Game Save Manager vs Ludusavi

Game Save Manager (GSM) is a Windows desktop application for organizing, backing up, and restoring game saves. Its PCGamingWiki-powered database covers more than 14,000 save locations, and it scans game installation folders and known locations such as Registry, AppData, and Documents. GSM keeps rolling backup history, supports permanently pinned backups, and can rotate older saves automatically. Automatic backups can run on a regular interval or when save files change, and persist across app restarts. For custom games, users can add folders, files, or registry keys and use dynamic path placeholders. The app exports save history to a .gsmr archive that can be imported and merged on another PC. The maker says it detects installations from Steam, Epic, Battle.net, and more, as well as account IDs for Steam, Ubisoft, Epic, Xbox, and Rockstar. The free GitHub plan provides a Windows 64-bit installer under GPL-3.0. The maker's privacy policy says the app runs locally and personal files are not uploaded, stored, or analyzed on its servers. It connects to download necessary data files and does not track in-app usage. A separate download option mentions optional support without stating an amount; website purchases grant a personal, non-transferable license.

Ludusavi is a free Rust tool for backing up PC video game save data. It covers more than 19,000 games and allows custom entries, with support for libraries such as Steam, GOG, Epic, Heroic, and Lutris. Users can operate it through a graphical interface or a command-line interface for scripting. Supported data includes file-based saves, Windows registry saves, Steam Proton saves, and Steam screenshots. Ludusavi is also available as a Playnite extension. For cloud copies, it integrates with Rclone remotes including Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, FTP, SMB, and WebDAV. Its synchronization process checks local and cloud saves before uploading changes and warns about conflicts. The tool supports scheduled backups and version history. Its backup information uses the Ludusavi Manifest, with information primarily sourced from PCGamingWiki. Portable releases are available for Windows, Linux, and Mac under the MIT License. One limitation is that it does not automatically support backing up on one operating system and restoring on another.