SideSave
SideSave syncs save data for non-Steam games added to Steam as shortcuts between two paired machines.
What SideSave is
SideSave syncs save data for non-Steam games added to Steam as shortcuts between two paired machines. It can transfer tracked saves over a local network or through an internet relay, sending changed blocks and keeping versioned snapshots. Its history supports branches and restoring a save or individual files. If both devices change a save, SideSave presents the local version, remote version, or both as options for resolving the conflict. It finds shortcuts through Steam’s shortcuts.vdf file and offers their Proton save locations for tracking; real Steam Cloud games, emulator saves, repack-wrapper detection, and portable installs are outside its scan scope. Optional Cloud Backup can mirror snapshots to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, a webhook, or a local or NAS folder. The project says it has no accounts or telemetry, and saves remain in configured local folders unless cloud backup is enabled. Relay traffic is encrypted, but not end-to-end, so the relay operator can read data passing through it. SideSave is free and open source, but publishes no releases; users build its tools from source.
Good
- Syncs changed save blocks over LAN or an internet relay.
- Keeps versioned snapshots, branches, and restore options.
- Offers several optional cloud-backup providers.
- Requires explicit approval before devices pair.
Watch out
- No published releases; users must build from source.
- Relay connections are not end-to-end encrypted.
- Does not scan emulator saves or real Steam Cloud games.
- Google Drive OAuth credentials may expire weekly.
Who it suits
SideSave suits Linux and Steam Deck users who want to sync non-Steam game saves between paired machines. It is intended for people comfortable building software from source and choosing how their backups are stored.
Verdict
SideSave combines peer-to-peer save syncing with snapshot history and conflict choices. Its source-build requirement and relay privacy limitation are important considerations before pairing devices.
Plans and prices
From SideSave's own pricing page, checked 7 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | No accounts or subscriptions stated · build from source; no published releases |
The facts
Each one read from SideSave's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Availability
- The fork does not publish releases and instructs users to build it from source.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Cloud backup integrations
- Optional cloud-backup providers listed in the privacy policy are Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, a webhook, and a local or NAS folder.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Cloud credentials
- OAuth tokens for backup providers are stored locally and are not sent to the SideSave project.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Conflict handling
- When independently changed saves conflict, SideSave asks the user whether to keep the local version, remote version, or both.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Data handling
- The relay routes WebSocket frames and says it writes no save data to disk or retains it after a device disconnects.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Delta transfer
- SideSave hashes content-defined blocks and transfers only blocks that changed.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Google Drive limitation
- The user guide says the built-in Google Drive OAuth credentials may expire weekly and suggests using a custom client ID or another backup provider for always-on cloud sync.checked 7 Oct 2026
- History
- It stores versioned snapshots with branches and supports restoring saves or individual files from snapshots.checked 7 Oct 2026
- History and conflicts
- The sync engine supports snapshot history and branches, and detects conflicts through sync lineage for user resolution.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Install options
- The repository documents building a CLI and daemon, a desktop app, a relay server, and a Steam Deck Flatpak and Decky plugin.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Local data
- The privacy policy says saves and snapshots stay on the user's machine in configured storage folders unless the user opts into cloud backup.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Optional backup integrations
- Cloud Backup can mirror snapshots to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, a webhook, or a local/NAS folder.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Pairing
- Devices sync only after explicit pairing approval, and users can unpair a device from the Devices screen.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Pricing
- The project describes itself as free and open source, and its user guide says it has no subscriptions.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- SideSave says it has no accounts or telemetry and does not upload saves to third parties unless the user enables Cloud Backup and chooses a provider.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- SideSave syncs save data for non-Steam games added to Steam as shortcuts between two specific machines, peer-to-peer.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Relay security
- The privacy policy says relay connections are encrypted but not end-to-end, so the relay operator can read save data passing through the relay.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Save detection
- It identifies non-Steam shortcuts through Steam’s shortcuts.vdf file and offers their Proton save locations for tracking.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Scope
- SideSave detects non-Steam Steam shortcuts and excludes real Steam Cloud games, emulator saves, repack-wrapper detection, and portable installs from its scan scope.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- The user guide directs users to the SideSave Discord for help and GitHub Issues for bug reports.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Sync
- Tracked saves sync between paired devices over LAN or through an internet relay using changed-block transfers and versioned snapshots.checked 7 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Platforms and installation
- The repository documents building the CLI, desktop app, and relay from source, and describes a Steam Deck Flatpak and Decky Loader plugin; it says the fork publishes no releases.checked 7 Oct 2026
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