shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use GOG.COM?

Download the best classic and new games on Windows, Mac & Linux. A vast selection of titles, DRM-free, with free goodies and 30-day money-back guarantee. - gog.com

Worth it. Buy if you play PC games and want to truly own them DRM-free; the store is legit, well-reviewed, with a 30-day refund. Skip if you live in Steam's ecosystem or need every new AAA on day one.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~14 public sources: GOG's own pages, Reddit, Trustpilot, PCMag, NVD/CVE databases, and Wikipedia.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

Pay per game

Varies by title; frequent sales

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Gamers who want offline, own-forever copies
  • Classic and retro PC game fans
  • Linux and Mac players
  • Buyers allergic to launchers and DRM

Not for

  • Console-only gamers — this is a PC store
  • Players who need Steam Workshop mods, achievements, and friends network
  • Day-one AAA chasers — new-release catalog is thinner than Steam's
  • Anyone wanting a subscription library like Game Pass

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Galaxy app CVEs include local privilege escalation (2019–2022); plain installers avoid this entirely

high

Users report one Galaxy vulnerability stayed unpatched for 1–2 years after disclosure

medium

Enable authenticator-app 2FA; email codes reportedly land in spam

medium

Per-title prices can differ notably from Steam — compare before buying

Pros and cons

Pros

  • DRM-free downloads — install offline, keep games forever
  • 30-day money-back guarantee on purchases
  • Supports Windows, Mac and Linux
  • Widely regarded as safe and legit by Reddit and Quora users
  • Free goodies and a free games collection

Cons

  • Galaxy desktop app has history of unfixed security vulnerabilities
  • Regional pricing gaps vs Steam push some buyers away
  • Account compromise threads exist on official forums
  • Some users prefer skipping Galaxy entirely; no-launcher friction

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/20/2026 - 11 sources - Store itself is reputable (95/100 trust score, 2FA support); the Galaxy desktop app has a documented CVE history.

official x2review x3security x4news x2
  • CVE-2019-15511 — local privilege escalation, Exploitable local privilege escalation in the GOG Galaxy client.
  • CVE-2020-24574 — insufficient folder permissions, Insufficient folder permissions in the Galaxy client; users still asked about its status years later.
  • CVE-2022-31262, Additional vulnerability tracked against GOG software.
  • Slow patching criticized, Community reports one Galaxy security flaw remained unpatched for 1–2 years after disclosure.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Varies by title; frequent sales

    Starting price

  • 11

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. 30-day refunds, frequent sales, free goodies
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Straightforward store; has Baymard UX case study
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Guess: fewer features than Steam; Galaxy optional
  • Support quality: 3/5. 4/5 Trustpilot; mixed service threads
  • Security posture: 3/5. 2FA available, 95/100 trust score; Galaxy CVE history
  • 4/5 Trustpilot rating Customer service reviews on Trustpilot
  • 28M+ Registered users Cited in vendor marketing case study
  • 30 days Refund window Money-back guarantee on purchases
  • None DRM All titles DRM-free with offline installers

Pricing

Pay per game

Varies by title; frequent sales

  • DRM-free installer downloads
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Free goodies with many titles

Security

Store itself is reputable (95/100 trust score, 2FA support); the Galaxy desktop app has a documented CVE history.

  • CVE-2019-15511 — local privilege escalationExploitable local privilege escalation in the GOG Galaxy client.⁷
  • CVE-2020-24574 — insufficient folder permissionsInsufficient folder permissions in the Galaxy client; users still asked about its status years later.⁹
  • CVE-2022-31262Additional vulnerability tracked against GOG software.
  • Slow patching criticizedCommunity reports one Galaxy security flaw remained unpatched for 1–2 years after disclosure.⁸

What users say

Users broadly trust GOG as a safe, legit store and value DRM-free ownership; gripes center on regional pricing and Galaxy app bugs.

“No launcher would be even better.”
TechPowerUp forums
“I got 191 games in my gog.com libr…”
Reddit, r/pcgaming
“Regional Pricing is the what actually still bind me to Steam. GOG is …”
Facebook gaming group
Full analysis

Based on ~14 public sources: GOG's own pages, Reddit, Trustpilot, PCMag, NVD/CVE databases, and Wikipedia.

Legit DRM-free game store — buy once, own forever. Store is safe; Galaxy app has past CVEs. Enable 2FA.

Methodology

Based on ~14 public sources: GOG's own pages, Reddit, Trustpilot, PCMag, NVD/CVE databases, and Wikipedia.

Sources

  1. Welcome to GOG.comgog.com
    official
  2. We make games last forever — About GOGgog.com
    official
  3. GOG.com — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    news
  4. GOG.COM Reviews — Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  5. Is GOG.com trustworthy/safe? — Redditreddit.com
    review
  6. GOG.com Review — PCMagpcmag.com
    review
  7. CVE-2019-15511 Detail — NVDnvd.nist.gov
    security
  8. GOG Galaxy 2-year-old vulnerability still unfixed — Linus Tech Tipslinustechtips.com
    security
  9. GOG CVEs — OpenCVEapp.opencve.io
    security
  10. gog.com trust score 95/100 — Gridinsoftgridinsoft.com
    security
  11. GOG's new owner on DRM — GamesIndustry.bizgamesindustry.biz
    news

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