Free to Keep vs Free Weekend vs Free to Play: What's the Difference?
Free to keep means you claim a paid game during a giveaway and it stays in your library for good. A free weekend lets you play a paid game for a few days, then locks it unless you buy it. Free to play means the game is always free, and the publisher sells optional extras inside it. The difference is what happens when the offer ends, and the store page tells you which one you are looking at.
The three at a glance
| Offer | What you pay | How long you can play | After the offer ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free to keep | Nothing | As long as you like | The game stays in your library |
| Free weekend | Nothing during the event | Only during the event, usually a few days | The game locks until you buy it |
| Free to play | Nothing, extras are optional | As long as the game runs | There is no end: it is always free |
Free to keep: claim it once, keep it
A free-to-keep offer is a giveaway of a game that normally costs money. The deadline is for claiming, not for playing: once the game is in your library, you can install it next week or next year. That is why it pays to claim anything that looks even a little interesting.
- Epic Games Store: new free games every week, switching on Thursdays at 11 AM Eastern. See How to Claim Free Games on the Epic Games Store.
- Steam: occasional free-to-keep promotions with an Add to Account button. See How to Add Free Steam Games to Your Library.
- GOG and IndieGala: giveaways of DRM-free games you can download and keep. See How IndieGala Freebies Work.
- Alienware Arena: game keys for Steam and other stores; some cost site points. See Alienware Arena ARP Explained.
A real free-to-keep claim never asks for payment details. On Epic the checkout total is 0; on Steam there is no checkout at all.
Free weekend: try it, then decide
A free weekend unlocks a paid game for everyone for a few days. On Steam these events often run from Thursday to Monday, and the store page shows a Free Weekend banner with the end time and a Play Game button.
- You can usually play the full game during the event, but some publishers open only part of it, such as one mode. The page says what is included.
- When the event ends, the game stays on your list but won't start until you buy it.
- If you buy it, your achievements stay with your account, and your progress usually carries over if the game saves to the cloud.
- Many free weekends come with a discount, which makes them a good time to decide.
Free to play: always free, extras optional
Free-to-play games cost nothing to download and play, with no deadline. The publisher earns money from optional purchases: mostly cosmetics such as skins, but in some games also boosters or extra content. Well-known examples on PC are Team Fortress 2, Warframe, Path of Exile and Apex Legends.
Before spending, look at what the in-game shop sells and set a budget. If a child plays, Steam Families and Epic's parental controls help you keep spending in check.
How to tell which offer you are looking at
- Free to keep: the price area says free to keep until a date (Steam) or Free Now (Epic), and the button adds the game to your account.
- Free weekend: a banner says Free Weekend or play for free until a date, next to a Play Game button.
- Free to play: the price simply says Free To Play, often with a note about in-game purchases.
- A demo: a fourth kind of free. A Download Demo button gives you a short sample of a paid game; the full game is still for sale.
- Not free at all: a Buy or Add to Cart button, or a checkout total above 0.
Mix-ups beginners run into
- Thinking a free weekend game is yours: if it won't start after the weekend, it was a trial, not a giveaway.
- Waiting to claim a free-to-keep game: the claim window closes at a set time. Claim it first; you can download it whenever you like.
- Seeing prices inside a free-to-play game: those are optional extras, not a fee to play.
FAQ
If I claim a free game but never install it, do I still own it?
Yes. A claimed free-to-keep game stays in your library whether or not you install it.
Do I lose my save when a free weekend ends?
You lose access to the game, but your save usually stays on your PC or in the cloud, so you can continue if you buy it.
Are free-to-play games really free?
Yes, you can play them without paying. Spending is optional, so set a limit, especially for kids.
Where can I see what's free right now?
Our Free PC Games Right Now page lists every free-to-keep game we found, updated daily, and our Free Epic Games page shows this week's and next week's Epic games.
Related guides
- How to Add Free Steam Games to Your Library
- How to Claim Free Games on the Epic Games Store
- What Time Do Epic Free Games Change Each Week?
Looking for games to claim? See Free PC Games Right Now and our daily free game posts.
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