Two of the oldest and best-known casino software providers in the world are Microgaming and NetEnt. They pioneered the early days of online casinos and remain giants in the industry, boasting some of the most popular games ever produced.
We’ll compare and contrast Microgaming and NetEnt under these categories, judging which fits each criterion better!
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Game selection
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Game quality
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Innovation
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Payout rates
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Mobile support
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Customer support
Game selection
Both Microgaming and NetEnt have large portfolios filled with a variety of casino games, including slots and table games. If you count NetEnt’s parent company, Evolution Gaming, in the mix, they both offer live dealer titles, too.
However, this category has a clear winner thanks to the nature of Microgaming as a business. NetEnt is a game developer, but Microgaming is a parent company, with its gaming portfolio run under Games Global, which has dozens of developers under its umbrella. Thanks to this, while NetEnt has a fantastic 200+ games to its name, Microgaming owns more than 1000 all together.
Game quality
Both Microgaming and NetEnt are renowned for the quality of their gaming catalogue. Some of the best games on the market were developed by these companies.
When it comes down to it, however, NetEnt is generally considered to put out a higher standard of games. While this is a muddied issue, what with Microgaming’s library being so vast and diverse, NetEnt focuses more on quality than quantity. It continues to innovate classic slots and brings them to new, increasingly impressive heights and maintains a consistent quality across a higher percentage of its games.
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Innovation
NetEnt and Microgaming have been at the forefront of online casino software development for as long as it’s existed. Microgaming even claims to have made the first piece of modern gambling software.
But both have improved and changed the industry over their decades of operation. Microgaming brought us the progressive jackpot with its Mega Moolah game, for instance. And NetEnt introduced cascading reels to slots with Gonzo’s Quest, a feature that is now commonplace in slot games.
When it comes to innovation, you can’t choose one. Both companies have helped mould the iGaming landscape into what it is today, and you can’t put one’s contribution over the other.
Payout rates
Payout rates, also called RTP or ‘Return to Player’ percentages, are the percentage of a wager that games payout over time. Payout rates are largely determined by the games instead of the online casinos, and both Microgaming and NetEnt have consistently provided fair and reasonable payout rates on their software.
This is another point skewed by just how many games Microgaming has. With more games, their library ends up with a less affected average, skewing towards the industry standard of 95-96%. However, it’s worth noting that when it comes to their most popular titles, NetEnt has consistently higher RTP percentages.
Mobile support
This is an obvious tie. Both developers have been optimising new games for mobile play and updating their older titles, too. All of their games that are still supported can be played without issue on both mobile and desktop.
Customer support
While customer support will usually be provided by whichever casino you’re playing at, you can still contact both Microgaming and NetEnt if you have any issues with their games. Both developers welcome contact with simple contact forms available from their websites. Bear in mind that if you have questions about Microgaming games instead of their regular software, you will need to contact Games Global specifically.
Which company is better?
So, with all this said, which is better? Microgaming or NetEnt?
Well, like with so many of these things, it’s not as easy as which is superior, because that’ll change for each person. Both offer fantastic products with different strengths and weaknesses.
If you’re after the widest range of content, covering the most genres and variations, you’ll do better with the Microgaming library. But if you’re after quality over quantity, with great returning series and modern gameplay, you will likely prefer NetEnt’s selection.
To know which is best for you, try out some of their games and figure out which you enjoy the most. Thankfully, you can play free demos of all their games from their home websites — again, you’ll need to visit Games Global to find the Microgaming catalogue.
Why are Microgaming and NetEnt, such good software providers?
Many things make Microgaming and NetEnt such well-regarded casino software providers. However, we think that at its core, it boils down to three main things: quantity, quality and experience.
Both developers boast impressive game collections, even if Microgaming has rebranded its catalogue since 2022. Microgaming had hundreds of games to its name even before it pulled all of its games together under a single umbrella. And NetEnt confidently announces its 200+ games on its website, with more always on the way.
Additionally, both have worked to innovate and bring new, exciting features to online gambling that we hadn’t conceived of before. Microgaming brought us the progressive jackpot, and NetEnt introduced cascading reels; both are now staples of slot catalogues. They continue to push the boundaries of what we consider slots and drive their competitors to do the same.
And ultimately, you can’t talk about these industry giants without acknowledging how long they’ve been shaping the world of iGaming. Both have been around for over two decades, with Microgaming coming up on its 30th anniversary in 2024. During this time, both companies have gained excellent reputations, earning many rewards and securing themselves spots in the legacy of online gambling.
Conclusion
NetEnt and Microgaming are, without a doubt, two of the best online casino software providers on the market. They offer huge libraries of top-quality games with innovative features that keep us coming back to see what they’ll do next.
If you’re after some excellent casino gaming content, look no further than these two developers. Any casino hosting their games is sure to keep you entertained!
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