subforge vs Perforce
Perforce Helix Core is the AAA standard, and it's free for up to 5 users — but it's a server you run and a toolchain your artists have to learn. subforge gives a small game team the same binary-friendly, lockable, path-scoped workflow, hosted, with a modern web UI.
Credit where it's due: Helix Core is excellent. It locks binary files, handles enormous monorepos, scales to hundreds of contributors, and has a deep AAA pedigree. If you're a large studio with dedicated build engineers, it's a proven choice — and free for up to 5 users.
Most small game teams don't need AAA-scale tooling — they need the workflow: lock a file, commit, update, scope who can touch which folder. subforge gives you that on Subversion, which shares Perforce's centralised, lock-friendly, binary-first model, with three differences that matter at indie scale:
It's hosted. No Helix server to install, patch, secure, or back up. It's simpler. "Update / commit" instead of workspaces, streams, and the p4 toolchain — an artist is productive in minutes via TortoiseSVN or Unity's built-in SVN support. It has a modern web UI. Browse files, history, diffs, and asset previews in the browser, no desktop client required.
You can absolutely run large repositories and sizeable teams on subforge — Subversion scales, and we don't artificially cap it. What Perforce offers that we don't is the enterprise layer: edge servers for geo-distributed studios, advanced admin, and enterprise support. That's a different product tier — and a different price.
subforge is in beta. Commit-triggered CI is targeting ~2 months out; pull requests & code review are targeting Q3.
Perforce isn't SVN, so this isn't a one-click import — but the day-to-day maps over directly: lock, commit, update, and per-folder access all work the way your team already expects. If you're moving a live project, get in touch and we'll help you plan it.
subforge is independent and run to last — proper support, fair pricing, and no investors pushing for growth or an exit. It's deliberately small so it stays around, run with production discipline by someone who uses it for their own games. The opposite of a tool that gets acquired and repriced out from under you.
Import a repo, invite your team, and see how it feels. It's free while we're in beta.
Not convinced yet? Follow along — we'll send occasional updates as subforge develops.
subforge is in beta — tell us what's broken, confusing, or missing. Goes straight to the team.