What ArchiSteamFarm is
ArchiSteamFarm (ASF) is a free, open-source C# application under the Apache 2.0 license. Its README describes its main purpose as farming Steam trading cards from multiple accounts at the same time. It runs on Windows, Linux and macOS, and on any other system with the .NET runtime, including servers and containers. It is actively maintained: version 6.3.10.6 was released in October 2026.
ASF is not a Python program and does not need Python. You download a release, write a configuration file for each Steam account (or use the web-based config generator), and start it. Its optional ASF-ui web interface runs on the same machine.
ASF and HourIdler side by side
| ArchiSteamFarm | HourIdler | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Kostenlos | Free for 2 accounts; paid plans for more accounts and Card Farmer |
| Where it runs | Your PC, server or container | HourIdler's servers |
| Machine left on | Yes, whatever runs ASF must stay on | No |
| Einrichtung | Download, configuration files, updates | Sign up in a browser, add accounts by QR |
| Hour idling | Up to 32 games, used when there is nothing to farm or the bot is paused | Up to 32 selected games per account, unlimited hours on every plan |
| Card Farming | Built in and free | Card Farmer on Starter, Pro and Lifetime |
| Login details | Stay on the machine you run ASF on | A QR session token, or an encrypted password, held by the service |
| Source code | Open source | Hosted service; server code is not published |
What ASF does well
- It costs nothing. There is no paid tier for any feature.
- Card farming is its core. ASF picks games with drops remaining, handles accounts that need hours before drops start, and moves on when a game is done.
- Your login stays with you. Credentials and sessions live on hardware you control rather than with a third party.
- It is open and well documented. You can read the code, and the wiki covers almost every setting.
Where ASF takes work
- Something has to stay on. Hours and cards only build while ASF runs. On a home PC that means leaving it on; elsewhere it means renting and looking after a server. Estimate the home option with the idle electricity cost calculator.
- Hour boosting is a side feature. ASF plays your
GamesPlayedWhileIdlelist only when it has nothing to farm or the bot is paused. Pure hour idling means configuring that list and checking it behaves the way you expect. - You are the operator. Updates, Steam Guard prompts, crashes, reboots and network drops are yours to notice and fix.
- Configuration is text. ASF-ui and the config generator help, but there is no sign-up-and-click setup.
What a hosted idler changes
A hosted idler runs the Steam session on the provider's servers. You sign in to a website, connect a Steam account, pick games and press Start. When Steam drops the connection, or you launch a game yourself, the service reconnects and resumes without you watching it.
The price is trust. A hosted service needs access to your Steam session to idle for you. HourIdler's QR login gives it a session token without your password; password login stores the password encrypted, but the service can decrypt it to sign in. Read the Datenschutzrichtlinie, and if handing any operator that access is not acceptable to you, self-hosting ASF is the better answer.
Which should you choose?
| If you… | Use |
|---|---|
| Already run a home server or always-on PC | ASF |
| Want card farming at no cost and do not mind setup | ASF |
| Will not let any third party hold Steam session access | ASF |
| Want hours to build with your PC switched off | Gehosteter Idler |
| Want to manage everything from a browser or phone | Gehosteter Idler |
| Mainly want hour boosting rather than card farming | Gehosteter Idler |
Switching from ASF to HourIdler
- Stop the ASF bot for the account, or remove its config. Steam allows one playing session per account, so two idlers on the same account keep taking over from each other.
- Create a free HourIdler account and add the Steam account with QR approval.
- Select up to 32 games and press Start. For cards, open Card Farmer on a paid plan; it farms one game at a time per account, because idling many games together builds hours but does not speed up drops.
The PC-off setup guide walks through each step, and the AFK-Karten-Farming-Leitfaden explains drop eligibility.
Häufige Fragen
Is ArchiSteamFarm safe to use?
ASF is open source and widely used, and its FAQ covers account safety in detail. Download it only from its official GitHub releases; copies hosted elsewhere may have been modified.
Can ASF run with my PC off?
Only if it runs somewhere else, such as a rented server or a home server. ASF itself is the same program either way.
Can I use ASF and HourIdler on different accounts?
Yes. Each Steam account can be idled by one tool at a time, but nothing stops you using ASF for some accounts and HourIdler for others.
Does either one risk a VAC ban?
Neither launches a game or joins a game server. Read why idling is not a VAC question for the details and the limits of that answer.
Comparing more than two tools? See Steam-Hour-Booster im Vergleich.