Understanding Steam’s Revenue Sharing Model

When you release a game on Steam, it’s important to understand how the platform takes its cut and what factors influence this percentage. Steam, being one of the largest digital distribution platforms for video games, has a revenue sharing model that varies depending on the type of game and the agreement with the developer.

Standard Revenue Sharing

For most games, Steam takes a standard revenue share of 30%. This means that out of every dollar you earn from game sales, Steam keeps 30 cents, and you get the remaining 70 cents. This model applies to both new and existing games, unless there’s a special agreement in place.

Steam Direct and Greenlight

When you submit your game to Steam, you have two options: Steam Direct or Steam Greenlight. Steam Direct requires a one-time fee of $100, which is non-refundable. This fee is used to cover the costs of reviewing and maintaining the Steam platform. Once your game is approved, you’ll be subject to the standard 30% revenue share.

On the other hand, Steam Greenlight is a community-driven process where users vote on whether they want to see your game on Steam. If your game receives enough votes, it will be approved. However, there’s no fee for Greenlight, and the revenue share remains at 30% for Greenlit games as well.

Steam Direct vs. Greenlight: A Comparison

Feature	Steam Direct	Steam Greenlight
Application Fee	$100 (non-refundable)	No fee
Revenue Share	30%	30%
Review Process	Steam reviews your game for quality and content	Community votes on your game’s approval

Steam Direct Pro

For developers who release multiple games on Steam, Steam offers a program called Steam Direct Pro. This program allows developers to pay a one-time fee of $100 per game, instead of the $100 for the entire account. This can be more cost-effective for developers with a large number of games.

Steam Direct Pro vs. Standard Steam Direct

Feature	Steam Direct Pro	Standard Steam Direct
Application Fee	$100 per game	$100 for the entire account
Revenue Share	30%	30%
Game Submission	Submit each game individually	Submit all games at once

Steam Direct Pro vs. Steam Greenlight

Feature	Steam Direct Pro	Steam Greenlight
Application Fee	$100 per game	No fee
Revenue Share	30%	30%
Review Process	Steam reviews your game for quality and content	Community votes on your game’s approval

Other Revenue Streams

In addition to game sales, Steam offers various other revenue streams for developers. These include:

• Steam Workshop: If your game supports Steam Workshop, you can earn money from user-generated content. Steam takes a 20% cut of the revenue generated from