Steam vs third-party keys: is it worth buying outside Steam?

When you want to buy a PC game, you have two options: buy it directly on Steam or find a cheaper key on stores like Eneba, Kinguin, or Instant Gaming. Which is better?

Buying directly on Steam

Pros

• Maximum security — you buy directly from the official distributor
• Easy refunds — Steam’s 2-hour / 14-day refund policy
• No region risks — always works in your country
• Direct support — if there’s a problem, Steam helps you

Cons

• Higher price — Steam rarely has the lowest price
• Limited sales — Steam sales are good but temporary
• No competition — Steam sets whatever price it wants

Buying keys from third-party stores

Pros

• Much lower prices — savings of 30–80% vs Steam
• Deals all year round — you don’t have to wait for Steam sales
• Competition between stores — prices go down because they compete
• Same game — you activate the key on Steam and it’s identical

Cons

• Regional key risk — you have to check the region
• Variable support — depends on the store
• Harder refunds — not as simple as Steam
• Occasionally invalid keys — rare, but it can happen

How much can you save?

Real examples of price differences:

Game	Steam	Best price	Savings
New AAA ($60)	$59.99	~$40–45	25–33%
AAA, 1 year old	$39.99	~$10–15	60–75%
Popular indie	$19.99	~$5–8	60–75%
Classic game	$9.99	~$1–3	70–90%

Our recommendation

For new releases (day 1): Buy on Steam if you want maximum safety, or on Instant Gaming if you want to save a little.

For games older than 3 months: Buy from third-party stores. The price difference is too big to ignore.

For old / indie games: Always third-party stores. Prices are ridiculously low.

In every case, compare prices before buying.

Compare prices between Steam and 5 other stores →