Heroic Games Launcher vs Lutris

Heroic Games Launcher is a free, open-source desktop app that lets PC and Steam Deck players manage and launch their Epic Games Store, GOG, and Amazon Prime Gaming libraries from a single interface, without needing the official Epic or Amazon clients running in the background. Built by a community of volunteer developers under a GPLv3 license, it bundles Wine and Proton compatibility layers so Linux and Steam Deck users can run Windows-only games, adds a download queue with live speed stats, custom artwork, and a console-style mode for TV setups, and ships with no ads, telemetry opt-outs, and no data resale.

Lutris is an open-source video game preservation platform for Linux that brings together Wine, Proton, and dozens of emulators, including MAME, Dolphin, RetroArch, and ScummVM, behind a single launcher interface. It can sync game libraries from Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store, and Humble Bundle through an optional lutris.net account, and it uses community-maintained JSON and YAML install scripts to automate setup for games and emulators that would otherwise require manual configuration. Beyond installation, Lutris lets users configure per-game runners and Wine versions, apply Vulkan-based performance tuning, and manage everything from a command-line interface as well as the GUI. It is entirely free and licensed under GPL-3.0, with an optional Patreon supporting ongoing development. As a Linux-only tool, it is commonly used both to play Windows games without a native Linux release and to preserve older titles through emulation.

• Combines multiple game stores in one client
• Fully free and open source with active development
• Strong Linux and Steam Deck support via Proton
• No forced telemetry or ads

• Completely free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license.
• Single interface for native Linux games, Windows games via Wine and Proton, and retro emulation.
• Large community-maintained script library speeds up installing tricky older or DRM-heavy games.
• Active development backed by an optional Patreon-funded team.

• Requires official Epic/GOG/Amazon accounts to sign in, so it does not remove DRM
• Occasional compatibility hiccups with newer anti-cheat protected games on Linux
• Less visually polished than official first-party launchers

• Linux-only, so it doesn't help Windows or Mac users.
• Community install scripts vary in quality and can go stale after game updates.
• Initial setup for some titles still requires manual Wine and dependency troubleshooting.