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To compare Steam achievements, open the game’s achievements page in the Steam client or Steam Community Games List, choose the friend-comparison control, and select up to three friends. The comparison is game-specific: it shows each person’s unlocked and rare achievements, completed Achievement Sets, and DLC-set progress rather than producing one score for your entire Steam library.
The refreshed comparison page is rolling out through the Steam Client beta and only appears fully in games that support Valve’s Achievement Sets system. If the control is missing, the game may not support the new system, your client may not be on the beta, or the game or profile may be private.
What Steam’s friends comparison shows
Steam’s current comparison view is designed around one game at a time. You open a title’s achievements page, pick friends, and inspect the same game’s progress side by side. Valve announced on October 15, 2026 that the feature can compare your progress with up to three friends, including rare achievements, completed sets, and progress in downloadable-content (DLC) sets.
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- Unlocked versus locked achievements.
- Rare achievements that relatively few players have earned.
- Completed Achievement Sets, such as a base-game set or a DLC set.
- Progress in DLC sets when the player has access to that content.
This is not a single “who has the biggest Steam account?” leaderboard. A comparison only covers the selected app, and the totals are calculated from the achievements and content that each player can actually earn.
How to compare achievements with up to three friends
- Open Steam. In the desktop client, select the game from Library. You can also open your Games List on the Steam Community website and choose the title there.
- Open the game’s achievements page. Use the game’s achievement link from its library or community page. You must be viewing the page for the specific game you want to compare.
- Find the friend-comparison control. On the refreshed achievements page, look for the option to compare game progress with friends. The exact label and placement can change while the client beta is being updated.
- Select friends. Choose as many as three Steam friends. The limit applies to the comparison view, not to how many friends you have on Steam.
- Read the comparison. Review unlocked achievements, rare unlocks, completed sets, and DLC-set progress. Use the filters for locked or unlocked achievements and for individual sets when they are available.
Because the page is game-specific, repeat these steps for each title. Steam does not currently turn the view into one cross-library achievement score comparison.
Why your total can differ from a friend’s
A raw achievement count is only meaningful when both players have the same opportunity to earn the achievements. Steam’s newer calculation attempts to total the achievements each player can actually earn, so two people can see different totals for the same game without either account being wrong.
Different DLC ownership
DLC achievements are not included in overall game progress until a player has access to the relevant DLC. If you own an expansion and your friend owns only the base game, your eligible pool can be larger. Comparing the percentage or number without accounting for that ownership difference makes the result look unfair.
Time-limited achievements
Some achievements are available only during an event or a particular period. A player who earned one while it was active may retain it even after the event ends, while a player who started later may never have had a chance to unlock it. Steam’s total therefore reflects each player’s attainable set rather than assuming every historical achievement is currently obtainable by everyone.
Archived achievements
Archived achievements remain visible to people who unlocked them. Players who missed an archived achievement do not have it block completion of the relevant set or the game. This prevents an obsolete event achievement from making a current player appear permanently incomplete.
Different supported content
Achievement Sets separate a game’s base content and add-ons into meaningful groups. Two players may both show 100 percent for the base-game set while only one has progress in a DLC set. Check the set name and the content each account owns before drawing a conclusion from the overall display.
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How to make a fair comparison
Use the same comparison basis for everyone. The following checklist avoids the most common misleading conclusions:
- Select the identical Steam app, not a sequel, demo, soundtrack app, or a different edition.
- Compare the base-game set separately from each DLC set.
- Confirm which players own the same add-on content.
- Look at the percentage and the eligible total, not only the number of unlocked achievements.
- Inspect rare achievements separately; a lower total can still include more difficult or unusual unlocks.
- Check whether an achievement was archived or time-limited.
- Use the locked/unlocked filter to identify the exact achievements that account for the difference.
A friend with fewer unlocked achievements may have completed a larger share of the content available to that account. Conversely, a higher raw count may simply reflect DLC access rather than more progress in the shared base game.
Achievement Sets, limits, and what developers configure
Achievement Sets are the structure behind the refreshed comparison experience. Valve’s Steamworks documentation lists these developer configuration limits for an app:
| Limit | What it means | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| 5,000 achievements per app | The maximum configured achievements for an app that has passed Valve’s vetting requirements. | Game developers and publishers; it is not a personal limit for players. |
| 100 achievements per app | The limit for an app that has not yet been vetted under the stated Steamworks rules. | Developers during the applicable configuration stage. |
| 40 Achievement Sets per app | The maximum number of sets, including the base-game set. | Developers organizing base-game and add-on achievements. |
These numbers do not cap how many achievements your Steam account can earn. They describe how an individual app and its sets may be configured. A game can therefore have fewer achievements or sets than the maximum, and older games may not use the new structure at all.
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Check whether you are using the Steam Client beta
The refreshed Achievement Sets and comparison page are in the Steam Client beta during the current rollout. Steam can change labels and placement as the feature develops. If you use the stable client, the game may show only the older achievements list.
Joining a beta does not guarantee that every game will immediately expose the new view. Valve says support is expanding as developers adopt the tools, so a correctly updated client can still show the legacy page for an unsupported title.
Check whether the game supports Achievement Sets
Games without the new sets may not expose the same comparison controls. Their achievements can remain visible in the older list, but the page may lack set filters, completion bars, or the friend selector. Try another recently updated supported game to distinguish a game limitation from a client problem.
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Confirm that the game is not private
A private game does not appear in friends’ Activity feeds, and its achievements do not appear in profile showcases such as Rarest Achievements. If a friend cannot see your progress, review the privacy setting for that game and your broader Steam profile privacy settings.
