Blizzard confirmed that Battle.net is opening up to third-party games, with Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher lined up as the first non-Blizzard titles to arrive on the launcher. That is a real shift for a client that has spent 20 years serving only WoW, Diablo, Overwatch, and StarCraft. It also raises the obvious question: if Battle.net is finally trying to be a store, how does it compare to the launchers players already use? These seven Battle.net alternatives cover what most PC players actually want from a launcher on Windows and macOS, from a giant library to a single unified shelf.
Quick comparison
| Launcher | Best for | Free tier | Standout feature | Native macOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | Broadest catalogue | Yes | Workshop, cloud saves, family sharing | Yes |
| GOG Galaxy | DRM-free library | Yes | Import library from other launchers | Yes |
| Epic Games Launcher | Free weekly games | Yes | Weekly free titles | No |
| Ubisoft Connect | Ubisoft catalogue | Yes | Cross-progression, Ubisoft+ | Yes |
| EA app | EA sports and shooters | Yes | EA Play subscription | Yes |
| Xbox app for PC | Game Pass on desktop | Yes (with Game Pass trial) | 400+ games via subscription | No |
| Playnite | Unified library | Yes | One shelf for every launcher | No |
Why look past Battle.net
Battle.net is still the only place to buy Blizzard titles, but it has been a narrow launcher. The client itself has a small feature set, no achievements API for outside developers, and no meaningful discovery beyond Blizzard’s own store shelves. The third-party expansion is welcome, but the initial catalogue is small and the storefront still routes through Blizzard’s own account and payment system.
Players who own games on Steam, Epic, GOG, and elsewhere are already balancing four or five clients. Adding Battle.net for two more games rarely pays off unless the price is right. And if the goal is a single library, a manager like Playnite pulls everything into one view without asking anyone to switch stores. Below are the launchers that actually earn their spot on the taskbar.
The alternatives
Steam – Best for catalogue depth and community features
Steam is the default because the library is huge, the reviews are useful, and the platform features have kept up. Cloud saves work across every game that opts in, family sharing lets a household loan a library, and Steam Input maps almost any controller to almost any game. Proton is what turned Steam into the biggest Linux client too, and it now runs the vast majority of Windows titles on Steam Deck and desktop Linux without hand-tuning.
Where it falls short: Discovery still leans on tags and the “similar games” queue, so smaller titles drown. Steam takes a 30% cut, which shows up as regional pricing on some publishers who won’t discount there.
Pricing:
- Free: The client, community features, and shop are free.
- Paid: Individual games; sales run in June, October, and late December.
- vs Battle.net: Battle.net has no equivalent community layer, achievements API, or workshop.
Migrating from Battle.net: No importer. Blizzard games (Overwatch 2, Diablo IV) still require Battle.net to launch even if you own them elsewhere.
Download: Steam for PC
Bottom line: If you own more than three PC games, Steam is on the machine. Battle.net does not replace it.
GOG Galaxy – Best for DRM-free ownership and one unified shelf
GOG Galaxy is CD Projekt’s launcher, and the version that ships now includes an integration layer that reads libraries from Steam, Epic, Ubisoft, EA, Xbox, PlayStation, Battle.net, Origin, Amazon Games, and Discord. It is the closest thing to a single shelf that a big publisher ships. Every game GOG itself sells is DRM-free, so anything installed through Galaxy keeps working offline even if the client goes away.
Where it falls short: The store catalogue skews classic and CDPR-adjacent. New AAA releases arrive slower on GOG than on Steam. The integrations are unofficial, so a Steam update occasionally breaks the plugin for a week.
Pricing:
- Free: Client, cross-launcher library, achievements sync.
- Paid: Individual games; DRM-free installers you can back up.
- vs Battle.net: Galaxy already imports the Blizzard library. Battle.net does not import anyone else’s.
Migrating from Battle.net: Add the Battle.net integration in Galaxy settings; Blizzard games show up in the shared library within a minute. Launching a Blizzard game still boots Battle.net in the background.
Download: GOG Galaxy
Bottom line: Pick GOG Galaxy if the appeal of Battle.net’s new third-party support is one shelf for everything. Galaxy already delivers that today.
Epic Games Launcher – Best for the weekly free game
Epic Games Launcher carved out real ground with weekly free games, first-party exclusives (Alan Wake 2, Kingdom Come Deliverance II), and a smaller developer cut (12%) that some studios pass along in launch pricing. Verified since Fortnite’s return, and the store now stocks most major releases on day one.
Where it falls short: The client is heavier than Steam or Galaxy, and features that Steam takes for granted (rich achievements, workshop, family sharing) only arrived in the last two years. There is no macOS or Linux client, only titles you play through Wine.
Pricing:
- Free: Client, a rotating free game every Thursday, some free-to-play titles.
- Paid: Individual purchases; regular voucher coupons take 25% off eligible titles.
- vs Battle.net: Battle.net does not do a free-game program.
Migrating from Battle.net: No import. Overwatch 2 is free-to-play on Battle.net; the Epic version of the same game does not exist.
Download: Epic Games Launcher
Bottom line: Install it, claim the Thursday free game, and keep it in the tray. That alone earns its space.
Ubisoft Connect – Best for Ubisoft’s own catalogue and Ubisoft+
Ubisoft Connect is the launcher required to run Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Rainbow Six, and the rest of the Ubisoft slate on PC, whether you bought through Ubisoft’s store, Steam, or Epic. Cross-save works between PC and console for most titles now. Ubisoft+ is the subscription that gives access to the full library plus DLC, and it recently expanded to Xbox and Amazon Luna.
