Hop on as we explore the best game key sites where you can buy Steam and CD keys for cheap.
Steam and online retailers may be the most popular and convenient places to get your games, but did you know you could save a lot of money by using game key selling websites instead?
Yes, that’s right — and the price difference could be anywhere between a few dollars to hundreds.
In what follows, we will dig into the difference between legit key resellers vs unauthorized alternatives, how do key resellers get their keys, and finally the list of best gaming key resellers so you can save some bucks on your next purchase.
Legit vs. unauthorized key resellers
It’s worth noting that not all key selling websites are “legitimate”. Duh!
If you want to make sure your money is going to devs who worked day in day out building the game and fixing bugs, then you will want to make sure the key reseller in question is sourcing the keys directly from publishers.
Such key websites authorized by publishers are the legitimate kind, and would usually have their prices only a tad bit lower compared to Steam.
That said, you could still get some great deals on old titles and also save a lot of money in the form of bundles with multiple games.
Gray market or unauthorized resellers have their keys obtained through unofficial means (read: not through game publishers), and therefore are usually way cheaper than legitimate resellers.
How do resellers get Steam keys?
Not many are aware of this, but publishers are free to generate Steam keys for their games through Steamworks platform, and these are the keys given away for retail at vetted key reseller stores.
Meanwhile, unofficial key resellers get hold of keys in a multitude of ways. But more often than not, they are acquired by buying games in bulk during a sale or from regions where regional prices are really low.
3 best legit game key sites
Green Man Gaming
Purchasing keys through Green Man Gaming means you can put aside all your buyer’s remorse as they are relatively cheaper than Steam and also are all sourced directly from more than 1300 publishers.
As a plus, they are also in the business of publishing as well and may come in handy if you’re looking to push your game out to the world.
Fanatical
Fanatical is another great legit and reputable name in the business of key reselling with over 10,000 games sourced from more than 1000 publishers.
The best thing about Fanatical is that they offer bundles with multiple games, books, and software at some of the best prices you will find anywhere.
WinGameStore
WinGameStore is another popular official distributor with ties to more than 1000 publishers, including Paradox Interactive.
If you have a Mac and would like to try some less graphic-intensive yet fun games, you would love some deals on their sister site MacGameStore.
2 Cheapest game key site
CDKeys
CDKeys is probably the most visited key selling websites and offer keys for pretty much all gaming platforms including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo.
If you want to get hold of the latest and greatest games without having to wait a little for a price drop, then look no further than CDKeys.com.
Besides games, they also have other goodies in the form of top-ups and gift cards for a variety of services.
Eneba
Eneba is a little different in that it is a marketplace and not a direct seller… kind of like how Amazon works.
And so before confirming a purchase, you may want to ensure two things: you’re getting the best price and you’re buying from a reputable seller.
Eneba lists digital codes for a wide variety of services on their platform, ranging from newly released games to VPN and security software.
