You know what it’s like when you are looking for a CD key and there are a load of different websites that show up, and let’s be fair… Most of them look like scam websites!
It’s important to know that there are ‘Official Stores’, ‘Keyshops’ and comparison websites. The main difference between these are:
Official Stores
These sites are fully legit and above board. The CD Keys they sell are licensed and directly benefit the creator or charity.
Key Shops
Key Shops are basically CD Key resellers. Some of these sites are notorious for selling stolen keys, and as a result, the price of the games are usually A LOT cheaper.
Comparison Websites
This is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a website that lists what game you are looking for and displays them from official stores and Key Shops.
So what is the plan for this page?
Well… As I said before, there are a lot of these websites that are a bit dodgy. So this is where I come in… I’m going to give them all a try to see what sites work, and what are scams. I’ll also point out anything dodgy to be aware of, and give you a bit of an overview of each site where I can, so that you can make an informed decision.
For legal reasons, of course… a site that I have tried and confirmed as not a scam, doesn’t mean that they won’t end up being a scam at a later date or that their practices are moral (or that I condone their actions).
I will do my best to keep this page up to date. So keep your wits about you when shopping online and only choose a website that you are fully confident in. As usual, I want to be as transparent as possible, so some of the links may eventually contain affiliate links (only when I have confirmed they are legit), but any scams/suspected scam links will not be used on my site.
So let’s jump into all the different sites out there. Click on the name of the website in the table to read a more in-depth summary below (this is a live page, so i’ll be updating as time goes on).
Key Shops
| Name | Comment | Link to their site |
| Loaded.com (Formerly CDKeys) | Trusted | Click here to visit loaded.com |
| G2A.com | Legit, but proceed with caution | Click here to visit G2A.com |
| Eneba.com | Legit, but proceed with caution | Click here to visit Eneba.com |
| Difmark.com | Do Not Recommend | Do Not Recommend |
| Kinguin.net | Legit, but proceed with caution | |
| Driffle.com | Do Not Recommend | Do Not Recommend |
| Wyrel.com | Do Not Recommend | Do Not Recommend |
| PremiumCDkeys.com | Do Not Recommend | Do Not Recommend |
| K4G.com | Legit, but proceed with caution | |
| Instant-Gaming.com | Legit, but proceed with caution | Click here to view Instant-Gaming.com |
Loaded.com (Formerly CDKeys)
The most reputable CD Key reseller site on the internet. Loaded.com was formerly CDKeys, which has been used by every gamer I have ever spoken to, at some point!
Pros
- Well-established website
- Keys are typically a lot lower than Official Stores
- Instant delivery
- Has customer Support
- Offers PayPal as a payment option
- Loads of positive online reviews
Cons
- Grey area on where some key could come from
- Some keys are region locked (you need to make sure to select your country
Click here to visit loaded.com
G2A.com
G2A is one of the biggest third party CD Key resellers on the internet. I have used G2A.com many times throughout the years, but recently, they have admitted to selling stolen CD keys… this doesn’t technically affect us as the user, but morally…
Pros
- Very competitive pricing (because of the illegitimate ways it acquires keys!)
- Keys are available instantly
- Offers PayPal as a payment option
Cons
- Admits to having sold stolen CD Keys
- Poor customer support (As it’s a marketplace, the resellers can be really rude!)
- It’s technically a marketplace, so there are some scammers in there. You really need to make sure that you review the seller’s ratings.
- Sellers offer mystery bundles that contain a load of rubbish (Sellers put their own terrible games up on Steam at hundreds of $ and include them in the bundle, to technically say that you always get games worth a high RRP in the bundle…)
Eneba.com
This is almost the same scenario as G2A. It’s technically a marketplace, so the seller that you purchase from makes a difference to your experience, but it is legit, has a lot of positive online reviews and I have used them multiple times. Known for selling stolen CD Keys.
Pros
- Very competitive pricing (because of the illegitimate ways it acquires keys!)
