CS2 Marketplace Price Spread Report: Steam vs Third-Party Markets
This CS2 marketplace price spread report compares Steam Community Market listings with the lowest filtered third-party marketplace listings from a Skinbase query run on June 20, 2026. The report measures how often Steam was priced above outside marketplaces for the same CS2 item and publishes the dataset behind the calculation.
The report covers 8,661 CS2 items after filtering. It compares Steam sell listings against the lowest available third-party sell listing for each item. Buy orders, gambling marketplaces, low-price noise, phase-specific variants, and extreme outlier listings are excluded.
Key facts
- The final dataset includes 8,661 CS2 items with both Steam and third-party marketplace listings.
- Steam was above the lowest filtered third-party listing for 8,558 items, or 98.81% of the sample.
- The median Steam premium was 55.05% versus the lowest filtered third-party listing.
- The 75th percentile Steam premium was 67.58%, and the 90th percentile was 89.88%.
- The average Steam premium was 61.16%, but the median is the better headline number because price spreads are skewed.
- This report compares listing data, not completed sales.
- The downloadable CSV is available here: CS2 marketplace price spread dataset, June 2026.
What this CS2 marketplace price spread report measures
The report measures the percentage difference between a Steam listing and the lowest filtered third-party listing for the same CS2 item.
For example, if an item was listed on Steam for $100 and the lowest filtered third-party listing was $65, the Steam premium would be 53.85%.
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Compared items | 8,661 |
| Steam above lowest third-party listing | 98.81% |
| Median Steam premium | 55.05% |
| 75th percentile Steam premium | 67.58% |
| 90th percentile Steam premium | 89.88% |
| Average Steam premium | 61.16% |
This does not mean every third-party marketplace is cheaper than Steam for every item. It means that, after filtering, at least one third-party marketplace had a lower listing than Steam for nearly all compared items in the snapshot.
Methodology
Skinbase ran the report query on June 20, 2026. The dataset uses marketplace listings available to Skinbase at that time.
The selected rows have provider update timestamps from June 18, 2026 02:34 UTC through June 20, 2026 15:03 UTC. The CSV's snapshot_latest_update column shows the most recent selected provider update for each item. The report is therefore a June 20 query result, not a claim that every underlying listing was updated at the same moment.
The query included:
- Steam sell listings.
- Active third-party marketplace sell listings.
- Non-gambling marketplaces only.
- Items with at least four third-party marketplace providers after filtering.
- Items where both the Steam price and lowest third-party price were at least $10.
The query excluded:
- Buy orders.
- Gambling providers.
- Phase-specific variants.
- Listings with zero or missing price.
- Listings with zero available quantity.
- Extreme listings more than 3x above or below the item's cross-market median price.
CS2 marketplace data can include stale listings, unusual convenience prices, and one-off listings that are technically live but not useful for comparison. Filtering listings outside a 3x band around each item's cross-market median reduces that noise.
Context for the comparison
Steam Community Market uses Steam Wallet, while third-party marketplaces can use cash balances and withdrawal methods. Those different settlement systems mean listed prices are not automatically cash-equivalent prices.
The Steam Community Market FAQ and Steam Subscriber Agreement describe Steam's market and Wallet terms. This report does not rank platforms by fees, withdrawal options, trade holds, or platform trust. For that broader decision, read the Steam Market vs third-party marketplaces guide.
Snapshot examples
The full CSV contains every row used for the report. A few examples show what the comparison looks like in practice:
| Item | Steam price | Lowest third-party price | Lowest provider | Steam premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK-47 | Asiimov (Factory New) | $632.50 | $353.38 | SkinSwap | 78.99% |
| AK-47 | B the Monster (Field-Tested) | $183.04 | $123.91 | CSFloat | 47.72% |
| AK-47 | Aquamarine Revenge (Minimal Wear) | $97.82 | $61.55 | SkinFlow | 58.93% |
| 3rd Commando Company | KSK | $17.19 | $11.32 | SkinFlow | 51.86% |
| 'Blueberries' Buckshot | NSWC SEAL | $23.70 | $15.43 | YouPin | 53.60% |
These examples are not trading recommendations. They are sample rows from the dataset and show how the calculation works.
