Steam users online right now

How many people use Steam right now?

The big number is the count of Steam accounts that are signed in right now. Valve publishes it together with the number of people in a game on its own stats page, and we read that page once a minute. Valve's value moves every 20 to 80 seconds, so the count on this page is a minute or two behind at most.

Online and in a game

Online includes everyone with the Steam client signed in: people playing, people chatting with friends, people waiting for a download and people who just left Steam open. In a game only counts the people who have a game running at that moment. Usually about a third of everyone online is in a game.

The daily rhythm

Steam is busiest when the evening in China and the rest of Asia overlaps with the afternoon in Europe, so most days the peak lands around 14:00 to 15:00 UTC. The quietest time is around midnight UTC. Weekends run higher than weekdays, and big sales and free weekends push the peak up further.

Not the same as the Steam charts total

Our Steam charts add up the players of the 100 most played games. That total is always lower than the number here, because thousands of smaller games and everyone who is online without playing are not in it. For one game, use the Steam player count.

FAQ

How many people are on Steam right now?

The big number at the top of this page. It is Valve's own count of Steam accounts that are signed in right now, read from Valve's stats page once a minute.

What is the difference between online and in a game?

Online counts everyone signed in to Steam, including people who only have the client open for chat, downloads or the store. In a game counts the people who have a game running at that moment.

Why is this higher than the Steam charts total?

The Steam charts total only adds up the 100 most played games. Steam users online counts every signed in account, whether it is playing one of those games, a smaller game or nothing at all.

When is Steam busiest?

Most days the peak comes around 14:00 to 15:00 UTC, when the evening in Asia overlaps with the afternoon in Europe, and weekends run higher than weekdays. The daily peaks table above shows the exact time for each day.