The Best Open Source Steam AlternativesTop Game & App Stores like Steam

The best open source alternative to Steam is itch.io. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Steam and 18 is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Steam are Lutris, Playnite, Heroic Games Launcher and Game Jolt.

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Steam alternatives are mainly Game Library Managers, but if you're looking for Game Stores 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. itch.io icon

    itch.io

     278 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
    84
    Comments about itch.io as an Alternative to Steam
    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
    Steam Icon
    itch.io icon

    • Almost everyone thinks itch.io is a great Steam alternative.

    • itch.io is the most popular Android & Android Tablet alternative to Steam.

    • itch.io is the most popular Open Source alternative to Steam.

    • itch.io is Free and Open SourceSteam is Free and Proprietary
  2. Lutris icon

    Lutris

     232 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
    43
    Comments about Lutris as an Alternative to Steam
    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.

    Steam Icon
    Lutris icon

    • Most users think Lutris is a great Steam alternative.

    • Lutris is Free and Open SourceSteam is Free and Proprietary
    • Lutris is LightweightSteam is not according to our users
  4. Playnite icon

    Playnite

     232 likes

    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.

    45 Playnite alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Playnite screenshot 1
     
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    1
    23
    Comments about Playnite as an Alternative to Steam
    DL300
    Positive
    2

    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.

    Steam Icon
    Playnite icon

    • Most users think Playnite is a great Steam alternative.

    • Playnite is Free and Open SourceSteam is Free and Proprietary
    • Playnite is CustomizableSteam is not according to our users
  5. Heroic Games Launcher icon

    Heroic Games Launcher

     86 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
     
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    8
  6. Game Jolt icon

    Game Jolt

     64 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 (Pay once)
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Game Jolt screenshot 1
    Game Jolt screenshot 2
    Game Jolt screenshot 3
     
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    1
    20
    Comments about Game Jolt as an Alternative to Steam
    Sparky dev
    Positive
    0

    Most of indie titles are born here before going to steam

    Steam Icon
    Game Jolt icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Game Jolt is a great Steam alternative.

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

    GameHub

     43 likes

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

    47 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
    Comments about GameHub as an Alternative to Steam
    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.

    Steam Icon
    GameHub icon
    • GameHub is Free and Open SourceSteam is Free and Proprietary
  10. 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
     
  12. ZapStore icon

    ZapStore

     8 likes

    It uses nostr to establish identity, linking release artifacts to social profiles validated by the web of trust. This enables secure installs, a new app discoverability layer and developer monetization via zaps.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    ZapStore screenshot 1
     
  13. RetroAchievements.org icon

    RetroAchievements.org

     14 likes

    RetroAchievements.org is a community who collaborate and compete to earn custom-made achievements in classic games through emulation.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Online
    RetroAchievements.org screenshot 1
     
  14. 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
     
12 of 18 Steam alternatives