Steam
Valve's PC game store, launcher and community, with the largest catalogue of PC games.
- Verified facts
- 5 of 5
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Steam
Steam is Valve's store and launcher for PC games and the default place most people buy them. The free client keeps your library in one place, installs and updates games automatically, syncs saves to the cloud and adds friends, text and voice chat, broadcasting, reviews and achievements on top. Steam Workshop lets players download mods for supported games with a click, and Remote Play streams games to another device in your home. On Linux and the Steam Deck, the built-in Proton layer runs many Windows-only games without extra setup. The client costs nothing; you pay for games, and regular seasonal sales are a big part of its appeal. Most games use Steam's DRM, so they need the client to run, and you are buying a licence rather than an installer you can keep. Steam runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, with a companion app on iOS and Android for store access, chat and remote downloads.
Best for: PC gamers who want the widest catalogue, frequent sales and their friends in one place.
Pros and cons
What works
- Largest PC game catalogue, with frequent deep sales
- Proton lets many Windows games run on Linux and Steam Deck
- Workshop makes installing mods for supported games easy
- Cloud saves, achievements and friends built in
Why people leave
- Most games are tied to the Steam client by DRM
- The client is heavy and keeps background services running
- You buy licences, not DRM-free copies like on GOG
Top Steam alternatives
See all 5- 1
GOG Galaxy66.5Sells DRM-free games you can download and keep, and its optional client can show your Steam library too.
- 2
Heroic Games Launcher62.6Open-source launcher for your Epic, GOG and Amazon games, popular on Linux and the Steam Deck.
- 3
Lutris59.6Linux game manager that pulls Steam, Epic, GOG and Humble libraries in alongside emulators.
- 4
itch.io57.2DRM-free store packed with indie games, pay-what-you-want pricing and an open-source desktop app.
- 5
Playnite55.3Keeps your Steam games in one library alongside Epic, GOG and emulated games, free and open source on Windows.
Why people left Steam
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Reviews
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Steam: common questions
Is Steam free?
Yes, Steam is free to use.
Is Steam open source?
No, Steam is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Heroic Games Launcher, Lutris and Playnite.
What platforms does Steam run on?
Steam is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to Steam?
The highest-ranked Steam alternatives right now are GOG Galaxy, Heroic Games Launcher and Lutris. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.