Sites Like Steam: 12 PC Game Stores Worth Switching To
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About Steam
Founded
2003
USA
Ships to
Worldwide (digital)
Editor-reviewed
Every recommendation read and refined by hand
Honest tradeoffs
Drawbacks listed, not hidden
No paid placements
Brands cannot pay to be ranked
Steam is the store nobody chose and everybody uses. That's not a compliment or an insult — it's the arithmetic of a platform that controls something like three-quarters of PC game spending, takes a 30% cut on most sales, and has no real reason to change either number.
And yet the reasons people stay are genuine. The summer and winter sales became a calendar event. The Steam Deck turned a handheld dream into a real device that actually plays your existing library. Workshop mods, cloud saves that follow you across machines, Remote Play, family sharing, the review system that surfaces "mostly negative" honesty right on the store page — Valve built infrastructure competitors keep failing to match.
The friction is real too: games you "own" are licenses tied to an account that can be locked, most titles carry Steam's DRM whether the developer wanted it or not, and that 30% cut has developers openly grumbling and shoppers wondering where their money actually goes.
If you want DRM-free ownership, a fairer deal for the people making the games, or just a second place to buy when the sale price is better elsewhere, the storefronts below each solve a different piece of what Steam won't.
And yet the reasons people stay are genuine. The summer and winter sales became a calendar event. The Steam Deck turned a handheld dream into a real device that actually plays your existing library. Workshop mods, cloud saves that follow you across machines, Remote Play, family sharing, the review system that surfaces "mostly negative" honesty right on the store page — Valve built infrastructure competitors keep failing to match.
The friction is real too: games you "own" are licenses tied to an account that can be locked, most titles carry Steam's DRM whether the developer wanted it or not, and that 30% cut has developers openly grumbling and shoppers wondering where their money actually goes.
If you want DRM-free ownership, a fairer deal for the people making the games, or just a second place to buy when the sale price is better elsewhere, the storefronts below each solve a different piece of what Steam won't.
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12 brands
The 12 Best Alternatives to Steam
1
GOG
Est. 2008
Warsaw, Poland
≈
similar
Buyers who want to truly own their games with zero DRM
The DRM-free answer to nearly every complaint about Steam licensing — you download installers you actually keep, no client required to launch anything.
Pros
- 100% DRM-free installers you keep forever
- Excellent for classic and preserved games
- GOG Galaxy client is optional, not mandatory
- Generous refund policy
Cons
- Smaller catalog than Steam
- Missing many big multiplayer titles
- No native Steam Deck integration
2
Epic Games Store
Est. 2018
Cary, North Carolina, USA
≈
similar
Bargain hunters who want free games and lower dev-cut titles
The most direct challenger to Steam's dominance, built around a developer-friendly 12% cut and weekly free game giveaways.
Pros
- Free game every week, no strings
- Only takes a 12% cut from developers
- Frequent aggressive coupon discounts
- Exclusive titles like Fortnite and Alan Wake 2
Cons
- Client is clunky and feature-poor
- No user reviews or forums
- Controversial paid exclusivity deals
3
Humble Store
Est. 2010
San Francisco, USA
$
cheaper
Deal-driven buyers who want purchases to fund charity
1% for the Planet
Delivers Steam keys and DRM-free downloads while routing a chunk of every purchase to charity, plus the Humble Bundle deals it's famous for.
Pros
- Pay-what-you-want bundles are incredible value
- A slice of each sale goes to charity
- Most games deliver as Steam keys
- Humble Choice subscription for monthly picks
Cons
- Owned by IGN now, less indie-scrappy
- Many games are just Steam keys, not standalone
- Bundle quality varies wildly
4
itch.io
Est. 2013
San Francisco, USA
$
cheaper
Players hunting weird, experimental, truly indie games
Transparent Pricing
The indie counterculture to Steam's storefront, where developers set their own revenue split and experimental games live that would never chart on Valve.
Pros
- Developers choose their own cut, even 100%
- Unmatched selection of experimental indies
- Many free and pay-what-you-want games
- No mandatory DRM or client
Cons
- No curation, quality is hit or miss
- Discovery is chaotic
- Almost no AAA presence
5
Green Man Gaming
Est. 2009
London, UK
$
cheaper
Buyers who want Steam games at lower prices
An authorized key reseller that consistently undercuts Steam's own prices on the same games delivered as Steam keys.
Pros
- Often cheaper than Steam on identical titles
- Legitimate authorized reseller
- XP loyalty program for extra discounts
- Regular voucher stacking
Cons
- Games still land in your Steam library with DRM
- No storefront ecosystem of its own
- Occasional key delivery delays
6
Fanatical
Est. 2014
Nottingham, UK
$
cheaper
Bundle lovers who want to pick their own games
Another authorized Steam-key retailer built around build-your-own bundles and steep flash discounts on the same catalog.
Pros
- Build-your-own-bundle pricing is excellent
- Authorized keys, not grey market
- Frequent flash sales beat Steam
- Star Deals rotate daily
Cons
- Delivers Steam keys, so same DRM
- No native platform
- Limited to key-based catalog
7
EA app
Est. 2011
Redwood City, USA
≈
similar
Players who mainly want EA titles and EA Play access
The home of EA's own catalog and the successor to Origin, with a subscription that gives access to the whole library for a monthly fee.
Pros
- EA Play subscription is great value for their catalog
- Early trials of new releases
- The Sims, Battlefield, FIFA all live here
- Lighter than the old Origin client
Cons
- Only really useful for EA games
- Account-locked, no DRM-free option
- Historically buggy client
8
Battle.net
Est. 1996
Irvine, California, USA
≈
similar
Blizzard fans playing WoW, Overwatch, Diablo
Blizzard's own launcher and store, essential if you play their live-service titles and want the source rather than a key.
Pros
- Only official home for Blizzard live games
- Rock-solid social and friends features
- Seamless updates for their titles
- Activision catalog now included
Cons
- Tiny store limited to Activision Blizzard
- Strictly account-bound with DRM
- Not a general-purpose storefront
9
Ubisoft Connect
Est. 2009
Montreuil, France
≈
similar
Ubisoft loyalists who want the whole catalog via subscription
Ubisoft's first-party storefront and launcher, plus the Ubisoft+ subscription unlocking their entire Assassin's Creed and Far Cry catalog.
Pros
- Ubisoft+ unlocks the full first-party library
- Day-one access to new Ubisoft releases
- Reward points across their games
- Often cheaper direct pricing during sales
Cons
- Only Ubisoft titles
- Mandatory account and DRM
- Subscription value drops if you play few of their games
10
Microsoft Store / Xbox app
Est. 2015
Redmond, USA
≈
similar
Players who prefer a subscription buffet over buying
The gateway to Xbox Game Pass on PC, where a monthly fee unlocks hundreds of games including day-one Microsoft releases.
Pros
- Game Pass is the best value in gaming
- Day-one first-party Microsoft releases
- Cloud gaming included on higher tiers
- Huge rotating library
Cons
- You own nothing under the subscription
- Store app is clumsy compared to Steam
- Games leave the catalog on rotation
11
Amazon Games / Prime Gaming
Est. 2016
Seattle, USA
$
cheaper
Existing Prime members who want free games included
Bundled free with Amazon Prime, it hands out free games and in-game loot monthly on top of a modest storefront.
Pros
- Free games monthly if you already have Prime
- Regular in-game loot drops
- No extra cost beyond Prime
- Occasional big-name giveaways
Cons
- Requires a Prime subscription
- Small, awkward standalone store
- Many games route to other launchers
12
Nexus / Playnite (library manager)
Est. 2018
Community / Czech Republic
$
cheaper
Multi-store buyers tired of juggling separate launchers
Transparent Pricing
Not a store but the fix for store fragmentation — a free open-source launcher that unifies Steam, GOG, Epic, and the rest into one library.