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Refresh the account and client state
- Close and reopen the Steam client after changing beta participation or privacy settings.
- Open the achievements page from the game’s library entry again instead of using an old browser tab.
- Ask the friend to check the game’s visibility on their own profile; a private setting can affect what they can see even when your local page loads normally.
- Try the Steam Community Games List if the client page is not displaying the control.
If none of these steps reveals the option, the most likely explanation is that the title has not adopted Achievement Sets or that the feature has not reached that game yet.
Privacy and profile display
Achievement visibility depends on more than the comparison page. A private game is hidden from friends’ Activity feeds, and its achievements are excluded from profile showcases that rely on visible game data. Review both the individual game privacy setting and the general Steam profile privacy setting when a friend reports that your progress is unavailable.
Achievement Showcase
Steam profiles can display selected achievements in the Achievement Showcase. This is a presentation area, not a complete export of every achievement. The comparison page remains the better place to inspect all available sets and locked or unlocked entries.
Completionist Showcase
Under the new system, a game with a completed Achievement Set can also be added to the Completionist Showcase. Whether a game appears depends on its profile customization support. Steam’s profile documentation notes that games without the relevant profile features do not count toward the applicable collector totals, so two profiles can display different showcase totals even when the underlying achievement work is similar.
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Can Steam show who has more achievements?
Yes, for a selected game, the comparison page can place your progress and up to three friends’ progress in the same view. It can show who has more unlocked achievements, who has completed a set, and who has rare unlocks. It does not provide a universal ranking across every game in your libraries.
Interpret “more” carefully. The player with the larger count may own additional DLC, may have access to a larger eligible pool, or may be comparing a set that includes historical content. For a meaningful contest, compare the same set and the same available content first, then use rare achievements and individual locked entries to add context.
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Can you compare DLC achievements?
Yes. The refreshed page can show progress in DLC Achievement Sets. DLC achievements become part of a player’s overall game-progress calculation when that player has access to the DLC. If only one person owns the expansion, compare the base-game set on its own and treat the DLC set as a separate category.
When an expansion has several sets, select the relevant set rather than relying on the game-wide percentage. This reveals whether a difference comes from the base game, a particular expansion, or a set of achievements that one player cannot currently earn.
Understanding rare, archived, and locked achievements
Rare achievements
Rare achievements identify unlocks earned by a relatively small share of players. They are useful for comparing unusual accomplishments, but rarity is not the same as difficulty. An achievement can be rare because it is hidden, tied to an obscure activity, available only during an event, or affected by how many players reach a later chapter.
Locked achievements
Use the locked filter to see exactly what remains. This is more actionable than a percentage: it tells you which objective to pursue and whether the missing item belongs to the base game or a DLC set.
Archived achievements
An archived entry can remain in the history of someone who earned it while no longer blocking completion for players who missed it. Do not treat the presence of an archived achievement on one profile as proof that the other player is missing currently obtainable content.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Optional broader tracking with a third-party tool
SteamDB documents an achievement-focused browser extension that groups achievement data and adds browsing features. It can be useful if you want historical or broader tracking than the built-in, game-specific comparison page provides.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
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A practical comparison routine for friends
- Agree on the scope. Decide whether you are comparing the base game, a named DLC set, or all content each person can access.
- Open the same app page. Each person should navigate to the identical Steam game rather than a bundle or related app.
- Select the same friends. Use the comparison control and include no more than three friends.
- Check eligibility. Confirm DLC ownership and note any time-limited or archived achievements.
- Compare completion. Start with set completion and eligible percentages, then inspect unlocked counts.
- Compare distinction. Review rare achievements and the exact locked list to see what separates the profiles.
- Resolve visibility issues. If a profile is missing, check game privacy and general profile privacy before assuming the achievement data is absent.
This order prevents a common mistake: declaring a winner from the headline total before checking whether both players were measured against the same achievement pool.
Common questions and edge cases
Why can I see my achievements but not my friend’s?
The friend may have marked the game private, restricted broader profile visibility, or be using a title that has not adopted the refreshed comparison system. Ask them to review both privacy levels and verify that the game is visible in their profile.
Why does a game have an achievements list but no sets?
Achievement Sets are part of the newer developer-supported structure. A legacy game can continue to expose its older list without the new set filters, progress bars, or friend-comparison control.
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Does joining the beta change my earned achievements?
The beta changes the client interface and access to in-development features; it does not itself award achievements. The game’s existing achievement data remains tied to your Steam account.
Can I compare more than three friends at once?
The current game-progress comparison supports up to three friends in one view. To include additional people, run another comparison with a different selection.
Do the 5,000 and 40 limits restrict my account?
No. They are per-app developer configuration limits: 5,000 achievements for an app that meets the stated vetting condition, 100 for an app that has not yet been vetted, and 40 Achievement Sets including the base-game set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Steam’s achievement comparison available for every game?
No. The refreshed comparison page is in the Steam Client beta and is appearing in a growing set of games whose developers adopt Achievement Sets. Other games may show only the older achievements list.
Why is my friend’s completion percentage different when we unlocked the same number?
Steam calculates totals from achievements each player can actually earn. Different DLC ownership, time-limited content, and archived achievements can change the eligible total.
Can private games hide achievements from friends?
Yes. A private game does not appear in friends’ Activity feeds, and its achievements do not appear in profile showcases such as Rarest Achievements. Check the game and profile privacy settings.
The Bottom Line
Use the game-specific Steam comparison page, compare the same Achievement Set and available DLC, and treat privacy, archived content, and beta support as part of the result. The view supports your progress plus up to three friends; it is not a whole-library ranking.
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