Where to buy PC games cheaper? The complete 2026 guide
By the PcMasterRace GAMING team · Updated July 3, 2026
Paying full price for a PC game is almost always avoidable: between discount official stores, key marketplaces, seasonal sales and bundles, you save 30-70% on average — here are all the methods, ranked from the safest to the most aggressive.
1. Discount official stores (zero risk)
Even before marketplaces, several official resellers (authorised by publishers) cut prices all year round:
- Green Man Gaming — official Steam keys, often -10% to -25% even on new releases.
- Fanatical — permanent promos and bundles; official keys.
- Humble Store — fair prices + a share donated to charity.
- Gamesplanet — very reliable official European reseller.
- GOG — DRM-free games, frequent sales.
These stores offer the same guarantee as a Steam purchase, with keys that activate normally. It's our first recommended reflex.
2. Key marketplaces (lowest prices, a few precautions)
Gamivo, Kinguin and G2A offer the most aggressive prices on the market (-40% to -80%), via third-party sellers. Reliable overall, provided you check the seller rating and the key region. Our detailed analyses: Is G2A safe? and our Kinguin review.
3. Buying at the right time: sales and price history
Timing makes a huge difference:
- Steam sales — 4 major periods per year (spring, summer, autumn, winter) + themed fests.
- Epic Games sales — spring/year-end mega-sales, often with extra coupons.
- Black Friday / holidays — marketplaces align and outbid each other.
The most profitable habit: check the all-time low price before buying. If a game shows -50% but has already dropped to -75%, wait for the next wave. That information is on every one of our game pages, under the offers.
4. Other levers: bundles, subscriptions, free-to-keep
- Humble Bundle / Fanatical Bundles — game bundles for a few euros; unbeatable per game/€.
- PC Game Pass — to try many day-one games without buying them (rental, not ownership).
- Free games — Epic Games gives a game every week, Prime Gaming every month, GOG occasionally. Free and permanent.
- Wishlist + alerts — track your games and buy when the price truly drops, not when the promo is just marketing.
Our method in 30 seconds
For any game: 1) search for it on our comparator, 2) look at the best price of the day AND the all-time low, 3) if the official/marketplace gap is small, take the official one; otherwise take the marketplace with a well-rated seller, 4) add the game to your wishlist if the price isn't at its lowest yet. That's it — and it's free.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest website to buy PC games?
There's no permanent winner: the cheapest changes by game and by day. Marketplaces (Gamivo, Kinguin, G2A) usually win on raw price, but Green Man Gaming, Fanatical or GOG regularly beat them on sale. That's why a comparator updated several times a day matters.
Are cheap keys legal?
Yes, reselling keys is lawful in the EU. The thing to watch is not legality but seller reliability: favour well-rated sellers and EUROPE/GLOBAL regions.
When are the next Steam sales?
Steam runs four major sales per year: spring (March), summer (late June-early July), autumn (late November) and winter (late December-early January). Exact dates are announced a few weeks in advance.
What is the all-time low price?
The lowest price ever recorded for a game, across all stores. It is the best benchmark for whether a promo is worth it: if the game has already dropped much lower, it is better to wait.