Steam Cloud, Drive Sync, and Local Backup Tools Compared

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Every popular way to back up a PC game save is missing the same thing: a real version history. Copy-paste, syncing with a cloud drive, Steam Cloud, and local tools like GameSave Manager or Ludusavi each protect against something — but none of them make it easy to roll back to an earlier save. Checkpoint64 adds automatic, versioned backup on top of whichever method you're already using.

The four ways people back up saves today

  • Copy-paste to a drive or folder. Free, and better than nothing — but only as current as the last time you remembered to do it.
  • Sync the saves folder with OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox. Automatic, but these sync files, not game saves — a sync mid-write, or two machines touching the same file, can produce a conflict copy instead of a clean history.
  • Steam Cloud. Automatic and free, but opt-in per game and single-copy: it syncs your latest save and nothing older.
  • Local backup tools (GameSave Manager, Ludusavi). Purpose-built for finding and archiving game saves — but versioning is a manual or scheduled run, and sharing a save with a teammate isn't part of the job.

Cloud drive sync vs Checkpoint64

Cloud drive sync Checkpoint64
Version history No — one current copy Every version, one-click restore
What it tracks Files The save itself
Conflicting writes Can produce a conflict-copy file Nothing to reconcile
Cost Free tier, shared with your other files Free plan; one-time payment for more space

Steam Cloud vs Checkpoint64

Steam Cloud is automatic and free, but it's opt-in per game — plenty of titles aren't covered, or only sync part of their save data — and it only ever holds your latest sync. A corrupted or overwritten save that syncs up simply replaces the good copy, with nothing to roll back to. Checkpoint64 works on any game that writes a save to a folder and keeps every version, so a bad save is one restore away instead of the only copy left.

Local backup tools vs Checkpoint64

Local backup tools Checkpoint64
Versioning Manual or scheduled runs Automatic, every 30 seconds
Cloud storage Bring your own setup (e.g. Ludusavi + rclone) Built in
Shared / co-op saves Single-user Server-enforced locks — one holder at a time
Setup Configure per game Presets for 60+ games, 7 emulators

Where each one still makes sense

Every alternative above is a reasonable choice in the right situation:

  • Copy-paste is fine for a game you rarely touch and would happily lose an hour of.
  • Cloud drive sync works if you're disciplined about closing the game before it syncs and have never needed an older version.
  • Steam Cloud is enough for a single supported game, on one PC, with no mods and no disasters.
  • Local backup tools are the right call if you only ever play on one PC and just want a fast, organized local archive.

Where all four run out of road at the same point: a save gets corrupted, overwritten, or lost with no earlier version to fall back to — or you play with anyone else and need to know whose save is current.

How Checkpoint64 covers the gap

  1. Install it and point it at your save folder. Presets for 60+ games and 7 emulators already know where to look.
  2. Turn on auto-backup. Every 30 seconds it checks for a changed save and uploads a new version — only the changed bytes, so it stays light.
  3. Roll back whenever something goes wrong. Open Versions, pick a save from before the problem, and Restore.

Common questions

What's the best way to back up PC game saves?

Whatever you're already doing is probably fine until something goes wrong — a corrupted save, an accidental overwrite, a machine you don't have your saves on. The gap in copy-paste, cloud drive sync, Steam Cloud, and local backup tools is the same one: none of them keep a real version history by default. Checkpoint64 adds automatic, versioned backup on top of whichever method you're already using.

Why not just sync my saves folder with OneDrive or Google Drive?

Those tools sync files, not game saves. If the game is still writing when a sync fires, or two machines touch the same file, you get a sync conflict — a conflict-copy file — instead of a clean history, with no way to tell which copy is actually good. Checkpoint64 watches the save itself and versions it, so there's nothing to reconcile.

Is Steam Cloud enough, or do I need something else?

Steam Cloud is fine for one supported game on one PC with no mods and no disasters. It falls short the moment a game isn't covered, a bad save syncs over a good one, or you play the same save on two machines. Checkpoint64 keeps every version regardless of whether the developer built in cloud support.

What's the difference between Checkpoint64 and GameSave Manager or Ludusavi?

Those tools are genuinely good at finding and archiving save files, and Ludusavi can even push to your own cloud storage if you set up rclone for it. The difference is what's automatic and what's shared: Checkpoint64 versions every save on its own every 30 seconds, includes cloud storage with no extra setup, and adds server-enforced locks so a shared save can't be overwritten by two people at once.