Steam Alternatives

Steam is described as 'digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communications platform developed by Valve Corporation. It is used to distribute a wide range of games and related media entirely over the internet, stretching from one-man independent efforts to some of' and is a leading Game Store in the social & communications category. There are more than 50 alternatives to Steam for a variety of platforms, including Online / Web-based, Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. The best alternative is GOG.com, which is free. Other great apps like Steam are itch.io, Humble Bundle, Epic Games Store and Lutris.

Steam alternatives are mainly Game Stores but may also be Game Library Managers or App Stores. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Steam.

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Steam

2201

Free • Proprietary
Game Store

Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
Windows Phone
iPad
SteamOS
Flathub

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

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GOG.com
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Game Store
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Software as a Service (SaaS)
54 alternatives to GOG.com
GOG.com (Good Old Games) sells classic PC games through their download service at a low price, without DRM, and updated to run on the latest versions of Windows and other systems.
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GOG.com Features
1. DRM FreeNo Digital rights management (DRM), i.e. no copy protection.
2. Ad-freeGOG.com doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
3. Achievements SupportedGOG.com offers the possibility of unlocking achievements through completing challenges.
4. LightweightGOG.com consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
Optional launcher/overlay
Import from Steam
European data privacy
Giveaways
Community-based
Integrated Chat
GOG.com vs Steam opinions
Almost everyone thinks GOG.com is a great alternative to Steam.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
Guest
cd projekt red. Good consumer practices, no drm, ethical threatment of developers
Top positive comment•
2

Guest
you own your games for real and there is better quality control.
Top positive comment•
14

DL300
Better than Steam in every way except player counts. If you aren't going to be playing multiplayer, GoG is objectively superior in every way.
Positive comment•
0

s20
The curated content means that there's significantly less absolute crap than you'll find on Steam. DRM free means no DRM treating you like a pirate when you're just trying to play the game you bought. I love GoG Galaxy 2.0 as a launcher, since it can also add in games from other services, although I am sad that there's no native Linux client yet. Overall, just great stuff.
Positive comment•
0

Guest
GOG is a store where you actually buy game, while Steam is a store where you rent game, most people sadly don't know that and think they own their Steam game.

GOG cares about game, Steam cares about copyright and money.
Positive comment•
3

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5 of 13 comments
itch.io
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Game Store
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
Android Tablet
Epic Games Store
41 alternatives to itch.io
itch.io gives you the ability to design a page where people can download games you have uploaded. You can optionally put a minimum price on your game (which can be 0), giving people the opportunity to pay you what they think you deserve. All files and images are hosted on itch.
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itch.io Features
1. DRM FreeNo Digital rights management (DRM), i.e. no copy protection.
2. Two-factor Authenticationitch.io supports two-factor authentication (2FA).
Games library
Content Discovery
Browser-based
Distribution
Open Revenue Sharing
Electron based
itch.io vs Steam opinions
Almost everyone thinks itch.io is a great alternative to Steam.
Guest
Quite possibly the best place available to lose an afternoon digging through both free and paid indie games ever since Desura kicked the bucket.
Top positive comment•
14

bonepyramid
Live life, breathe air. I know somehow we're gonna get there, and it'll be so wonderful.
Top positive comment•
0

thebenmix11
In my experience, it's one of the few that are both user-friendly and developer-friendly at the same time.
Positive comment•
0

somegirlfromit
A bunch of unvetted shovelware titles, many of which have only minutes of gameplay if that
Negative comment•
-8

Guest
Lots of free and paid games and most don't require installers so you don't need admin.
Positive comment•
4
Humble Bundle
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Paid • Proprietary
Game Store
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
Android Tablet
25 alternatives to Humble Bundle
Buy a bundle of games, you decide the price, and support charity in the process.
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Humble Bundle Features
1. DRM FreeNo Digital rights management (DRM), i.e. no copy protection.
2. Two-factor AuthenticationHumble Bundle supports two-factor authentication (2FA).
Charity
Games library
Loot subscription
Humble Bundle vs Steam opinions
Most users think Humble Bundle is a great alternative to Steam.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
Guest
Cheap drm-free games. also for charity.
Top positive comment•
0

imh1kiko
Not only is there sales for games, but also books and software. And if you keep an eye out, you can get a lot of games for dirt-cheap. Usually upon buying games, you get key for them. There are exceptions, where you have to download, or can download additional content.

