Looking for steam alternatives? Today, we’ll show you 12 best steam alternatives that you never knew before. For good reason, a lot of people think of Steam as the pinnacle of online video game retailers. The well-known store boasts over 1 billion user accounts, over 100 million monthly active users, and an incredible selection of over 50,000 titles.
Despite this, many businesses are undaunted by the platform’s astounding popularity and want to go up against it. In an effort to compete with the market leader giant, some of these rivals may provide a stronger overall package, exclusive features, and exclusive titles.
Half-Life and Counter-Strike were among Valve’s early games that Steam first served as a launcher for. Who is to say, though, that an other service couldn’t accomplish the same thing? Therefore, I’ve put up a list of the top Steam alternatives worth checking out in an effort to find the next big potential rival.
10+ Best Steam Alternatives that You Must Know
1.Game store Epic
2.GOG
3.Itch.io
4.Game Jolt
5.Humble Bundle
6.Fanatical
7.G2A
8.Green Man Gaming
9.Microsoft Store
10.Xbox App
11. Uplay
12. Battle.Net
1.Epic Game Store
Although the Epic Games Store first served only as a launcher for Epic games like Fortnite, they immediately realized how successful their game was and launched their business. Before the full-fledged version of the shop had even been released, Epic began stealing a number of exclusives from Steam in an effort to compete with it, thus making it the topic of many headlines and gaming places.
It was criticized for its shoddy features and user interface, and it appeared at the time that they were in over their heads and that their new commercial endeavor was doing more harm than good. But as time passed, Epic made some significant changes to the platform, adding more exclusive games, attention-grabbing sales deals, regular free games, and marketing campaigns.
With the way things are going, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Epic Games Store soon claiming comparable sales to those of Steam. After all, the origins of the two platforms were remarkably similar. Though rarely, history does repeat itself.
2.GOG
I believe that everyone has at least heard of GOG. It’s not surprising that GOG is on this list, whether it was during your search for classic video games or when word spread that CD Projekt had purchased the platform’s rights. The platform was first created to provide gamers with a convenient way to buy older DRM-free games, but it has since broadened its appeal and now contains a wide selection of both contemporary and classic games.
Unfortunately, due to the DRM-free nature of the platform, many publishers, including EA, Ubisoft, and 2K, will never think to collaborate with GOG, at least not for their most recent blockbuster releases. You won’t be able to purchase any of their recent releases on GOG.
However, GOG is now aiming to broaden its audience even further with its very own desktop client called Galaxy, which eliminates the need for the player to install each and every launcher by merging each and every game from all of your libraries into GOG Galaxy. In an effort to provide them a better chance to compete with other retailers, many more features have been promised. It would be negligent not to monitor its development carefully.
3.Itch.io
It comes as no surprise that many players choose to play games created by other players because modern AAA titles sometimes feel hurried and lacking in content due to excessive in-game purchases and microtransactions.
In fact, Itch.io provides that. On itch.io, millions of independent developers post their works for play and enjoyment by others. Many of these works are entirely free, and others even gain traction on well-known platforms. Not to mention the Game Jams that are held on the internet, when independent game developers create games from scratch in a short amount of time to compete for cash prizes. The potential for itch.io is endless, and they’ll just keep growing their user base with some of their projects, including their desktop client.
Speaking of their desktop client, it makes good on its promise to address many of the problems currently plaguing the web version of the shop, such as the mess that may develop when you routinely download games from the website. Since the games are executable or zip files, you can clog your computer with pointless installers that will only make your gaming experience worse. However, the client’s experience is smooth.
Although the client promises to reduce as much of that as possible, the amount of “shovelware” present on the site may truly make you spend hours upon hours exploring and installing games before you find something of worth.
4.Games Jolt
The popular gaming industry is sometimes condemned for being overly predatory and money-focused. Sites like Itch.io and Game Jolt come into play in this situation. We’ll talk about the latter now that we’ve covered the former.
There are a ton of independent games available on Game Jolt, all neatly categorized into different genres like horror, action, RPG, platformer, and an odd category reserved only for FNaF-style games.
Additionally, Game Jolt has a sizable fan base that supports a variety of its communities, including those for Minecraft, FNaF, and 3D art. Through specialized, well-maintained community tools, chat rooms, and forums, it also promotes interactions on the website.
In conclusion, Game Jolt is the place to go if you enjoy independent video games or want to try something new and interesting.
5.Honest Bundle
It’s probable that you’ve heard of Humble Bundle previously because of their excellent prices, pay what you want policies, or charitable endeavors. Through years of operation, they have built a reputation for themselves in the gaming industry.
As the name implies, they provide solitary products, typically in the form of game keys or the occasional direct download, alongside monthly themed bundles that include but are not limited to games, eBooks, music, and software for very reasonable pricing.
For the cheap fee of $12 each month, their membership program is said to give you access to discounts, free games, and numerous other benefits for a total of $171.
On the other hand, all users to their subscription-based service, Humble Trove, receive access to a library of almost 100 DRM-free titles. Even though it would seem implausible that Humble Bundle will take on Steam, I still believe it’s worthwhile going there.
6.Fanatical
Like Humble Bundle, Fanatical sells big collections of games that have been packed together and are offered at unbelievable discounts. They began their business venture under the moniker Bundle Stars but subsequently changed it to Fanatical to make it more appealing and simple to remember.
Thankfully, the name change did not result in a reevaluation of the company’s business strategy, as the retailer kept selling video game bundles at enormous discounts of up to 99% off the titles’ original price.
