Overview

Ludusavi is a free utility for backing up PC game saves, built for players who want broad library coverage and for users who need a scriptable workflow. Its combination of save types, graphical and command-line interfaces, and Rclone destinations makes it a capable choice without a subscription; restoring saves across different operating systems is its clearest limitation.

Its coverage spans more than 19,000 games, with custom entries for titles beyond the catalog. The Ludusavi Manifest supplies backup definitions and draws primarily on PCGamingWiki, so the breadth is useful but does not make every game-specific setup identical.

For more options, see Game Save Managers.

Key features

Libraries and save formats: Ludusavi supports Steam, GOG, Epic, Heroic, Lutris, and other game libraries. It backs up ordinary files, Windows registry saves, Steam Proton saves, and Steam screenshots, a wider range than file-only backup implies.
Two interfaces and an API: The graphical interface serves manual backup and restore work; the CLI supports scripting. Its API command accepts bulk JSON requests and supports schemas for input and output, making it a fit for structured automation.
Rclone cloud destinations: Rclone integration supports Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, FTP, SMB, and WebDAV. Automatic synchronization checks local and cloud saves before uploading changes and warns about conflicts, helping avoid silent overwrites.
Playnite extension: Ludusavi can be used as a Playnite extension, which may suit users who already organize their games there.
Download validation: Runtime settings control certificate and hostname validation. Safe validation is the default; an unsafe option disables it, so the safer default is the sensible choice for normal use.

Pricing

Ludusavi is free: its plan is free and provides portable executables for Windows, Linux, or Mac under the MIT License. Automatic backup, scheduled backups, version history, game detection, and both restore options are included. There is no cheaper tier with reduced capabilities to weigh against it.

Portable executables are not the only distribution route: Winget, Scoop, Flatpak, and Cargo are also supported. The project provides GitHub issues and discussions, and accepts translation contributions through Crowdin.

Platforms

Ludusavi supports Windows, Linux, and macOS. It does not automatically support backing up on one operating system and restoring on another, so it is not the right choice for a workflow that depends on moving saves between operating systems without additional handling.

Who it's for

Ludusavi is a strong fit for players with games spread across several supported libraries, users who want to cover more than standard save files, and technically minded users who want to script or schedule backups. Rclone support also suits people who already use one of its supported remote types. Look elsewhere if cross-operating-system restore is essential or you want a backup tool without a command-line or configuration-oriented side.

Pros and cons

Pros: More than 19,000 games plus custom entries gives large and unusual libraries useful reach.
Pros: File, registry, Proton, and screenshot support covers multiple save locations and formats.
Pros: Free use includes scheduled backups, version history, and restore options, alongside GUI and CLI workflows.
Pros: Rclone remotes and conflict warnings make cloud synchronization practical for users with an existing storage setup.
Cons: Automatic restore between different operating systems is unsupported, limiting cross-platform migration.
Cons: Backup definitions rely primarily on the Ludusavi Manifest, whose information is sourced mainly from PCGamingWiki; users may need custom entries for titles outside its coverage.

Alternatives

Playnite Save Manager is a free Windows Playnite extension for save backup and management; its cloud sync is experimental, so Ludusavi is the stronger fit when mature cloud synchronization matters.
Game Backup Monitor is a free open-source option for Linux and Windows with unlimited games and 7-Zip compression. Choose it if those are the priorities; cloud backup requires a provider and sync client.
Gamekeeper has a free Windows plan with Multi-Space limited to three per game and cloud storage options including local, FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, SMB/CIFS, and S3; its Pro plan adds Auto Recognize and Batch Import.
GSM is a free, open-source option for Linux and Windows.
Checkpoint64 is a Linux, macOS, and Windows option with a free tier capped at 20 MiB per space, one team, three joined friends’ teams, and three read-only fans; its Pro plan costs 5.00 EUR per month, billed monthly with cancellation at any time.
Game Save Genie supports Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosting; its free plan has no subscription and uses your own cloud storage.
Game Save Manager is a Windows option with a free 64-bit installer on GitHub under GPL-3.0, as well as a direct download with optional support.
Hoard is another option for Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosting.

Verdict

Choose Ludusavi if you want a free, broad-coverage game-save backup tool with flexible save-type support, scripting, and Rclone cloud destinations. Its main reason to look elsewhere is straightforward: it does not automatically carry a backup from one operating system to another.

	Ludusavi	TSW Save Game Manager
Free plan	Yes
Paid from	Free
Platforms	api, extension, Linux, macOS, Windows	Windows
Free plan	Yes
Automatic backup	Yes	Yes
Cloud synchronization	Yes
Scheduled backups	Yes
Version history	Yes	Yes
Game detection	both
Supported platforms	multi-platform	windows
Restore options	both	manual

Ludusavi vs TSW Save Game Manager

Ludusavi

TSW Save Game Manager