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Gaming · head to head

Amazon Luna vs Heroic Games Launcher

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
Heroic Games Launcher logo

Heroic Games Launcher

Gaming

Open source client for Epic, GOG and Amazon libraries on Linux, Windows and macOS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Heroic Games Launcher 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.; Heroic Games Launcher it depends on reverse-engineered backends for each store, so an authentication change at Epic or Amazon breaks logins until unpaid maintainers respond.
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Luna covers No install streaming, Heroic Games Launcher covers Epic, GOG and Amazon libraries.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Luna and Heroic Games Launcher actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Luna and Heroic Games Launcher differ
AttributeAmazon LunaHeroic Games Launcher
Starting price$9.99/monthFree
Pricing modelPer user per monthOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Fire TV, iOS, Android, Windows, macOSLinux, Windows, macOS

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 Heroic Games Launcher

  • Epic, GOG and Amazon libraries
  • Cross-platform
  • Wine and Proton management
  • Steam Deck packaging
  • Cloud saves
  • Add to Steam

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 Heroic Games Launcher
  • Playing on a work laptop or a low powered machine that could not run the title locallynot Heroic Games Launcher
  • Trying a game on a phone or tablet with a controller while away from the main machinenot Heroic Games Launcher
  • Playing selected titles you already own on Epic, GOG or Ubisoft Connect without a gaming PC to install them onnot Heroic Games Launcher

Heroic Games Launcher

  • A Steam Deck owner who wants to play Epic or Amazon titles they already ownnot Amazon Luna
  • A Linux desktop user with a GOG library and no interest in configuring Wine by handnot Amazon Luna
  • A macOS user wanting access to a GOG library without a Windows machinenot Amazon Luna
  • Someone consolidating three storefront clients into one interface on Windowsnot 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.

Heroic Games Launcher

  • It depends on reverse-engineered backends for each store, so an authentication change at Epic or Amazon breaks logins until unpaid maintainers respond.
  • It does not handle Steam, so anyone with a mixed library still runs two clients and the consolidation is partial.
  • Cloud save support varies by store and by game, and finding out that a title does not sync usually happens after losing progress.
  • It is an Electron application, so memory use is high for what is fundamentally a list of games, which matters on a handheld with limited resources.
  • Games protected by kernel-level anti-cheat still do not run on Linux, and the launcher cannot change a publisher decision.

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

Heroic Games Launcher

Free
  • Heroic Games LauncherFree
    • Full functionality
    • No paid tier
    • Store accounts used directly

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 Heroic Games Launcher if

  • You need epic, gog and amazon libraries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want cross-platform.
Heroic Games Launcher review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Luna or Heroic Games Launcher better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Luna starts at $9.99/month and Heroic Games Launcher at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Luna or Heroic Games Launcher?
Heroic Games Launcher has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9.99/month for Amazon Luna and Free for Heroic Games Launcher.
Does Amazon Luna or Heroic Games Launcher run on more platforms?
Amazon Luna runs on Web, Fire TV, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS. Heroic Games Launcher runs on Linux, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Heroic Games Launcher for free?
Yes. Heroic Games Launcher 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 Heroic Games Launcher is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Luna do that Heroic Games Launcher cannot?
Amazon Luna covers No install streaming, Play your own library, Prime included titles, Publisher channels. Heroic Games Launcher covers Epic, GOG and Amazon libraries, Cross-platform, Wine and Proton management, Steam Deck packaging.

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.

Heroic Games Launcher: Why does this exist when Epic has its own launcher?

Epic publishes no Linux client. Heroic fills that gap and then extended to GOG, Amazon, Windows and macOS.

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.

Heroic Games Launcher: Is it safe to log into my store accounts?

It is open source and widely used, and it authenticates against the real store endpoints. As with any third-party client, you are trusting the maintainers and the build you installed.

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.

Heroic Games Launcher: Does it work in Steam Deck game mode?

Yes, generally by adding titles to Steam as non-Steam shortcuts, which is a documented part of the normal workflow.

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