Fanatical
United Kingdom
Non-European Parent Company
Fanatical is a digital store for PC game keys based in Rugeley, Staffordshire, in the United Kingdom. It started in 2012 as Bundle Stars and was renamed Fanatical on 1 November 2017....
European Alternatives to Steam
GamersGate
Sweden
EU
GamersGate is a Swedish digital game store based in Stockholm. Paradox Interactive conceived it in 2004 and launched it in 2006, and in 2008 it was separated into the independent company GamersGate...
GOG
Poland
EU
GOG (formerly Good Old Games) is a digital game store based in Warsaw, Poland. It was launched in 2008 by the game company CD Projekt to make older PC games available again...
Green Man Gaming
United Kingdom
Green Man Gaming is a digital store for PC games based in London, United Kingdom. Paul Sulyok and Lee Packham founded it in 2009, and it opened to the public on 10...
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Submit SuggestionSteam is an American game store and platform run by Valve Corporation, based in Bellevue, Washington, and launched in 2003. It combines a store, a game library, updates, friends lists, user reviews, cloud saves and the Steam Workshop for modifications. Valve also builds the Steam Deck handheld. Steam is the largest store for PC games, and many publishers release their titles there first.
European alternatives to Steam
GOG from Poland is the closest alternative with its own client: it sells games without copy protection and offers the optional GOG Galaxy launcher. GamersGate from Sweden sells downloads for Windows, macOS and Linux, and Green Man Gaming and Fanatical from the United Kingdom sell activation keys. Fanatical has a US parent company. Key stores do not replace Steam, because the keys are often redeemed there, but they offer discounts and bundles.
What to consider when switching
A game library on Steam cannot be moved to another store, so switching means buying again or using both. Not every game is available outside Steam, and multiplayer titles may need a publisher account. The category video game publishers and studios shows European companies that make the games, and all listed stores appear in PC game stores.