- Keys are available instantly
- Offers PayPal as a payment option
- Loads of positive online reviews
Cons
- Will be some stolen CD Keys in the mix
- It’s technically a marketplace, so there are some scammers in there. You really need to make sure that you review the seller’s ratings.
- Sellers offer mystery bundles that contain a load of rubbish (Sellers put their own terrible games up on Steam at hundreds of $ and include them in the bundle, to technically say that you always get games worth a high RRP in the bundle…)
- Poor customer support (As it’s a marketplace, the resellers can be really rude!)
- Issues reported with region-locked games (Just need to make sure you check)
Difmark.com
This is one of the riskiest websites on this list, and as a result, I don’t recommend that you use this site when purchasing games. They don’t offer PayPal as a method (which gives you protection) and where there are legit sellers on this (I got my game), I just wouldn’t take the chance, if I wasn’t doing this page as a project (Let’s hope I haven’t leaked my bank account details!)
Pros
- Very cheap
- Quick delivery
Cons
- Does not offer PayPal as a payment option
- Notorious for using stolen CD Keys
- Numerous reports of negative experiences on the internet
- Poor customer support (As it’s a marketplace, the resellers can be really rude!)
- Issues reported with region-locked games (Just need to make sure you check)
Kinguin.net
Kinguin is another one of the biggest CD Key resellers on the internet with a tonne of positive reviews and I have used them multiple times in the past. If you see a comparison site called G2play.net, this is actually owned by Kinguin! Once again though, these sites are notorious for selling stolen CD Keys, which is why they are so cheap (not that it affects the end user)
Pros
- Very competitive pricing (because of the illegitimate ways it acquires keys!)
- Long-established website (since 2013)
- Loads of positive online reviews
- Keys are available instantly
- Offers PayPal as a payment option
Cons
- Will be some stolen CD Keys in the mix
- It’s technically a marketplace, so there are some reviews that mention their keys were already used or not the correct game (although it’s rare).
- Poor customer support (As it’s a marketplace, the resellers can be really rude!)
- Issues reported with region-locked games (Just need to make sure you check)
Driffle.com
This is another of the riskiest websites on this list, and as a result, I don’t recommend that you use this site when purchasing games. They are relatively new on the market, but they don’t offer PayPal as a method (which gives you protection) and where there are legit sellers on this (I got my game), I just wouldn’t take the chance, if I wasn’t doing this page as a project (Let’s hope I haven’t leaked my bank account details!)
Pros
- Very cheap
- Quick delivery
Cons
- Does not offer PayPal as a payment option
- Notorious for using stolen CD Keys
- Numerous reports of negative experiences on the internet
- Poor customer support (As it’s a marketplace, the resellers can be really rude!)
- Recurring payments taken from a lot of customers which wasn’t transparent
- Issues reported with region-locked games (Just need to make sure you check)
Wyrel.com
This is another of the riskiest websites on this list, and as a result, I don’t recommend that you use this site when purchasing games. They are relatively new on the market and their website looks really premium, but although I had an okay experience, A LOT of other people didn’t have a good experience. They don’t offer PayPal as a method (which gives you protection) and where there are legit sellers on this (I got my game), I just wouldn’t take the chance, if I wasn’t doing this page as a project (Let’s hope I haven’t leaked my bank account details!)
Pros
- Very cheap
- Quick delivery
Cons
- Does not offer PayPal as a payment option
- Notorious for using stolen CD Keys
- Numerous reports of negative experiences on the internet
- Reports of refunds being hard to get, even when the wrong keys/used keys were sent
- Poor customer support (As it’s a marketplace, the resellers can be really rude!)
- Issues reported with region-locked games (Just need to make sure you check)
PremiumCDkeys.com
This company seems to be seen in a positive light, according to their online reviews, but one of the main issues I have with it is that they don’t offer PayPal as a payment method (which gives you protection). For sites like this not to have PayPal as an option, it just shouts red flag, so although the online reviews say it’s fine. I wouldn’t recommend using it on that basis!
