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Software · head to head

Nintendo Switch Online vs Steam

N

Nintendo Switch Online

Software

Online play, classic games and more

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Steam

Software

The ultimate destination for playing, discussing, and creating games

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Nintendo Switch Online individual plan is $19.99 per year but access to GameCube, N64, Game Boy Advance and SEGA Genesis titles requires the $49.99 per year Expansion Pack tier; Steam publishing a game requires developers to pay a non-refundable $100 Steam Direct fee per title, recouped only once the product earns $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nintendo Switch Online and Steam actually diverge.

Attributes where Nintendo Switch Online and Steam differ
AttributeNintendo Switch OnlineSteam

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

Where each one falls short

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

Nintendo Switch Online

  • Individual plan is $19.99 per year but access to GameCube, N64, Game Boy Advance and SEGA Genesis titles requires the $49.99 per year Expansion Pack tier
  • Family plan pricing of $34.99 or $79.99 per year caps membership sharing at 8 accounts

Steam

  • Publishing a game requires developers to pay a non-refundable $100 Steam Direct fee per title, recouped only once the product earns $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue
  • Core purchases and library are tied to a single Steam account with no vendor-stated official resale or transfer mechanism for owned games

Pricing, plan by plan

Nintendo Switch Online

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Nintendo Switch Online review.

Steam

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Steam review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Nintendo Switch Online if

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

Nintendo Switch Online review

Choose Steam if

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

Steam review

Questions people ask

Is Nintendo Switch Online or Steam better?
Neither clearly leads. Nintendo Switch Online starts at On request and Steam at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nintendo Switch Online or Steam?
Nintendo Switch Online starts at On request and Steam at On request.
Does Nintendo Switch Online or Steam run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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Related pages

More on Nintendo Switch Online

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