You can also freely choose how much of the money goes to the charity, devs etc.
Top positive comment•
0

andrewpetz
Humble Bundle is not a platform to play games like Steam, it is only a platform to buy them.
Top negative comment•
15

tvgoing1
humble bundle requires steam and other stores websites, i do not think its an alternative to steam or other platforms that sell games/software.
Negative comment•
1

somegirlfromit
Be careful when purchasing - vendors can choose to either sell DRM-free copies (most common), Steam keys (also common), or keys for other less common platforms (uPlay, Origin, Battle.net, and proprietary vendor launchers among them).
Positive comment•
2

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Epic Games Store
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Game Store
Mac
Windows
Online
30 alternatives to Epic Games Store
The Epic Games store is now open, featuring games from other developers. Epic's goal is to bring you great games, and to give game developers a better deal: they receive 88% of the money you spend, versus only 70% elsewhere.
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Epic Games Store Features
1. Achievements SupportedEpic Games Store offers the possibility of unlocking achievements through completing challenges.
Games library
Giveaways
Game Launcher
Epic Games Store vs Steam opinions
This alternative is disputed. Epic Games Store is still a legitimate alternative to Steam, but it might have issues that some users think are important.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
Anipe
different games and encourages competition in the industry, its good
Top positive comment•
0

s20
While it has a ways to go UI and UX-wise, the Epic store has a good game selection, is significantly more picky than Steam's We'll Take Anything attitude that leads to boatloads of crapware, and does a better job of supporting developers. Sure, it's a front for aa huge corporation, but it's not like Steam is much better.
Top positive comment•
0

alanmaccormak
Whatever you said Steam is just more easy to use and more widespread than Epic Games, but EGS itself is quite good
Positive comment•
-1

pasha88pas
Good bye Steam Hello EGS!
Positive comment•
0

braky
Epic Games forces games (not all) who were announced to release on other distribution platforms to release exclusively on their storefront.
Negative comment•
8

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Lutris
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Game Library Manager
Game Store
Compatibility Layer Tool
Linux
Online
FLATHUB
44 alternatives to Lutris
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.
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Lutris Features
Game Launcher
Custom Scripts
Multi System Emulator
Lutris vs Steam opinions
Almost everyone thinks Lutris is a great alternative to Steam.
cvieira
Lutris isn't exactly a store, the way Steam is, but it's great for managing large game libraries, and even supports seamless emulation.
Positive comment•
2

ab1
Many Installers are broken and users are welcomed to guess which and how... Mix of minefield and junkyard in practice. Just save your time.
Negative comment•
0
EA App
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Game Store
Game Library Manager
Mac
Windows
Online
44 alternatives to EA App
The EA App, formerly known as Origin, is the built-from-scratch PC platform for EA players, games, and content. It brings you a faster experience, fewer clicks to jump back into your favorite games, and powerful Playtime Controls to help you keep tabs on how much time you and...
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EA App Features
1. Cloud SyncSync your data (notes, documents, bookmarks, etc.) across your different devices and to the cloud.
2. Achievements SupportedEA App offers the possibility of unlocking achievements through completing challenges.
3. Two-factor AuthenticationEA App supports two-factor authentication (2FA).
4. Dark ModeEA App supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
EA App vs Steam opinions
Some users think EA App is a great alternative to Steam, some don't.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
bonepyramid
Awful. I made an effort a while back to delete the application as soon as possible even if that meant not being able to play a legal copy of The Sims 4. It just wasn't worth that for me. So much unnecessary bloat for reasons I'm still trying to figure out.
Top positive comment•
0

