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Gaming · head to head

Amazon Luna vs itch.io

Amazon Luna logo

Amazon Luna

Gaming

Cloud gaming service that streams both a subscription catalogue and games you own elsewhere

From
$9.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
itch.io logo

itch.io

Gaming

Open marketplace for indie games and game assets

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only itch.io has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Luna input latency makes competitive shooters, fighting games and anything requiring precise timing noticeably worse than local play, and no amount of bandwidth fixes it.; itch.io open publishing means enormous variance in quality and very little curation
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Luna covers No install streaming, itch.io covers Open publishing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Luna and itch.io actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Luna and itch.io differ
AttributeAmazon Lunaitch.io
Starting price$9.99/monthFree
Pricing modelPer user per monthFree to publish; creator-set revenue share on sales
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Fire TV, iOS, Android, Windows, macOSWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Gaming).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amazon Luna

  • No install streaming
  • Play your own library
  • Prime included titles
  • Publisher channels
  • Luna controller support
  • Twitch integration

Only in itch.io

  • Open publishing
  • Creator-set revenue share
  • Game jams
  • Pay what you want

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amazon Luna

  • Playing on a television through a Fire TV stick without buying a consolenot itch.io
  • Playing on a work laptop or a low powered machine that could not run the title locallynot itch.io
  • Trying a game on a phone or tablet with a controller while away from the main machinenot itch.io
  • Playing selected titles you already own on Epic, GOG or Ubisoft Connect without a gaming PC to install them onnot itch.io

itch.io

  • Publishing an independent or experimental game without an approval processnot Amazon Luna
  • Running or entering a game jamnot Amazon Luna
  • Buying game assets, tools and charity bundlesnot Amazon Luna

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amazon Luna

  • Input latency makes competitive shooters, fighting games and anything requiring precise timing noticeably worse than local play, and no amount of bandwidth fixes it.
  • A sustained connection of around ten megabits or more is needed and Wi-Fi congestion in a shared household produces compression artefacts and dropped sessions at exactly the times people want to play.
  • Service is available only in a list of countries, so travelling outside them ends access to a subscription you are still paying for.
  • The play your own library feature covers a selected set of titles rather than your whole Epic, GOG or Ubisoft account, so it cannot be assumed to work for any particular game you own.
  • The subscription catalogue rotates and titles are withdrawn by publishers, so a game you are part way through can disappear and you own nothing once you cancel.

itch.io

  • Open publishing means enormous variance in quality and very little curation
  • Discovery is difficult: without curation, a new release can go entirely unseen
  • Consumer audience is far smaller than the mainstream storefronts
  • Client and library features are minimal compared with Steam or GOG

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon Luna

$9.99/month
  • Luna Premium$9.99/month
    • Access to the Luna catalogue
    • Streaming to browser, Fire TV, mobile and supported televisions
    • Higher resolution and frame rate on supported titles
  • Included with Prime$undefined/month
    • A rotating set of titles playable at no extra charge for Prime members
    • Requires an active Amazon Prime membership, which is billed separately
  • Ubisoft+ channel$17.99/month
    • Ubisoft catalogue streamed through Luna
    • Bought as an add on channel rather than included in the base subscription

itch.io

Free
  • itch.ioFree
    • Free publishing
    • Creator-set revenue share
    • Game jam hosting

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon Luna if

  • You need no install streaming.
  • You work on Web, Fire TV, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want play your own library.
Amazon Luna review

Choose itch.io if

  • You need open publishing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want creator-set revenue share.
itch.io review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Luna or itch.io better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Luna starts at $9.99/month and itch.io at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Luna or itch.io?
itch.io has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9.99/month for Amazon Luna and Free for itch.io.
Does Amazon Luna or itch.io run on more platforms?
Amazon Luna runs on Web, Fire TV, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS. itch.io runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use itch.io for free?
Yes. itch.io has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Amazon Luna starts at $9.99/month.
What is Amazon Luna best used for?
Amazon Luna is most often used for playing on a television through a fire tv stick without buying a console, playing on a work laptop or a low powered machine that could not run the title locally, trying a game on a phone or tablet with a controller while away from the main machine, playing selected titles you already own on epic, gog or ubisoft connect without a gaming pc to install them on. Of those, playing on a television through a fire tv stick without buying a console and playing on a work laptop or a low powered machine that could not run the title locally are not what itch.io is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Luna do that itch.io cannot?
Amazon Luna covers No install streaming, Play your own library, Prime included titles, Publisher channels. itch.io covers Open publishing, Creator-set revenue share, Game jams, Pay what you want.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon Luna: Can I play games I already bought?

Selected titles from the Epic Games Store, GOG and Ubisoft Connect, once the accounts are linked. It is a curated list, not your full library.

itch.io: Is itch.io free?

Yes to publish, and creators set their own revenue share on sales — including zero.

Amazon Luna: What internet speed does it need?

Around ten megabits per second sustained for standard streaming and more for higher resolutions. A wired connection or a five gigahertz Wi-Fi band makes a visible difference.

itch.io: Who uses itch.io?

Independent and experimental developers, students, and most major game jams including Ludum Dare submissions.

Amazon Luna: Is Luna included with Amazon Prime?

A rotating selection of titles is included for Prime members. The full catalogue requires the paid Luna subscription on top.

itch.io: Why is discovery hard there?

Because publishing is open and uncurated. That is what makes it accessible to any creator, and it means new releases can go unseen.

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