Fanatical is not constrained to packages, though. In addition, they provide standalone and DRM-free games at comparable high savings. Additionally, the store offers what they call a “Star Deal,” which is a specifically acquired game that is offered at a significant discount.
Fanatical provides real-time pricing conversion, which is a minor point. In other words, regardless of your currency, you will always know how much you are paying.
7.G2a
G2A offers the same features as your typical digital store, albeit being more of a community-run marketplace than a location to buy video games. G2A is primarily a marketplace for video games where users can buy, sell, and trade game keys from all platforms, including Steam, Uplay, Epic, and Origin.
Like many others on this list, G2A frequently offers steep discounts. The store’s enormous appeal, however, can be due to its more inventive conception of what a marketplace might be. With a variety of features, like Random Key Offers, which allows customers to select one or more steam keys at random, it tries to differentiate itself from other comparable businesses.
You can use its G2A Goldmine Program, which pays you for sharing referral links on social media, to make money while enjoying your favorite video games.
G2A offers a vast array of additional products, both digital and physical, and is not just restricted to video games. On their website, you can also buy gaming equipment, board games, gift cards, subscriptions, collectibles, toys, clothing, and accessories.
8.Gamer Green Man
We don’t initially notice anything unique about Green Man Gaming.It offers video games at full retail price with the occasional discount, seasonal promotions, inexpensive bundles, etc. You get my point. If you dig a little further, you’ll start to discover Mac games in addition to the typical PC games. You may get early access games for some of the most eagerly awaited games by going a little further.
Additionally, Green Man Gaming advertises an enticing service for fans of independent games by offering a regularly updated selection of the top independent games for up to 90% off of regular pricing.
By establishing a console streaming platform, Green Man Gaming hopes to increase its reach. Although it hasn’t fully materialized yet. So, don’t anticipate it to be operational anytime soon.
9.Shop Microsoft
Microsoft has entered far too many industries to count in an effort to maintain its dominance over the tech sector and increase its market share and financial success. It is not surprising that they would try to surpass Steam in popularity given that they are the makers of the most widely used operating system with the most concurrent users.
Technically speaking, Microsoft Store is the most used online retailer for Windows-based devices. But only because every edition of Windows 8 and later comes pre-installed with said shop. When you contrast the store’s monthly active customers with those of Steam and even other less well-known stores, the narrative dramatically shifts.
Microsoft Store used to be a slow, bloated mess with just low-quality mobile games in its repertoire. The store has changed dramatically since its early days, and it now offers a wide variety of AAA games, most of which are owned by Microsoft, as well as software and TV shows. Things are only looking good for the Microsoft Store now that Microsoft has turned its focus back to the PC gaming business.
10.Xbox Application
It is difficult to assess the Xbox App’s long-term industry strategy given that Microsoft has already entered the market with the Microsoft Store.
However, it’s a pretty capable piece of software that was advertised in conjunction with the release of Xbox Game Pass for PC. It implies that when you open the store, the entire library of Xbox Game Pass titles will greet you. Naturally, purchasing individual games outright without a Game Pass membership is always an option.
It doesn’t actually pose a threat to Steam in its current state. But when the Xbox store is combined with Microsoft Store and Game Pass, it becomes a serious competitor. The vast selection of games available is ridiculous.
With Microsoft acquiring firms like Zenimex Media and Activision, the App Store will soon offer greater value for your money.
11.Uplay
Gamers have recently been very critical of Ubisoft for its performance-eating shop client in Uplay. The launcher has been around for a while, but it has only ever served as a double DRM.
Fortunately, Ubisoft has significantly enhanced its service in an effort to remain relevant, a far cry from its early days. Ubisoft has its own digital store, just like other large conglomerates. Sadly, it concentrates too much on social hub elements. Uplay is essentially a homogeneous mashup of player awards, community interaction, and a video game marketplace.
Uplay is not even close to being as classy or appealing as its competitors. Its feature-rich desktop client, however, more than makes up for its visual flaws. For instance, Ubisoft Club is one of the many store products and is a play-to-earn program where you accomplish weekly in-game goals and objectives to earn Club units, which can then be used to buy other titles.
For $14.99 per month, Ubisoft also provides Uplay+, a subscription service that grants access to more than 100 games, including new releases, classic games, early access to upcoming titles, and much more. Their weekly Wednesday specials and 20% club discount on your subsequent purchase are also very competitive.
It’s quite frustrating to get Ubisoft Studios games to function properly on Steam, so Uplay is definitely worth a look if you want to buy any of their games.
12.Battle.net
This list’s final entry is Blizzard’s Battle.net, and with good reason. Many of the problems relating to the company’s product have been avoided by the corporation. The numerous claims of a terrible workplace culture and the predatory nature of their in-game gambling systems have only served to further taint their reputation. It is incredibly challenging to endorse a product from such an abhorrent company. Nevertheless, it’s challenging to ignore the platform.
Battle.net has grown significantly since its early days following the debut of Destiny 2, and it now hosts Overwatch, Call of Duty (all releases), Starcraft, Diablo, and many other games. Battle.net’s restricted game catalog, which only includes Blizzard and Activision games, is its only drawback.
Battle.net is the best option for you if you want to explore Activision-Blizzard’s exclusive offers. However, due to Microsoft’s recent titanic acquisition of Activision-Blizzard for 70 billion dollars, anticipate that the entire store’s exclusive collection of games will be accessible on other platforms like Stram and Microsoft Store in addition to Game Pass.
