Steam Alternatives for Linux

There are many alternatives to Steam for Linux if you are looking for a replacement. The best Linux alternative is GOG.com, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Steam and 15 are available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Linux alternatives to Steam are itch.io, Lutris, Heroic Games Launcher and Game Jolt.

filter to find the best alternatives

Steam alternatives are mainly Game Stores, but if you're looking for Game Library Managers or Compatibility Layer Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Windows, Free, Open Source, App Store, Mac and Game Library Manager. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Steam.
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Alternatives list

  1. GOG.com icon

    GOG.com

     714 likes

    Digital platform for DRM-free PC games featuring both classics and modern releases, fully downloadable and playable without a launcher, curated selection, 30-day returns, compatibility updates, extra content like soundtracks, and support for multiple platforms.

    50 GOG.com alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    GOG.com screenshot 1
     
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    13
    GOG.com vs Steam Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Atoshi
    10

    Lack of DRMs, no requirements to stay online during playing, offline installers that you can keep forever, and they let you specify any target location for game files. You are legally allowed to redownload and install all games on unlimited number of computers in your household. Optional Steam-like client is available.

    DL300
    Positive
    0

    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.

    student twenty
    Positive
    0

    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.

    3 of 13 comments
    • GOG.com is Free and ProprietarySteam is also Free and Proprietary
    • GOG.com is Privacy focused and LightweightSteam is not according to our users
  2. itch.io icon

    itch.io

     280 likes

    Indie game marketplace and community platform providing customizable pricing, pay-what-you-want options, game file hosting, stats tracking, and an app managing downloads and updates across Windows, macOS, and Linux, plus support for non-game digital content.

    42 itch.io alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • Epic Games Store
    itch.io screenshot 1
     
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    5
    itch.io vs Steam Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    16

    Quite possibly the best place available to lose an afternoon digging through both free and paid indie games ever since Desura kicked the bucket.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    RemovedUser
    Positive
    0

    Live life, breathe air. I know somehow we're gonna get there, and it'll be so wonderful.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    thebenmix11
    Positive
    1

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

    3 of 5 comments
    • itch.io is Free and Open SourceSteam is Free and Proprietary
  4. Lutris icon

    Lutris

     234 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.

    62 Lutris alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Online
    • Flathub
    Lutris screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Lutris vs Steam Comments
    Conner Vieira
    Positive
    5

    Lutris isn't exactly a store, the way Steam is, but it's great for managing large game libraries, and even supports seamless emulation.

    ab1
    Negative
    -2

    Many Installers are broken and users are welcomed to guess which and how... Mix of minefield and junkyard in practice. Just save your time.

    • Lutris is Free and Open SourceSteam is Free and Proprietary
    • Lutris is LightweightSteam is not according to our users
  5. Ad
  6. Heroic Games Launcher icon

    Heroic Games Launcher

     87 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 .

    33 Heroic Games Launcher alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • AppImageHub
    • Flathub
    Heroic Games Launcher screenshot 1
     
  7. Game Jolt icon

    Game Jolt

     65 likes

    Experience a vibrant community for gamers and creators, offering challenges, rewards, and a shop for collectibles. Share and sell personal creations, explore anime and fan art, connect in a global cosplay realm, and more.

    24 Game Jolt alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Game Jolt screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Game Jolt vs Steam Comments
    Sebastian
    Positive
    0

    good for finding indies titles

    Sparky dev
    Positive
    0

    Most of indie titles are born here before going to steam

    • Game Jolt is Freemium and Open SourceSteam is Free and Proprietary
  8. GameHub icon

    GameHub

     43 likes

    Games library manager. Supports: Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle, Humble Trove, Wine and RetroArch.

    48 GameHub alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • AppImageHub
    • Flatpak
    GameHub allows to view, download, install, run and uninstall games from supported sources.
     
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    1
    GameHub vs Steam Comments
    Conner Vieira
    Positive
    0

    It's simple and easy. If you want more control, something like Lutris might be better. However, for a painless and easy experience, GameHub is great.

    • GameHub is Free and Open SourceSteam is Free and Proprietary
  11. Pegasus icon

    Pegasus

     28 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.

    49 Pegasus alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Raspberry Pi
    Pegasus screenshot 1
     
  13. Athenaeum - Arcadia icon

    Athenaeum - Arcadia

     13 likes

    Arcadia is a game launcher and manager designed as a libre replacement for Steam. Arcadia uses flatpak as its packaging system and pulls all data from flathub currently.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Athenaeum - Arcadia screenshot 1
     
  14. Legendary icon

    Legendary

     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.

    Cost / License

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Mac
     
12 of 15 Steam alternatives