IGotNoExp
it costs very little (£20) for a year pass on origin, the year pass gives you a lot of EA games and 10% off any purchases in-game. It also has very clean UI. Overall a great service.
Top positive comment•
0

DL300
The original spyware-disguised-as-a-launcher
Top negative comment•
0

somegirlfromit
Even years later, Origin just isn't a good software manager, with installations often breaking and needing to be reinstalled from a known good state, occasionally destroying folders unrelated to Origin, frequent remote code exploits, and credit card leaks.
Negative comment•
0

shelehovchanin
Small library of games. Uncomfortable chat. Extra launcher, which is only needed for EA, not to pay third-party companies for promotion.
Negative comment•
7

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Playnite
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Game Library Manager
Windows
24 alternatives to Playnite
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.
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Playnite Features
1. Multiple Account supportPlaynite support multiple accounts without the need to logout and login
2. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsPlaynite can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
3. Support for scriptingPlaynite supports scripts and macros to automate or customize tasks.
4. Controller SupportPlaynite supports the use of a controller (XBOX, PlayStation, etc.).
5. PortablePlaynite can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
6. DRM FreeNo Digital rights management (DRM), i.e. no copy protection.
Games library
Game Launcher
Front End Emulation
Import from Epic Games
Customizable
Metadata Search
FOSS
API Integration
Launcher
Import from Steam
Playnite vs Steam opinions
Most users think Playnite is a great alternative to Steam.
DL300
Way, way better than Steam in every single way. Even has exotic console features like quick-resume. Steam is an absolute first-year-coder joke compared to this. Playnite's devs work hard and are talented.
Positive comment•
0
Google Play Store
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
App Store
Online
Android
Chrome OS
Android Tablet
93 alternatives to Google Play Store
Google Play (formerly the Android Market) is an online store by Google for Android devices. Browse and search for apps, books, and movie rentals from your web browser or Android device.
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Google Play Store Features
1. Cloud SyncSync your data (notes, documents, bookmarks, etc.) across your different devices and to the cloud.
Auto Update
Google Apps integration
Android tv
Update Notifier
Categories
Support for Hotkeys
Google Play Store vs Steam opinions
pros, cons and recent comments
ab1
Very decent and no need to install it for most phones
Positive comment•
2

Anipe
Only for mobile and isnt game orianted, also lacks everything besides buying apps
Negative comment•
0

lupuleasai
Only for mobile games. Steam is only for PC games (until Steam Deck becomes available)
Positive comment•
0
Ubisoft Connect
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Game Store
Game Library Manager
Windows
23 alternatives to Ubisoft Connect
Ubisoft Connect (before Uplay) is Ubisoft's PC games portal, where you can find all your games on PC
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Ubisoft Connect Features
1. Two-factor AuthenticationUbisoft Connect supports two-factor authentication (2FA).
2. Cloud SyncSync your data (notes, documents, bookmarks, etc.) across your different devices and to the cloud.
Game Launcher
Ubisoft Connect vs Steam opinions
Most users think Ubisoft Connect is a great alternative to Steam.
DL300
Garbage. Constant nagging, terrible UI, awful prices, very buggy and slow. Literally not one single positive. Also rammed down your throat on Steam so double DRM, also for no reason.
Positive comment•
0

somegirlfromit
Almost purely used for the Ubisoft catalog (Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, etc.) but a much tighter offering than it was when it launched in 2009.
Positive comment•
1
Game Jolt
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Game Store
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
18 alternatives to Game Jolt
Game Jolt, where all the best free Indie Games are at! Browse through thousands of free Indie Games ready for you to play. This is Indie.
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Game Jolt Features
API Integration
Game Jolt vs Steam opinions
Most users think Game Jolt is a great alternative to Steam.
sparkydev
Most of indie titles are born here before going to steam
Positive comment•
-2