Pros
- Very cheap
- Quick delivery
Cons
- Does not offer PayPal as a payment option
- Notorious for using stolen CD Keys
- Numerous reports of negative experiences on the internet
- Poor customer support (As it’s a marketplace, the resellers can be really rude!)
- Issues reported with region-locked games (Just need to make sure you check)
K4G.com
I was actually really surprised about this site, as it wasn’t one of the main ‘big guys’. When I was doing a random purchase, just to see the experience for this page, I had selected a DLC game and just before checking out, it had a popup to make sure I knew it was a DLC! That is a nice touch!
The site also offers PayPal as a payment option so it gives you added security.
Pros
- Very competitive pricing (because of the illegitimate ways it acquires keys!)
- Quick delivery (took a few minutes to process)
- The site is very transparent. It has popups before you checkout if a game is a DLC or region locked. Nice touch!
- Offers PayPal as a payment option
- Positive reviews on customer support (As it’s a marketplace, the resellers can be really rude though)
Cons
- Will be some stolen CD Keys in the mix
- It’s technically a marketplace, so you do need to check the seller’s ratings just to be sure they are trustworthy.
- There are some added fees at checkout for ‘protection’ and ‘processing fees’. It wasn’t a large amount, but did feel a bit cheeky.
Instant-Gaming.com
I had never heard of this site before, so naturally I was a bit skeptic, but it was a smooth experience. The only thing to note is that you need to click the magnifying glass at the top of the page for search (it took me a while to notice it). The site allows PayPal, so you can feel safe while using the site, but the only downsides were that there wasn’t a load of games available, and for a reseller, it felt quite expensive.
Pros
- Not a marketplace, so you don’t need to worry about dodgy sellers
- CD key was instantly available
- Transparent on the page about what platform and region the game was for
- Has support (It isn’t a marketplace, so less chance of a rude reseller responding to you)
Cons
- Need to create an account before purchasing
- Not a lot of games available (4 of the 6 games I looked for weren’t on their site)
- Quite expensive compared to other resellers
- The site makes itself sound like an official store, but it isn’t so still had some questionable ways that it will be sourcing their CD Keys (just like Loaded.com)
Click here to view Instant-Gaming.com
Official Stores
I’m not going to include all of the obvious official stores in this list (like Steam), because that isn’t going to help you. What I will include, though are some official stores that some people might not be aware of.
| Name | Comment | Link to their site |
| Humble Bundle | Pay what you want bundles & helps charities | |
| GOG.com | Focuses on retro games | |
| Fanatical | Known for their ‘build your own bundles’ |
Humble Bundle
For those of you who haven’t used Humble before, it is a fantastic official Store that does a lot of work for charity. There is a full store available to browse, but they also do ‘Humble Bundles’ that are basically massively discounted bundles that you pay what you want for, and it helps charity, so it’s a win-win!
Pros
- Official Store, so it’s all safe and trusted
- Helps charity and the people who create the games
- Humble Bundles that always change
- A lot of the keys are compatible with Steam
Cons
- Can be a bit more expensive (sometimes!), but that is because they are legit keys
GOG.com
GOG is known mostly amoung retro gamers because it mostly focuses on old games, with some old games not available anywhere else!
Pros
- Official Store, so it’s all safe and trusted
- All games are DRM-free game (which means they don’t have digital rights restrictions)
- Can find retro games that sometimes aren’t listed anywhere else
Cons
- Most of the games are retro, so if you are looking for modern, you might not have much luck
- Can be a bit more expensive (sometimes!), but that is because they are legit keys
- Can’t activate on Steam
Fanatical
Fanatical is an official store that is well known for their ‘build your own’ bundles. Typically they will have bundles that include a load of games that you can cherry pick, so you don’t end up paying the full amount for some games you wouldn’t use.
Pros
- Official Store, so it’s all safe and trusted
- Bundles that always change
- A lot of the keys are compatible with Steam
Cons
- Can be a bit more expensive (sometimes!), but that is because they are legit keys
- Some
If there are companies out there that I have missed and you want me to check out for you, please do let me know. You can message me in the comments below, or you can email me at john@geekygorevan.co.uk
