Is Lutris or Steam better?

Neither clearly leads. Lutris starts at Free and Steam at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Lutris or Steam?

Lutris has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lutris and On request for Steam.

Does Lutris or Steam run on more platforms?

Lutris runs on Linux. Steam runs on Web.

Can I use Lutris for free?

Yes. Lutris has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Steam starts at On request.

What is Lutris best used for?

Lutris is most often used for a linux desktop user with a gog or epic library that steam compatibility does not cover, running an older windows game that needs a specific wine build and configuration, keeping emulators and native linux games in one launcher rather than several. Of those, a linux desktop user with a gog or epic library that steam compatibility does not cover and running an older windows game that needs a specific wine build and configuration are not what Steam is typically brought in for.

What can Lutris do that Steam cannot?

Lutris covers Community install scripts, Wine and Proton management, Multi-source library, Emulator support.

Gaming · head to head

Lutris vs Steam

Lutris

Gaming

Open source Linux game manager built around community install scripts and Wine runner management

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Steam

Gaming

The ultimate destination for playing, discussing, and creating games

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Lutris has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Lutris it runs on Linux only, so it is irrelevant to the large majority of players and offers nothing to a Windows household.; Steam not a subscription-based platform; operates as a digital game store with per-title pricing
Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lutris and Steam actually diverge.

Attributes where Lutris and Steam differ
Attribute	Lutris	Steam
Starting price	Free	On request
Pricing model	Open source, no licence fee	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Linux	Web

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 Lutris

Community install scripts
Wine and Proton management
Multi-source library
Emulator support
Per-game configuration
Native Linux packaging

Only in Steam

Nothing recorded that Lutris does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Lutris

A Linux desktop user with a GOG or Epic library that Steam compatibility does not covernot Steam
Running an older Windows game that needs a specific Wine build and configurationnot Steam
Keeping emulators and native Linux games in one launcher rather than severalnot Steam

Steam

PC game distribution and purchasenot Lutris
Digital game library managementnot Lutris
Multiplayer gaming platformnot Lutris

Where each one falls short

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

Lutris

It runs on Linux only, so it is irrelevant to the large majority of players and offers nothing to a Windows household.
Install scripts are community-maintained and rot without warning, so a game that installed in one click last year can fail today with an error that means nothing to a new user.
Diagnosing a failure requires understanding Wine prefixes, runner versions and library overrides, which is a substantial amount of knowledge for what is presented as a launcher.
Runner version management is manual and the naming is opaque, so users end up with several multi-gigabyte Wine builds and no clear idea which game needs which.
Multiplayer titles with kernel-level anti-cheat will not run regardless of configuration, and no amount of work in Lutris changes that.

Steam

Not a subscription-based platform; operates as a digital game store with per-title pricing
No service tiers or platform access fees; users access the platform free

Pricing, plan by plan

Lutris

Free

LutrisFree
- Full functionality
- No account required for local use
- Community install scripts free

Steam

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Steam review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Lutris if

You need community install scripts.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Linux.
You also want wine and proton management.

Lutris review

Choose Steam if

Nothing in the data separates Steam from Lutris on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Steam review

Questions people ask

Is Lutris or Steam better?: Neither clearly leads. Lutris starts at Free and Steam at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lutris or Steam?: Lutris has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lutris and On request for Steam.
Does Lutris or Steam run on more platforms?: Lutris runs on Linux. Steam runs on Web.
Can I use Lutris for free?: Yes. Lutris has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Steam starts at On request.
What is Lutris best used for?: Lutris is most often used for a linux desktop user with a gog or epic library that steam compatibility does not cover, running an older windows game that needs a specific wine build and configuration, keeping emulators and native linux games in one launcher rather than several. Of those, a linux desktop user with a gog or epic library that steam compatibility does not cover and running an older windows game that needs a specific wine build and configuration are not what Steam is typically brought in for.
What can Lutris do that Steam cannot?: Lutris covers Community install scripts, Wine and Proton management, Multi-source library, Emulator support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lutris: Do I need Lutris if I use Steam on Linux?

Not for Steam games, which Steam handles with its own compatibility layer. Lutris is for everything outside Steam.

Steam: Is there a cost to create a Steam account and download games?

No, creating a Steam account and accessing the platform is completely free. Individual games are sold at varying prices, and many titles are free-to-play. There is no platform subscription or membership fee required to use Steam.

Source

Lutris: Why did a game that used to work stop working?

Usually the install script or the runner it referenced changed. Check the script page for the game and whether anyone has updated it recently.

Steam: Are free-to-play games truly available on Steam at no cost?

Yes, Steam hosts numerous free-to-play titles including Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Apex Legends, and PUBG: Battlegrounds. Players can download and play these games without any payment, though in-game cosmetics and passes may be available for purchase.

Source

Lutris: Will it run games with anti-cheat?

Often not. Kernel-level anti-cheat blocks Linux regardless of the launcher, and this is a publisher decision rather than a technical gap in Lutris.

Lutris vs Steam

Lutris

Steam

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Lutris

Only in Steam

What people use each for

Lutris

Steam

Where each one falls short

Lutris

Steam

Pricing, plan by plan

Lutris

Steam

Which should you pick?

Choose Lutris if

Choose Steam if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Lutris

More on Steam

Keep looking

Other head to heads