Choose PlanetSide 2
Choose PlanetSide 2 if you want the Online PvP and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 81.6% positive across 47,301 reviews.
PlanetSide 2 vs Defiance
PlanetSide 2 and Defiance both land in Action, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play on Steam. PlanetSide 2 (2012) is 2 years older than Defiance (2014). PlanetSide 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (81.6% positive) than Defiance (71.9% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Defiance
Choose Defiance if you want a RPG game with Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 1,629 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both PlanetSide 2 and Defiance sit in Action, Massively Multiplayer, and Free To Play on Steam and both list Multi-player and MMO, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 PlanetSide 2 |  Defiance | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2014 |
| Genres | Action, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play | Action, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 81.6% positive (47,301 reviews) | 71.9% positive (1,629 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Co-op |
| Developers | Rogue Planet Games | Trion Worlds |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play on Steam.
- PlanetSide 2 (2012) is 2 years older than Defiance (2014).
- PlanetSide 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (81.6% positive) than Defiance (71.9% positive).
- PlanetSide 2 is free; Defiance is paid (Price unknown).
- Defiance has co-op; PlanetSide 2 does not.
- PlanetSide 2 is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Defiance has no Deck rating yet.
PlanetSide 2 vs Defiance — FAQ
- Which is better, PlanetSide 2 or Defiance?
- On Steam reviews PlanetSide 2 scores higher (81.6% positive) than Defiance (71.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, PlanetSide 2 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play PlanetSide 2 or Defiance first?
- If you want chronology, PlanetSide 2 (2012) came out before Defiance (2014). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are PlanetSide 2 and Defiance similar?
- They overlap on Action, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Is PlanetSide 2 free?
- Yes — PlanetSide 2 is a free-to-play Steam title. Defiance is paid (Price unknown).
- Does PlanetSide 2 run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — PlanetSide 2 is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Defiance doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.