Sustainable Substitutes for Big Tech Online Gaming Platforms

Fair and open-source platforms for online and offline games.

Lichess

Open-Source, feature-rich chess platform by a non-profit.

Lichess does not track users, collect personal data, or use analytics, ensuring a highly privacy-focused experience.
The entire codebase is open-source, allowing community contributions, audits, and self-hosting.
Players can use the platform as guests without creating an account.
Lichess is based in France and operates as a non-profit organisation.
No advertisements are displayed on the platform under any circumstances.
All features are available for free, with no premium tiers, subscriptions, or paywalls.
Users can play chess offline without an internet connection, using locally stored data.
Website

itch.io

Indie game marketplace with fair compensation for creators.

itch.io respects user privacy with minimal data collection and no invasive tracking.
The platform does not force ads on users, providing a clean and uninterrupted experience.
itch.io strongly supports indie developers with flexible pricing models, allowing creators to set their own terms and revenue sharing.
Downloaded games can be played without an internet connection.
Website

GOG.com

DRM-free game store from Poland with privacy focus.

GOG.com has a strong privacy policy, with minimal data collection and no invasive tracking.
Games are DRM-free and can be downloaded and played offline indefinitely.
The platform does not display forced advertisements to users.
GOG.com supports developers with fair revenue sharing and no hidden fees or restrictive policies.
GOG.com is based in Poland.
Website

How to move away from Big Tech Online Gaming Platforms

Here's a guide on how to easily get away from Chess.com and Steam.

Users can't move games purchased on Steam over itch.io unless developers offer keys for both platforms. Steam reward points can't be migrated either for obvious reasons.

If you move your chess activity from chess.com to Lichess, consider exporting and importing your studies and game collections. You can't migrate your ELO rating though. But that can be a liberating thing. It's nice to start fresh and you'll probably end up with a higher ELO on Lichess at some point anyway, as the rating inflation is higher than on chess.com