Hoard vs SideSave

Hoard syncs game saves across devices and keeps versioned backups on Linux, macOS, Windows, or a self-hosted setup. It detects when you stop playing and syncs saves automatically. If two machines have diverging saves, the newest takes precedence and the other is backed up locally. Snapshots are retained indefinitely, and users can restore an earlier version. Hoard checks files with SHA-256 and re-hashes them during restoration. It detects libraries including Steam, Epic, GOG, Proton, and Wine, and uses the Ludusavi manifest for thousands of titles; the site says save paths for 71 games have been checked by hand. Save export in the game's original format is available even on the free tier. The Free plan includes 2 GB of cloud storage, a maximum save size of 1–1.5 GB, and three devices. Hoard Pro costs €1.99 per month and includes 100 GB of storage, saves up to 10 GB, and unlimited devices. Hoard can also be self-hosted using the same Rust binary, without an account or quotas.

SideSave is free, open-source software that synchronizes save data for non-Steam games added to Steam as shortcuts. It pairs two approved machines and transfers tracked saves over a local network or an internet relay, sending only changed content blocks. Versioned snapshots and branches preserve history, while lineage-based conflict detection asks whether to keep the local copy, remote copy, or both. Saves can be restored individually or as complete versions. Detection reads Steam’s shortcuts.vdf file and offers Proton save locations for tracking. The scan excludes real Steam Cloud games, emulator saves, repack-wrapper detection, and portable installs. Optional backups can mirror snapshots to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, a webhook, or local/NAS storage. SideSave has no accounts or telemetry; relay traffic is encrypted but not end-to-end. The project publishes no releases, so users build the CLI, desktop app, relay, or Steam Deck components from source.