LaunchBox vs Steam
LaunchBox
launchbox-app.com
Steam
store.steampowered.comSide by side
| Figure | LaunchBox | Steam |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 8 | 2 |
| Spec score · Game Launcher Software | 8.8 (#2) | 8.3 (#9) |
| Spec score · Game launchers | 9.0 (#9) | 9.1 (#5) |
| Spec score · PC Game Launchers | 8.8 (#3) | 8.4 (#7) |
| License model | AlternativeTo classifies LaunchBox as freemium and proprietary rather than open source. | Valve’s agreement says Steam content and services are licensed rather than sold and are for personal, non-commercial use. |
| Privacy collection | The privacy policy says the website collects IP address, operating system, browser type, referring and visited sites, cookies, and analytics data. | Valve says it collects account, payment, device, usage, game-statistics, crash, cookie and IP-address data. |
| Rating on Trustpilot | 2.9 out of 5 from 3 reviews | Rating unavailable because Trustpilot says the profile breached its guidelines; 4,818 reviews are listed. |
| Support | The maker points users to technical support forums, how-to video tutorials, bug reporting, and feature requests. | Steam Support offers personalized help for purchases and account status after sign-in. |
| What it does | LaunchBox is a Windows game-library manager and launcher that organizes PC, storefront, and emulated games and starts them through configured applications. | Steam is Valve’s platform for playing, discussing and creating games. |
Plans
LaunchBox
- StarterFree
- Starter (Windows)Free
- Regular$30, paid once
- Regular (Windows)$30, paid once
- Bundle (Windows and Android)$35, paid once
- Windows and Android bundle$35, paid once
- Lifetime$75, paid once
- Lifetime (Windows)$75, paid once
In their own words
LaunchBox
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.
Steam
Steam is an online destination for playing, discussing, and creating games. Its catalog includes nearly 30,000 games, with game hubs, reviews, achievements, and custom recommendations for discovery. Users can meet others, join groups, form clans, and use text or voice chat. Steam Workshop supports making, finding, and downloading mods and cosmetics for nearly 1,000 supported games. Steam Broadcast streams gameplay live to friends or the community. The Steam Mobile app on iOS and Android supports shopping, account protection, game news, notifications, and community features; Steam Guard can approve sign-ins and confirm trades or Community Market listings. Steamworks provides tools and services for developers and publishers distributing games on Steam. Steam is free, but game and content prices vary and some subscriptions may be free. Content is licensed rather than sold; use may require an account, the client, and an internet connection. Users under 13 may not subscribe, and country-specific age limits may also apply.