Last verified: October 15, 2026
XLibrary and Playnite compared
Playnite is an excellent open-source library that brings games from many stores and emulators together on Windows. XLibrary also keeps any PC game in one library, and it is especially good with visual novels and adult indie games: it knows the sites they come from, and it downloads, installs and updates them on Windows, macOS, Linux and Steam Deck.
Which one to choose
Choose Playnite if…
you want one open-source launcher on Windows that imports your libraries from many stores, runs emulators and has a large catalog of community add-ons and themes.
Choose XLibrary if…
your collection lives on F95zone, DLSite, itch.io and similar sites, and you want those games downloaded, installed and updated, on Windows, macOS, Linux or Steam Deck.
| Criterion | XLibrary | Playnite |
|---|---|---|
| License | Free, closed source. Plugin SDK under MIT | Free, open source (MIT) |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon), Linux, Steam Deck | Windows |
| Focus | Any PC game, from Steam, GOG, itch.io or your own files, with first-class support for visual novels and adult (18+) indie games from F95zone, DLSite and more | Games from many stores and emulators |
| Store libraries | Your owned Steam library in Discovery, native or in CrossOver; itch.io games you own | Imports libraries from many stores through integrations |
| Game data for F95zone and DLSite | Built in, from the XLibrary catalog | Through community add-ons, such as erri120's F95zone and DLsite metadata providers |
| Download and install from file hosts | Optional. Pixeldrain, MEGA, MediaFire, BuzzHeavier with mirror fallback, RPDL torrents, JDownloader | No |
| Updating a game | Notification, side-by-side install, save backup, mods and translations moved, rollback | No, you install updates yourself |
| Launching games | Any executable or Steam; Wine, Proton, UMU, Bottles, CrossOver, Whisky, Locale Emulator, Sandboxie, Ruffle, DOSBox, ScummVM | Store clients, emulators and any executable |
| Playtime | Tracked per session, with a journal | Tracked |
| Controller | Full gamepad navigation, Deck mode, Gaming Mode shell on Steam Deck (Alpha) | Fullscreen mode for controllers |
| Browser extension | Status, rating, note, playtime and Add & install on catalog pages | No |
| Import | F95Checker, Game-List, EmulationStation, Batocera, ES-DE, XLibrary JSON | No |
| Backup and sync | Local restore points, encrypted Google Drive backup and sync | Local library backup, no cloud sync |
| Extending it | Plugin SDK (MIT), local .xlplugin packages; local AI agents through MCP | Add-ons and themes, with a built-in add-on browser |
| Privacy | No account; every request to the catalog server listed in Settings → Privacy | No request log |
| Price | Free | Free |
Switching from Playnite
- There is no Playnite import. Install XLibrary and choose your games folder.
- Add games by their page links, one by one or with Bulk Add.
- Add your owned Steam games from Discovery in one click.
What Playnite does that XLibrary doesn't
- It is open source under MIT.
- It imports your libraries from many stores through integrations.
- Emulator support for console and retro games.
- A built-in browser for community add-ons and themes. XLibrary plugins are local files, with no public catalog yet.
Use both
The two don't conflict. Keep Playnite as your general launcher, and let XLibrary handle the games its stores don't sell: finding, downloading, installing and updating them.