includes 16 built-in game and voice presets, including Minecraft Java and Bedrock, FiveM, CS2, Rust, Valheim, Terraria, Palworld, ARK, Project Zomboid, TeamSpeak 3, and Mumble.
Which service offers more capacity for about $3 per month?
Portwarp PRO includes up to 32 active tunnels and 10 extra ports per tunnel for $2.99 per month. playit.gg Premium currently lists 16 ports and 10 agents for $3 per month. The units are different, but Portwarp is designed to provide more concurrent service capacity under one account.
Do both services work behind CGNAT?
Yes. Both use outbound agent connections, so neither requires an inbound public home IP or router port forwarding.