Key takeaways

  • Steam's wishlist emails only cover discounts of 20% or more that last over 8 hours and include the cheapest package, with a cooldown of one to two weeks per game.
  • AyeWatch watches a game's public Steam store page and sends a plain-language alert when the price changes or reaches the target you wrote.
  • AyeWatch has a free preview with no credit card, and paid plans start at $9 a month as of November 2026, billed in monitoring credits.

A Steam price tracker tells you when a game reaches the price you would actually pay, so you can stop opening the store page every few days. The simplest setup is to paste the game's Steam page into AyeWatch, write a rule such as "alert me when the standard edition drops below $20", and let it message you when the price on that page changes.

What Steam already does for you

Steam has a built-in alert. Put a game on your wishlist and Valve sends an email or a mobile push when it goes on sale. Valve's developer documentation also shows why it skips some drops:

  • The discount has to be 20% or more.
  • It has to last longer than 8 hours.
  • It has to include the cheapest package, so a sale on the deluxe edition alone does not trigger it.
  • After one email about a game, that game goes on a cooldown of one to two weeks, which can stretch during seasonal sales.
  • Only accounts with a verified email address receive the emails.

You also cannot tell Steam what price you want. A 20% cut on a game you would only buy at 60% off still reaches your inbox, and a 15% cut never does.

Where the history sites fit

Before you pick a target, check what the game sold for before.

Tool What it shows Best for
SteamDB A price table and graph on each game's page, plus the lowest recorded price Seeing which sales a game joined in the past
IsThereAnyDeal Price history per game, a Waitlist and a Steam wishlist import Deals across several key stores
Steam wishlist The current price and discount Free alerts for big sales
AyeWatch A short summary when the price on the page changes An alert at the exact price you choose

SteamDB is an independent site and says plainly that it is not affiliated with Valve. Its FAQ makes a useful point: if a game was discounted in every previous major sale, it is likely to be discounted again.

Set up a Steam price tracker with AyeWatch

  1. Open the game's store page in a private browser window. If you can see the price without signing in, the page can be watched. If a login or an age check stands in the way, use the wishlist or IsThereAnyDeal for that game instead.
  2. Copy the link and add it to AyeWatch as a webpage monitor.
  3. Write the rule in plain English and name the edition, because many Steam pages list a standard and a deluxe package. For example: "tell me when the standard edition is under $15", or "tell me about any change to the price".
  4. Leave the pace on Auto, which checks more often while a page is busy and less when it is quiet, or choose your own interval.
  5. Pick where alerts land. Push notifications and the in-app feed come with every plan; email, Slack, Discord and webhooks need a paid plan.

When the price moves, the alert explains the change in plain words and links to the page. Keep one monitor per game, and a separate one for any DLC.

Why a target price beats a sale calendar

Valve's rules make Steam prices move in short bursts. A game cannot get a new discount within 30 days of the last one, except during the four Steam-wide seasonal sales, and a single discount lasts between 1 and 14 days. A deep cut can come and go inside a week, and it does not have to fall in a big sale. A rule tied to your number catches it whenever it lands.

AyeWatch does not draw price charts, so it works well next to SteamDB: read the history there, then set your number in AyeWatch. There is a free preview with no credit card, and paid plans start at $9 a month as of November 2026, billed in monitoring credits. The plans page lists them.

When something else is enough

If you only care about big sales on a few wishlisted games, Steam's own email costs nothing and needs no setup. If you buy keys from several stores, IsThereAnyDeal covers that. For one game at one price, set up AyeWatch.

Frequently asked questions

Does Steam have a built-in price tracker?

Partly. Games on your wishlist trigger an email or mobile push when they go on sale, but Valve only sends it for discounts of 20% or more that last over 8 hours, and you cannot set your own target price.

How do I get an alert when a Steam game drops to a certain price?

Paste the game's store page into AyeWatch as a webpage monitor and write a rule like 'tell me when the standard edition is under $15'. It sends a push and a feed update when the price on the page changes.

Where can I see what a Steam game cost before?

SteamDB shows a price table and a price graph on each game's page, and IsThereAnyDeal game pages include price history too. AyeWatch does not keep price charts.

Sources

  1. AyeWatch, AI internet monitorAyeWatch
  2. AyeWatch pricingAyeWatch
  3. Any website price trackerAyeWatch
  4. WishlistsValve, Steamworks Documentation
  5. DiscountingValve, Steamworks Documentation
  6. SteamDB FAQSteamDB
  7. Welcome to IsThereAnyDealIsThereAnyDeal