Game Launchers

Many game storefronts also provide software to help consolidate and easily manage large game libraries. Software like, Steam, Origin, and Good Old Games Galaxy provides both a shop for games as well as easy management of game installs and updates. Other apps, such as Playnite, consolidates the libraries of all of these game launchers to become a sort of “meta launcher”.

  1. Steam icon
     2304 likes

    Steam is a digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communications platform developed by Valve Corporation.

    75 Steam alternatives
    Steam Store

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • SteamOS
    Steam Community
    Library
    +1
    Big Picture Mode

    Top Steam Features

    1.  Game Launcher
    2.  Achievements Supported
    3.  Cloud Sync
    4.  Auto Update
    5.  Controller Support
    6.  Two-factor Authentication
    7.  Free to play
    8.  VR support
    9.  Distributed marketplace
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Mods
    12.  Gamepad Mapping
    13.  Integrated Chat
    14.  User Profiles
    15.  Online community platform
    16.  Cloud saves
    17.  Hardware Accelerated
  2. Lutris icon
     195 likes

    Lutris is an open source gaming platform for GNU/Linux. It allows you to gather and manage (install, configure and launch) all your games acquired from any source, in a single interface.

    49 Lutris alternatives
    Lutris screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Online
    • Flathub

    Properties

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Game Launcher
    2.  Custom Scripts
    3.  Multi System Emulator
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Two-factor Authentication
  3. Playnite icon
     188 likes

    Video game library manager and launcher with support for 3rd party libraries like Steam, GOG, Origin and Uplay, providing one unified interface for your games.

    33 Playnite alternatives
    Playnite screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Playnite screenshot 1
    Playnite screenshot 2
    +1
    Playnite screenshot 3

    Properties

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Ad-free

    Features

    1.  Games library
    2.  Game Launcher
    3.  Multiple Account support
    4.  Import from Epic Games
    5.  Front End Emulation
    6.  Import from Steam
    7.  Search metadata
    8.  API Integration
    9.  Launcher
    10.  Controller Support
    11.  Auto Update
    12.  Support for scripting
    13.  Import from GoG
    14.  Portable
    15.  Dark Mode
    16.  DRM Free
    17.  Achievements Supported
  4. Heroic Games Launcher icon
     56 likes

    Heroic is an Open Source Game Launcher for Linux, Windows and macOS (10.15+, won't work properly on High sierra and older versions). Right now it supports launching games from the .

    26 Heroic Games Launcher alternatives
    Heroic Games Launcher screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • AppImageHub
    • Flathub
    Heroic Games Launcher screenshot 1
    Heroic Games Launcher screenshot 2
    +9
    Heroic Games Launcher screenshot 3

    Properties

    1.  Ad-free

    Features

    1.  Game Launcher
    2.  Games library
    3.  Proton support for linux
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Controller Support
    6.  DRM Free
    7.  Electron based
    8.  Achievements Supported
    9.  Cloud Sync
  5. GOG GALAXY icon
     179 likes

    Connect GOG GALAXY 2.0 with multiple platforms and unite all your games and friends scattered across them in one powerful app.

    27 GOG GALAXY alternatives
    GOG GALAXY screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows

    Properties

    1.  Ad-free

    Features

    1.  Game Launcher
    2.  DRM Free
    3.  Cloud Sync
    4.  Achievements Supported
    5.  Auto Update
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Update Notifier
  6. Epic Games Store icon
     109 likes

    The Epic Games Store is a digital platform for computer games that champions developer success by offering an 88% revenue share. With the "Epic First Run" program, developers enjoy 100% revenue for the first six months for exclusive titles, transitioning to the standard split thereafter?

    30 Epic Games Store alternatives
    Epic Games Store screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android
    • Android Tablet

    Epic Games Store Features

    1.  Games library
    2.  Game Launcher
    3.  Giveaways
    4.  Achievements Supported
  7. Prism Launcher icon
     25 likes

    A custom launcher for Minecraft that allows you to easily manage multiple installations of Minecraft at once. It is a MultiMC fork.

    22 Prism Launcher alternatives
    Prism Launcher screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Prism Launcher screenshot 1
    Prism Launcher screenshot 2
    +3
    Prism Launcher screenshot 3

    Prism Launcher Features

    1.  Modpack support
    2.  Mods
    3.  Game Launcher
    4.  Minecraft
    5.  Cross-Platform
    6.  QT Based
    7.  Dark Mode
  8. Desura icon
     153 likes

    Desura provides a platform allowing individuals to engage in their preferred free online games. Which gaming websites do you typically frequent? Crazy Games, Kizi, Jogos Friv or possibly, Poki? Now, you don't need to choose, as all types of games for every taste: from...

    36 Desura alternatives
    Desura screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online

    Desura Features

    1.  Game Launcher
    2.  Online Gaming
  9. Mythic icon
     7 likes

    An open-source Epic Games Launcher alternative and normal game launcher for macOS written in Swift. We started this project to create a GUI frontend for Legendary and to play Windows games using game porting toolkit by Apple.

    46 Mythic alternatives
    Mythic screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac

    Properties

    1.  No Tracking
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  No registration required
    5.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  Game Launcher
    3.  Discord integration
  10. Ubisoft Connect icon
     60 likes

    Ubisoft Connect (before Uplay) is Ubisoft's PC games portal, where you can find all your games on PC

    29 Ubisoft Connect alternatives
    Ubisoft Connect screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Ubisoft Connect Features

    1.  Two-factor Authentication
    2.  Cloud Sync
    3.  Game Launcher
  11. Pegasus icon
     26 likes

    Pegasus is a graphical frontend for browsing your game library (especially retro games) and launching them from one place. It's focusing on customizability, cross platform support (including embedded devices) and high performance.

    35 Pegasus alternatives
    Pegasus screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Raspberry Pi

    Pegasus Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Game Launcher
  12. Rare Launcher icon
     6 likes

    GUI for legendary. An Epic Games Launcher open source alternative.

    22 Rare Launcher alternatives
    Rare Launcher screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak

    Rare Launcher Features

    1.  Game Launcher
  13. Gavilya icon
     6 likes

    Gavilya is a user-friendly game launcher built using C# .NET 6 and WPF, designed to streamline the gaming experience by consolidating games from various sources into a single, accessible platform. With its intuitive interface and diverse set of features, Gavilya offers gamers a...

    12 Gavilya alternatives
    Gavilya screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Lightweight
    4.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  Launcher
    3.  Game Launcher
  14. LaunchBox icon
     45 likes

    LaunchBox was originally built as an attractive frontend to DOSBox, but has since expanded to support both modern PC games and emulated console platforms. LaunchBox aims to be the one-stop shop for gaming on your computer, for both modern and...

    41 LaunchBox alternatives
    Immerse Yourself

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    Organize Your Collection
    Get Up and Running Right Away
    +4
    Immerse Yourself

    LaunchBox Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Front End Emulation
    3.  Game Launcher
    4.  Batch import
    5.  Launcher
  15. Legendary icon
     9 likes

    Legendary is an open-source game launcher that can download and install games from the Epic Games platform on Linux and Windows. It's name as a tongue-in-cheek play on tiers of item rarity in many MMORPGs.

    15 Legendary alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Mac

    Legendary Features

    1.  Command line interface
    2.  Game Launcher