Choose Path of Exile
Choose Path of Exile if you want an Indie and Free To Play game with Online PvP and PvP. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 88.9% positive across 141,366 reviews.
Path of Exile vs Path of Exile 2
Path of Exile and Path of Exile 2 both land in Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam. Path of Exile (2013) is 11 years older than Path of Exile 2 (2024). Path of Exile scores higher on Steam reviews (88.9% positive) than Path of Exile 2 (75.9% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Path of Exile 2
Choose Path of Exile 2 if you want an Early Access game with HDR available. On Steam, it's the newer release (2024) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 89,636 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Path of Exile and Path of Exile 2 sit in Action, Adventure, and Massively Multiplayer on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Path of Exile |  Path of Exile 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.9% positive (141,366 reviews) | 75.9% positive (89,636 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Grinding Gear Games | Grinding Gear Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- Path of Exile (2013) is 11 years older than Path of Exile 2 (2024).
- Path of Exile scores higher on Steam reviews (88.9% positive) than Path of Exile 2 (75.9% positive).
- Path of Exile is free; Path of Exile 2 is paid (29.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Path of Exile vs Path of Exile 2 — FAQ
- Which is better, Path of Exile or Path of Exile 2?
- On Steam reviews Path of Exile scores higher (88.9% positive) than Path of Exile 2 (75.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Path of Exile is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Path of Exile or Path of Exile 2 first?
- If you want chronology, Path of Exile (2013) came out before Path of Exile 2 (2024). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Path of Exile and Path of Exile 2 similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both Path of Exile and Path of Exile 2 have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Path of Exile ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Path of Exile 2 ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Path of Exile free?
- Yes — Path of Exile is a free-to-play Steam title. Path of Exile 2 is paid (29.99 USD).