Heroic Games Launcher vs LaunchBox

Heroic Games Launcher is a free, open-source desktop launcher for installing and playing games from Epic Games Store, GOG and Amazon Prime Gaming. It supports Linux, Windows 10 and 11, and macOS 14 or newer; SteamOS is supported with downloads available through Discover. Users can install, uninstall, update, repair, move and import games, and access the Epic and GOG stores from within the interface. Heroic supports Wine and Proton on Linux and CrossOver on macOS, with custom Wine and Proton versions available for Linux. It can sync game saves with the cloud and accepts games and applications outside Epic and GOG, though automatic updates or save syncing may not be available for those additions. The project says it does not collect personal data, usernames or passwords; optional anonymous analytics are off by default. Linux downloads include Flatpak, AppImage, RPM, DEB and TAR.XZ packages. Heroic is released under the GNU General Public License version 3.0. Its FAQ warns that using Wine or Proton on an unsupported operating system may result in bans, depending on the game.

LaunchBox is a game collection frontend and manager for modern PC games and emulated console games. It can import Steam and GOG games, ROM files, and MS-DOS games, then retrieve box art and metadata from its Games Database along with fan art, screenshots, and logos. Collections can be arranged and filtered by genre, platform, ESRB rating, developer, and publisher, with custom status and source fields. The Windows app supports Windows 10 and higher, with Windows 10 and 11 described as fully supported. LaunchBox for Android is free for collections of 100 games or fewer; it shares the games database, media, and portable XML data with Windows, and Windows data can be exported to Android. Premium adds themes, Big Box mode, gamepad automation, startup and pause screens, and display customization. The Regular Windows license costs $30 as a one-time purchase and includes a year of free updates. The maker says Premium is DRM-free and can be deployed to as many personal devices as desired. Windows data can also be moved by copying the app to another folder or computer.