Pros
- Free and open source
- Unifies every storefront in one library
- Highly customizable with plugins
- Great for large mixed collections
Cons
- Not a store, buys nothing itself
- Setup takes some effort
- Niche, community-supported
Best for DRM-free ownership
If your main gripe is that Steam "licenses" rather than sells, GOG is the clear winner — every purchase is a standalone installer you keep with no client required. itch.io also lets most developers ship DRM-free, and Playnite helps you corral everything into one library once you've spread purchases across stores. These are the picks for people who want their games to survive an account ban or a company shutdown.
Cheapest ways to buy the same games
Authorized key resellers routinely undercut Steam on identical titles: Green Man Gaming and Fanatical both deliver legitimate Steam keys at lower prices, and Fanatical's build-your-own bundles are unbeatable for stocking up. Humble Store adds a charity cut, and Prime Gaming hands out free games if you already pay for Amazon Prime. Same games, less money.
Best subscription value instead of buying
If you'd rather rent a buffet than build a library, Xbox Game Pass on PC is the strongest deal in gaming with day-one Microsoft releases. EA Play and Ubisoft+ make sense if you live inside one publisher's catalog. You own nothing, but for high-volume players the math beats buying at full price.Which Alternative Is Right for You?
Leaving Steam over DRM and ownership? Go straight to GOG — DRM-free installers, no client, games that outlive the store. If your issue is price, Green Man Gaming and Fanatical sell the same Steam keys cheaper, and Humble Store routes part of your money to charity. Want to support developers with a fairer cut? itch.io lets creators keep nearly everything, and Epic's 12% split is the reason many indies list there. If you barely touch AAA and love a subscription, Xbox Game Pass on PC gives you hundreds of games for a monthly fee. Publisher loyalists should just use the source: Battle.net for Blizzard, EA app for EA, Ubisoft Connect for Ubisoft. And if the real problem is that your library is now scattered across six launchers, Playnite pulls all of them into one place for free. Frequently Asked Questions
QIs GOG really better than Steam for owning games?
For ownership, yes. GOG gives you DRM-free installers you download and keep — they'll still run if GOG disappears or your account is banned, which is not true of Steam. The trade-off is a smaller catalog and fewer big multiplayer titles. If preservation and true ownership matter most to you, GOG is the strongest alternative on this list.
QWhere can I buy Steam games cheaper than on Steam?
Authorized resellers like Green Man Gaming and Fanatical regularly sell legitimate Steam keys below Steam's own price, and Fanatical's build-your-own bundles are excellent value. Humble Store often matches or beats sale prices while donating to charity. Avoid grey-market key sites — stick to authorized retailers to avoid revoked keys.
QDoes Epic Games Store give better deals than Steam for developers?
Yes — Epic takes only a 12% cut versus Steam's 30%, which is why many developers and studios favor it. For buyers, Epic's draw is the weekly free game and aggressive coupons. The downside is a bare-bones client with no reviews or community features, so most people use it alongside Steam rather than instead of it.
QCan I keep all my games in one launcher instead of many stores?
Playnite is the free, open-source answer. It unifies Steam, GOG, Epic, EA app, Battle.net, Ubisoft Connect and more into a single library so you don't juggle six launchers. It doesn't sell games itself — you still buy from each store — but it fixes the fragmentation that comes from shopping around.
QIs Xbox Game Pass on PC a good replacement for buying on Steam?
It depends how you play. If you burn through lots of games and value variety, Game Pass on PC is the best value in gaming, with day-one Microsoft first-party releases included. But you own nothing — games rotate out of the catalog — so it's a poor fit if you want a permanent library or play a small number of titles for years.
Our Verdict
The Best Steam Alternative For You
Leaving Steam over DRM and ownership? Go straight to GOG — DRM-free installers, no client, games that outlive the store. If your issue is price, Green Man Gaming and Fanatical sell the same Steam keys cheaper, and Humble Store routes part of your money to charity. Want to support developers with a fairer cut? itch.io lets creators keep nearly everything, and Epic's 12% split is the reason many indies list there. If you barely touch AAA and love a subscription, Xbox Game Pass on PC gives you hundreds of games for a monthly fee. Publisher loyalists should just use the source: Battle.net for Blizzard, EA app for EA, Ubisoft Connect for Ubisoft. And if the real problem is that your library is now scattered across six launchers, Playnite pulls all of them into one place for free.