Where it falls short: Two-factor authentication has been finicky for some accounts. The client’s UI still leans on marketing carousels that shove Ubisoft+ upsells above your own library.
Pricing:
- Free: The client and cross-save. Individual game purchases.
- Paid: Ubisoft+ Premium costs a monthly subscription for the full catalogue.
- vs Battle.net: Similar in shape: a first-party store for one publisher’s catalogue. Cheaper if you plan to sample many Ubisoft games in one month.
Migrating from Battle.net: No import. Save data does not carry across publishers.
Download: Ubisoft Connect
Bottom line: Only worth installing if you already play Ubisoft games. It is a Battle.net analogue for a different publisher.
EA app – Best for EA sports, shooters, and EA Play
EA app replaced Origin in 2022 and now hosts the FC series, Battlefield, Apex Legends, and the Star Wars catalogue. EA Play is the subscription tier, and it bundles into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on PC. The client’s biggest fix over Origin is a lighter footprint and faster launch time.
Where it falls short: Some legacy Origin titles still require both clients installed to play. Achievements do not exist inside the EA app itself.
Pricing:
- Free: The client. Individual game purchases.
- Paid: EA Play is a monthly subscription; EA Play Pro adds day-one access to new EA titles.
- vs Battle.net: Similar single-publisher store. EA has more marquee sports; Battle.net has the Blizzard catalogue.
Migrating from Battle.net: No import.
Download: EA app
Bottom line: Install it only if you play FC, Battlefield, or the Mass Effect trilogy. Do not run it in the background.
Xbox app for PC – Best for Game Pass access on desktop
Xbox app for PC is what turns Game Pass into a real PC subscription. Day-one releases (Starfield, Forza, Sea of Thieves) drop straight into the library, cloud gaming works from the same client, and the Xbox app now runs modded titles better than Microsoft Store used to. Xbox Play Anywhere continues to sync progress between PC and Xbox for supported games.
Where it falls short: The client leans on Microsoft Store plumbing that installs games into locked WindowsApps folders. Modding requires a workaround for some titles. No macOS client.
Pricing:
- Free: The client. Individual game purchases through the Microsoft Store.
- Paid: PC Game Pass gives access to the full library for a monthly fee; Ultimate adds cloud gaming and Xbox console access.
- vs Battle.net: Game Pass is the closest analogue to Blizzard’s own subscriptions, with a much wider catalogue.
Migrating from Battle.net: No import. Diablo IV is on Xbox Game Pass, so Ultimate subscribers can play it there instead of through Battle.net.
Download: Xbox app for PC
Bottom line: Worth installing for Game Pass alone. Even if you skip the subscription, first-party Microsoft games run here.
Playnite – Best for one shelf across every launcher
Playnite is a free, open-source library manager that indexes every game across every launcher on the PC. Steam, Battle.net, Epic, GOG, Ubisoft, EA, Xbox, itch.io, Amazon Games, ROMs through emulators, and standalone installers all live in one grid. It uses metadata scrapers to pull cover art, descriptions, and achievements into a single view.
Where it falls short: It launches other clients under the hood; games still require their publisher’s launcher to run. First setup takes an hour if you have a large library and want the covers to look uniform.
Pricing:
- Free: Playnite is open-source under the MIT license.
- Paid: None. Themes and plugins are community-made and free.
- vs Battle.net: Playnite does what Battle.net’s third-party push is only starting to attempt: one shelf, every store.
Migrating from Battle.net: Install the Battle.net library plugin. Every installed Blizzard title appears in the shared library within seconds.
Download: Playnite
Bottom line: If the appeal of Battle.net opening up is a unified library, install Playnite this weekend and be done.
How to pick the right one
Pick Steam if this is your first PC and you want one launcher that does everything well. Pick GOG Galaxy if DRM-free ownership matters or you want a shelf that already imports Battle.net today. Pick Epic if you want a free game every week and cheaper AAA launches. Pick Ubisoft Connect or EA app only if you already play games those publishers make. Pick Xbox app for PC when the subscription math on Game Pass works out. Pick Playnite when the goal is one shelf across everything and you already own five launchers.
Stay on Battle.net for now if you mostly play Blizzard’s own games. The third-party expansion is a good sign, but the catalogue is small enough that the launcher will not replace the ones you already use.
FAQ
Is Battle.net still needed if I buy Blizzard games elsewhere? Yes. Diablo IV on Xbox app for PC and Cyberpunk 2077 via Battle.net still route through Blizzard’s account and installer plumbing when they arrive on Battle.net. There is no way to run Overwatch 2 without Battle.net at all.
What is the best free Battle.net alternative for one library? Playnite. It scans every installed launcher, pulls Blizzard games from Battle.net, and gives you a single grid to launch from. GOG Galaxy is the closest paid option that ships from a major publisher.
Does Steam let me play Diablo or WoW? No. Blizzard has never sold Diablo, WoW, or Overwatch through Steam, and Battle.net remains the only launcher that runs them.
Which launcher has the biggest library? Steam. Over 100,000 titles are listed there, versus a few dozen on Battle.net today and roughly 2,000 on Epic’s store.
Is Ubisoft+ a good Battle.net replacement? Only if you like Ubisoft games. Battle.net’s own subscription push has been narrower than either Ubisoft+ or Game Pass.
What about GOG Galaxy for cross-launcher tracking? It is the best free option after Playnite. Galaxy’s integrations pull Battle.net games into its shelf automatically, though launching a Blizzard title still opens Battle.net underneath.
