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USourceControl vs Perforce Helix Core
Perforce has been the default for AAA game studios for 20 years. For the other 95% of teams — indie studios, remote collaborators, and studios who don't want to run a server — there's a better option.
At a glance
Why teams switch
What you get moving off Perforce
No server to operate
Perforce requires you to run (or pay someone to run) a Helix Core server, configure depots, manage backups, and handle upgrades. USourceControl is a fully managed cloud service — you sign up and start committing.
Predictable per-user pricing
Perforce pricing scales with seats, edge servers, proxy licenses, and Helix Swarm add-ons. USourceControl is flat per-user, includes storage and bandwidth, and has a free tier for solo developers.
Designed for whole-team use
Artists, designers, and producers rarely want to learn P4V workflows. Our desktop app is built for them first — commit, sync, resolve, and view history without a CLI or a mental model of depot paths.
Works everywhere out of the box
Distributed teams on Perforce often need edge servers or proxies to get reasonable pull speeds. USourceControl ships content through a global CDN — a contractor in Seoul gets the same throughput as your studio in Montreal.
When Perforce is still the right call
We're honest about the fit. Perforce may still be the better choice if:
- You require on-premise deployment for compliance or air-gapped networks.
- Your studio depends on specific Helix features — streams, Swarm code review, or custom triggers.
- You have an existing team deeply fluent in p4 CLI and automation built on top of it.
Moving from Perforce?
Most teams migrate by syncing their current Perforce workspace to USourceControl as an initial commit, keeping their legacy depot read-only for historical reference. Full history migration is available on Studio and Enterprise plans.
FAQ
Common questions
Is USourceControl really a Perforce replacement for game projects?
Yes. It supports the two things Perforce is famous for in game dev — very large files and many small binary assets — without the operational overhead. If your studio uses Perforce primarily for its locking and large-file workflows, USourceControl covers that ground as a fully managed service.
Can I migrate my existing Perforce depot to USourceControl?
You can bring your current working copy into USourceControl as a first commit, which is how most studios migrate. Full historical migration with preserved Perforce changelists is available on request for Studio and Enterprise plans.
What about exclusive checkout and file locking?
Locking binary files during edit is a core workflow for game teams. USourceControl supports exclusive-checkout style locking so two artists can't clobber each other's work on the same .uasset.
How does USourceControl handle very large repositories?
Per-project storage scales with your plan up to 20 TB per org on Studio, and Enterprise is custom. Files up to 10 GB each are supported natively. The sync protocol only transfers what actually changed between versions.
When is Perforce still the right choice?
If you need on-premise deployment for compliance, have an existing team fluent in P4V and p4 CLI, or depend on specific Helix features like streams, Swarm code review, or triggers — Perforce may still be the better fit. We can usually still be used alongside for external collaborators.
Does USourceControl support Unreal Engine source control integration?
We don't ship an in-editor Unreal source control provider today; the workflow is through the desktop app. Most teams find this preferable because artists and designers don't need to use editor-based source control.
Try it without committing
Free for solo developers. Spin up a test project alongside your Perforce depot and see how it feels.
Start for free