Steam
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
If you play PC games, Steam is the default storefront . free to join, with the deepest catalog, community, and hardware ecosystem.
New check
Comparison
Steam vs GOG.COM
Steam and GOG.COM both land on Worth it.
GOG.COM
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
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.
| Compare | ||
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Worth it | Worth it |
| Best for | PC gamers | Gamers who want offline, own-forever copies |
| Who it's not for | Non-gamers . it's a game store, not work software | Console-only gamers . this is a PC store |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.³ | Store itself is reputable (95/100 trust score, 2FA support); the Galaxy desktop app has a documented CVE history. |
| Support quality | No evidence found on support quality | 4/5 Trustpilot; mixed service threads |
| Public sentiment | User threads mostly welcome newcomers; recurring gripes are low-quality reviews and account theft, not the store itself.⁶ | Users broadly trust GOG as a safe, legit store and value DRM-free ownership; gripes center on regional pricing and Galaxy app bugs. |
| Biggest gotcha | Wallet funds and refund credits keep money locked inside the store11 | Galaxy app CVEs include local privilege escalation (2019-2022); plain installers avoid this entirely |
Pick Steam when
- PC gamers
- Deal hunters
- Indie game developers
- VR players via SteamVR
When Steam is not a fit
- Non-gamers . it's a game store, not work software
- Console-only players on PlayStation, Xbox, or Switch
- Developers unwilling to pay $99 to publish
- Players who refuse client software or DRM
Pick GOG.COM when
- Gamers who want offline, own-forever copies
- Classic and retro PC game fans
- Linux and Mac players
- Buyers allergic to launchers and DRM
When GOG.COM is not a fit
- 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
Sources
- Welcome to Steam (official store)store.steampowered.comofficial
- Steamworks Partner Program . Steam Directpartner.steamgames.comofficial
- Steam product security pagestore.steampowered.comsecurity
- Steam Hardware & Software Surveystore.steampowered.comofficial
- Steam overview for game devs . Valadriavaladria.comreview
- should I try steam? . r/Steamreddit.comreview
review
review
- Regional price differences block gifting . Steam discussionssteamcommunity.comreview
- Wallet funds discussion . Steam discussionssteamcommunity.comreview
security
- Welcome to GOG.comgog.comofficial
official
- GOG.com . Wikipediaen.wikipedia.orgnews
- GOG.COM Reviews . Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview