Game distribution went from games on CDs sold in brick and mortar stores to digital distribution via various platforms like Uplay, Origin, Steam, EpicGames, etc. This is when marketplaces like Kinguin and G2A started to launch. This is why in this article I have compared G2A vs Kinguin vs Gamivo vs Eneba.
Steam was the first one and it changed how games are distributed. Steam eliminated the need for the physical components. CDs, game covers, physical packaging, and physical title distribution were suddenly unnecessary. Developers only had to create games. As Steam rose in popularity, other online stores took notice and embraced digital distribution. The industry had changed completely.
POPULAR GAME KEY MARKETPLACES
Gamers now have many ways to purchase the games they love. They can buy their favorites from Steam, Origin, Blizzard, GOG, Epic Games, Uplay, etc. There are a lot of options, however, the prices still aren’t always fit for every budget despite that there are no costs involved like with physical distribution.
Finding great games at low prices is the goal for many gamers. Sometimes they have to wait for discount promotions or special sales. Or wait with buying games for months until the price is reduced.
But there is another option. Buying game key for the desired games on various online stores or marketplaces like G2A, Kinguin, Gamivo, and Eneba. Those marketplaces are like eBay but for game keys. They allow third-party sellers to sell game keys for PC, XBOX, Nintendo, Playstation, etc.
Prices on those marketplaces are in most cases affordable and you don’t have to wait for discounts on Steam, Origin, etc. This is why in this article I have compared G2A vs Kinguin vs Gamivo vs Eneba. Those are the four most popular places to get your game keys cheap. In below comparison, you can see how they differ from both seller and buyer perspective.
Table of Contents
G2A Vs Kinguin Vs Eneba Vs Gamivo
Below is a comparison table where I have compared G2A, Kinguin, Eneba, and Gamivo. You can see which fees each marketplace imposes on sellers as well as some buyer related options and costs.
Why should you care about fees charged to the seller if you are a buyer? Because higher the fees which marketplace imposes on sellers, the higher will end price for game keys be when you as buyer go to purchase.
| MARKETPLACE | G2A | KINGUIN | ENEBA | GAMIVO |
| FEE FOR SELLING | 10.4% + 0.35 € (it can be less depending on seler level) | 15% + 0.3 € (it can be less depending on in which seller tier you are) | From 6% + 0,20 or 0.2 EUR fixed fee per unit (see more info here) | From 7.9% + 0.35€ to 9.9% + 0.45€ depending on your tier (see more info here) |
| SOFTWARE PRODUCTS FEE | Same as for games (which depends on your seller level) with some exceptions (not sure is this page updated) | Same as for games with some exceptions like Office products 30% and Windows 40% | Same as for games | 40% + 0.3 € |
| GIFT CARDS FEE | Usually 4% (but can depend on gift card) | All gift cards have 8% | From 1 – 4% depending on gift card | 3% + 0.3 EUR |
| ACCOUNTS FEE | 15% | Same as you have for games | They don’t sell accounts currently | They don’t sell accounts currently |
| WHOLESALE FEE | Same as for retail | Depends on quantity (10+ is 6%, 50+ is 2%, 100+ is 1% and 500+ no fee) | No wholesale option | 3.5% |
| FEE FOR CREATING LISTING | 0.15 € (every 4 years per product) | NO | NO | NO |
| PRICE CHANGE FEE | 0.15 € | NO | 0.09 € after every 10 price changes in 24h | 0.10 € (1 product price change per day is free) |
| COST OF ADDING KEYS | 0.15 €/10 items | NO | NO | NO |
| PAYOUT FEE | 1-1.5% + 1-1.5 € (depending on payout method) | Depends on payout method and amount. It can be fixed or % (usually 1% or 5 – 25 € fixed) | SEPA payout 0.33% PayPal payout in EUR 1% and in other currencies 1.5%+0.1 EUR | Depends on payout method but usually 2% + 5 – 30 € |
| PAYOUT METHODS | Bank transfer, Bitcoin, Payoneer, Skrill | Bank transfer, PayPal, Payoneer, Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether | Bank transfer, PayPal | Bank transfer, PayPal, Bitcoin, Payoneer, Webmoney |
| ORDER FEE | It varies (see charges here) | NO | NO | NO |
| BUYER PAYMENT GATEWAY FEE | Included in order fee | Depends on payment gateway and order amount | Depends on payment gateway and order amount | Depends on payment gateway and order amount |
| BUYER PROTECTION | Money back guarantee (you need to file police report) | Charged as Platform Development Contribution fee which is not optional (cost varies) | Included for free | It is optional and costs 1€ (free if you have Gamivo Smart subscription) |
| CHARGE TAX | Yes, but you can avoid it | Yes, but you can avoid it | Yes, but you can avoid it | Yes, but you can avoid it |
| CURENCY EXCHANGE FEE | 2.49% | NO | NO | 1% |
| INACTIVITY FEE | 1 € | NO | NO | NO |
| PAYOUT REVIEW TIME | 14 days (it can be less depending on your seller level) | 30 days (it can be less depending on your seller level) | From 7 to 14 days depending on each merchant’s periodic turnover | From 5 to 10 days depending on merchant’s tier |
| REFUND FEE | NO (but fees deducted for sold key are not returned) | NO | NO | 1 € (when you refund buyer) and 15 – 30 € if buyer makes payment reversal |
| RESOLVING ISSUES DIRECTLY WITH BUYER/SELLER | YES | YES | NO | NO |
| LEAVE RATING FOR PURCHASE | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| SEE SELLER REVIEWS | YES | NO | NO | NO |
| SEE SELLER RATING | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| LIVE CHAT SUPPORT | NO | YES | NO | NO |
| TICKET SUPPORT | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| MONTHLY TRAFFIC | 11.5M+ | 6.6M+ | 12M+ | 2.3M+ |
| WHOLESALE | YES | YES | NO | YES |
Here are all features mentioned in comparison table explained:
- Fee for selling – Fee that marketplace charges sellers for each sold key.
- Software fee – Softwares have different fee than games.
- Gift card fee – Fees for gict cards like Amazon, Steam, Netflix, PSN, etc.
- Accounts selling fee – Many marketplaces now allow you to sell Steam accounts
- Wholesale fee – Fee charged on wholesale section.
- Fee for creating listing – Fee charged for creating listing (starting to sell and add keys for a particular product for the first time).
- Price change fee – Fee charged every time you change the price for a particular listing.
- Cost of adding keys – Fee charged for adding keys to product listing.
- Payout fee – Fee charged for sellers when they withdraw the money earned from selling. This fee depends on the payout method.
- Payout methods – Which payout methods marketplace allows sellers to use in order to withdraw earned money.
- Order fee – This is a G2A specific fee that is automatically added to the product base price when customers purchase. The customer will not know that it is added as he will always see just the total price.
- Buyer payment gateway fee – This fee depends on which payment gateway you choose to use for the purchase. It varies per payment provider.
- Buyer protection – Protection in case of any issues with a key.
- Tax – This refers to if you need to pay tax when purchasing. Buyers from EU countries need to pay tax. This is easily avoided by selecting, for example, the US as your country. Nobody will check this nor will you have any problems in doing so.
- Currency exchange fee – This is a fee that sellers need to pay when they are withdrawing money. If their balance is in various currencies, this fee will be charged.
- Inactivity fee – Fee charged for accounts that are inactive for x period of time (in case of G2A this period is 180 days)
- Payout review time – This is the time after which the seller can withdraw money for the sold game key.
- Refund fee – This is a fee that marketplace charges seller in case the buyer is refunded or if the buyer makes payment reversal.
- Resolving issues directly with buyer/seller – Option where buyer and seller can directly interact without middleman via support messages in order to solve issue with the order.
- Leaving rating – Buyer can leave rating and comment for seller regarding purchase.
- See seller reviews – Buyers can see comment reviews from previous buyers left for a particular seller.
- See seller rating – Buyers can see the overall rating particular seller received from previous buyers.
- Live chat support – Option to contact marketplace support via chat.
- Ticket support – Option to contact marketplace support via support messages (email).
- Monthly traffic – The amount of traffic marketplace gets each month (according to SimilarWeb).
- Wholesale – Does the marketplace have a wholesale section.
Kinguin Vs G2A Vs Eneba Vs Gamivo Conclusion
What conclusions can we draw from the above comparison? Should you go with G2A or Kinguin? Or maybe rather try Gamivo and Eneba?
From a seller perspective, it is best to sell on G2A because they have the highest traffic and there is more chance for selling various game keys and in more quantities. The worst choice regarding traffic is Gamivo.
Based just on seller fees, G2A is the worst choice with the highest fees. The best choice would be Eneba.
From a buyer standpoint, the best marketplaces to purchase from are Gamivo and Eneba as they have lower seller fees and thus lower prices.
If the price is not your only concern as a buyer, then support probably is. I would say Kinguin has the slowest support where you can wait days for an answer and sometimes they just ignore you no matter if you opened a ticket as a buyer or seller. Just see how many complaints there are in Kinguin Reddit.
G2A support also takes longer to answer but not as long as Kinguin. The most off-putting thing about G2A as a buyer is money-back guarantee. In case you can’t solve the issue directly with the seller, you have the option of opening a claim. Be noted that for this you will need to file a police report.
Gamivo support replies are in the G2A range but often not helpful at all. gamivo support is well known for simply ignoring what you write or not even look at all provided screenshots.
Eneba has the best support from all mentioned and issues are solved rather quickly. Unfortunately, only G2A allows buyers and sellers to be in contact directly when trying to solve the issue.
What Is G2A?
There aren’t too many gamers who haven’t heard about G2A or used their online marketplace. G2A connects buyers and sellers. You can sell and buy game keys for Epic Games, Steam, Uplay, Origin, etc.
G2A is the only marketplace of that kind where you can even purchase electronics, gaming chairs, apparel, etc. You can also buy software licenses, skins, gift cards, and other gaming-related items.
G2A itself doesn’t buy or sell any products or carry any inventory. It’s just the platform that buyers and sellers use to conduct transactions.
The company’s headquarters are in Hong Kong, which is where they are registered. They have offices in Poland which are basically where their employees work from.
For more information regarding G2A you can check my articles:
- Best sites like G2A
- How G2A money-back guarantee works?
- Is G2A legit?
- What you need to know about selling on G2A?
- What is G2A Plus? Is it worth paying?
How Kinguin Works?
Kinguin is a marketplace where game sellers and buyers connect. Kinguin itself doesn’t sell game keys. It’s only an online marketplace.
Third-party sellers provide game keys that are put up for sale. You can also purchase other items such as game skins, Windows keys, software keys for various products, antivirus programs, gift cards, etc.
Kinguin Digital Limited operates the Kinguin.net website. The company is registered in Hong Kong. They have offices in Bulgaria and Poland.
For more information regarding Kinguin you can check my articles:
- Kinguin payout delay – why many sellers complain of not receiving money for sold products on Kinguin?
- How Kinguin works?
- What are best Kinguin alternatives?
- How to become merchant on Kinguin?
Is Eneba Safe To Use?
Eneba is an online digital game store. You can find a wide variety of puzzle, adventure, action, and games in various other categories from large and small game developers. Gamers can find the titles they want at very affordable prices on Eneba.
Eneba is quickly becoming one of the best places to find popular titles, thanks to its growing selection. You can buy or sell games on their website.
They have games for Battle.net, Epic Games, GOG, Nintendo Switch, Origin, PSN, Steam, Uplay, Xbox, etc. You can also buy game cards for Amazon, Apple iTunes, Blizzard, Google Play, Nintendo Switch, Netflix, PSN, Xbox, Steam, etc.
Helis Play manages Eneba. They are an international conglomerate of esports companies, creative organizations, and software development businesses. Helis Play is headquartered in Kaunas, Lithuania.
For more information regarding Eneba you can check my articles:
- What you need to know about selling on Eneba?
- Is Eneba safe to use?
Is Gamivo Legit Marketplace?
Gamivo’s site was first launched in September 2017. Their company headquarters are located in Malta. Gamivo is an online game marketplace. All products bought and sold on their site are 100% digital.
Purchasing products is simple because there’s no shipping. Order delivery is completed in a matter of minutes. Their goal is to bring something new to the highly competitive video game e-commerce industry.
Gamivo has many newer and older titles at great prices. They pride themselves on their high trust ratings and safety for all site users.
People can search for hundreds of different games in assorted genres. Titles are offered by hundreds of merchants worldwide.
Site users will be completely protected from scammers and other fraudulent activity while browsing for games and completing transactions. You can see all Gamivo fees here (there are not the latest nor up to date).
For more information regarding Gamivo you can check my articles:
- Is Gamivo legit and safe to use?
- How to sell on Gamivo?
Marketplace Comparison FAQ
From the buyer perspective, Kinguin has cheaper prices so it is probably a better choice. G2A has various high fees imposed which increases overall product price.
G2A is a far better option for sellers because it has monthly traffic higher than all other marketplaces combined. Kinguin also doesn’t pay some of its sellers.
Eneba has the lowest seller fees and by that lowest price. Eneba and Gamivo have better prices for buyers than G2A and Kinguin.
While all four marketplaces offer support ticket options in case of an issue with purchased order, Eneba support is probably best.
Gamivo support is slow and not very helpful in some cases. G2A support is also slow and their money-back guarantee asks from buyers to file a police report.
Kinguin’s support is worst than any other marketplace. You often need to wait a couple of days for answer and for issue to be resolved even more than a week or two.
If you are seller G2A is the best place to sell as it has a huge customer base. Then go Kinguin, Eneba, and Gamivowhich has the lowest traffic.
Eneba is a highly recommended game key marketplace for buyers thanks to its low prices. Then Gamivo, Kinguin, and G2A at last place as a marketplace with the highest game prices.
How much does traffic matter? I can only receive bitcoin payouts. G2A has been ripping me off. I was thinking of switching to Gamivo.
Hi Shantanu,
Yes, G2A has various fees. Their payout fees are especially high. But G2A has biggest traffic. Gamivo has very small traffic.
Hello, for sellers Gamivo is the worst choice I think beacause they have the highest payout.
Hi Sidali,
Can you clarify what you mean?
From the sellers’ point of view, it’s worth to mention B2B marketplaces like CodesWholesale.com, where they can buy or sell games from or to other businesses.
It’s a different kind of marketplace but it also can be really profitable.
Usually, on B2B marketplaces you can find video games at good prices, so as a seller you can offer your customers better deals and then post it on G2A and such (better price – a higher chance for sale).
On the other side, you can also sell your games on a B2B marketplace, and get access to various e-stores as your new sales channel.
Hi Jack,
CodesWholesale prices are usually higher than prices you can find on sites like Gamivo, Eneba, etc. They can be maybe lower by a little but reselling keys bought on CodesWholesale isn’t exactly profitable when you include fees from sold product on G2A, Kinguin, etc.
Wow, such a great valuable comparison. Didnt even know G2A has such high fees. No wonder why their prices are high when comparing prices.