How to read the premium percentage
A positive Steam premium means Steam was more expensive than the lowest filtered third-party listing.
A negative Steam premium means Steam was cheaper than the lowest filtered third-party listing. That happened in 103 rows in the final CSV.
The premium percentage should not be read as guaranteed savings. A lower third-party listing can still involve platform risk, withdrawal rules, deposit rules, trade timing, regional availability, or fees outside the listed item price.
Download the dataset
Download the CSV here: CS2 marketplace price spread dataset, June 2026.
The CSV includes:
market_hash_namesteam_price_usdlowest_third_party_price_usdcheapest_third_party_providerthird_party_provider_countsteam_premium_pctsnapshot_latest_update
Use the dataset as a June 20 query result, not a live feed. Marketplace prices change constantly, and the same query run later can produce different results.
Limitations
This report compares listings, not completed sales. A listed price is an asking price. It may not represent the price at which an item actually sold.
The report also uses the lowest filtered third-party listing. That is useful for measuring visible marketplace price gaps, but it does not account for every buyer's checkout cost, withdrawal method, KYC requirements, trade delay, or platform preference.
Some marketplace models systematically price higher than others. Store-style or instant-trade platforms may include convenience markup. The report keeps those providers when they pass the filtering rules, because those listings are still part of the visible market.
Finally, this report was generated from a query run on June 20, 2026. It should not be used as a permanent claim about every CS2 item or every future market condition.
How to compare prices before buying
Use this checklist before treating a spread as meaningful:
- Check the same market hash name, not just a similar item name.
- Confirm the wear condition and StatTrak or Souvenir status.
- Compare sell listings separately from buy orders.
- Check whether the lowest provider supports your payment or withdrawal method.
- Look at available quantity, not just the headline price.
- Review fees, trade holds, and platform rules before assuming the listed gap is real savings.
- Check recent price history if the item is volatile.
For broader context on the factors behind these gaps, read why CS2 skin prices differ between marketplaces.
Using Skinbase to compare marketplace prices
Skinbase tracks CS2 skin prices across Steam and third-party marketplaces. The CS2 marketplace comparison page shows provider prices for specific skins, cases, stickers, and other marketable items.
This report is a snapshot of one part of that market: CS2 item prices are fragmented across marketplaces. The best visible price for a specific item often depends on where you look, how fresh the listing is, and whether the platform's rules fit the transaction.
FAQ
What is a CS2 marketplace price spread?
A CS2 marketplace price spread is the difference between listed prices for the same CS2 item across different marketplaces. In this report, the spread is measured as Steam price versus the lowest filtered third-party listing.
Does this mean third-party marketplaces are always cheaper than Steam?
No. In this snapshot, Steam was above the lowest filtered third-party listing for 98.81% of compared items. Some items still had Steam prices below the lowest filtered third-party listing.
Does the report use completed sale prices?
No. The report uses listing prices available in the Skinbase snapshot. Listing prices can differ from completed sale prices.
Why exclude items below $10?
Very low-priced items can produce misleading percentage changes from small absolute differences. A $10 floor keeps the report focused on price gaps that are easier to interpret.
Why exclude extreme outliers?
Marketplace datasets can contain stale, unusual, or convenience-priced listings. The report removes listings more than 3x above or below each item's cross-market median to reduce distortion.
Can I use the CSV as live market data?
No. The CSV is based on a query run on June 20, 2026. Use Skinbase directly for current marketplace comparisons.
Conclusion
The June 20, 2026 Skinbase query shows a clear pattern in listed prices: Steam listings were usually higher than the lowest filtered third-party marketplace listing for the same CS2 item. Across 8,661 compared items, the median Steam premium was 55.05%, and Steam was above the lowest filtered third-party listing in 98.81% of rows.
That does not make the cheapest listing the best choice every time. Platform risk, fees, payment methods, timing, and liquidity still matter. For price research, though, the dataset supports a simple conclusion: checking multiple CS2 marketplaces can materially change the price you see.