Gaming · alternatives
Alternatives to Epic Games Store
20 gaming tools sit alongside Epic Games Store in this directory. Below is what separates each from Epic Games Store on the figures we hold, price, model, tier count and rating, and a direct comparison for every one.
- Alternatives listed
- 20
- With a free tier
- 14
- Cheaper to start
- -
- Epic Games Store starts at
- Free
Why people look past Epic Games Store
Only what the record supports. Each point below is a figure on the Epic Games Store entry measured against the tools listed beside it.
There is only one tier
Epic Games Store publishes a single plan, Epic Games Store at Free. There is no smaller tier to drop to if the fit is wrong or the budget moves.
What each alternative does differently
Ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry. Differences are drawn from price, pricing model, tier count and rating, the fields the category listing carries. For a feature-level difference, follow the head-to-head link on each card: those pages read both full records.
The ultimate destination for playing, discussing, and creating games
- No free tier, where Epic Games Store has one.
- Sold on a subscription model rather than Free to use; individual games purchased separately.
AI match predictions and analytics for Dota 2 and CS2
- Sold on a subscription model rather than Free to use; individual games purchased separately.
- 4 tiers to Epic Games Store's 1.
A user-generated games platform running on Robux, not a single game, with a developer payout system and a marketplace cut
- Sold on a Free to play, Robux currency packs and a subscription model rather than Free to use; individual games purchased separately.
- 3 tiers to Epic Games Store's 1.
Free to play battle royale and creative platform funded by V-Bucks, skins and a seasonal battle pass
- Sold on a Free to play with in-app purchases model rather than Free to use; individual games purchased separately.
Open source Linux game manager built around community install scripts and Wine runner management
- Sold on a Open source, no licence fee model rather than Free to use; individual games purchased separately.
Open source client for Epic, GOG and Amazon libraries on Linux, Windows and macOS
- Sold on a Open source, no licence fee model rather than Free to use; individual games purchased separately.
Every Epic Games Store alternative at a glance
A dash means the catalogue entry carries no figure, not that the answer is nothing.
| Tool | Entry price | Model | Tiers | Head to head |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epic Games Store (this page) | Free | Free to use; individual games purchased separately | 1 | |
| SteamThe dominant PC storefront with far more games and community features, at a 30% cut for developers | On request | Subscription | - | vs Epic Games Store |
| Winio | Free | Subscription | 4 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Roblox | Free | Free to play, Robux currency packs and a subscription | 3 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Fortnite | Free | Free to play with in-app purchases | 1 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Lutris | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 1 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Heroic Games Launcher | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 1 | vs Epic Games Store |
| RetroArch | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 1 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Battle.net | Free | One-time purchase | 2 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Fanatical | Free | One-time purchase | 1 | vs Epic Games Store |
| GOG Galaxy | Free | Free, no licence fee | 1 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Playnite | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 1 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Ubisoft Connect | Free | Per user per month | 3 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Nvidia GeForce Now | Free, then $9.99/month | Per user per month | 3 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Green Man Gaming | Free | One-time purchase | 1 | vs Epic Games Store |
| itch.io | Free | Free to publish; creator-set revenue share on sales | 1 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Minecraft | $29.99/one-time | One-time purchase, optional Realms subscription | 4 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Humble Bundle | $11.99/month | Pay what you want per bundle, or a monthly subscription | 2 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Amazon Luna | $9.99/month | Per user per month | 3 | vs Epic Games Store |
| Shadow PC | $29.99/month | Per user per month | 3 | vs Epic Games Store |
| EA Play | $5.99/month | Per user per month | 2 | vs Epic Games Store |
Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry; Softwr hosts no reviews of these products. How each figure is used is set out on the Epic Games Store badges page.
Cheaper ways to solve the same problem
Free to start (14)
These publish a tier that costs nothing, so they can be evaluated before any money changes hands.
- Winio , Free
- Roblox , Free
- Fortnite , Free
- Lutris , Free
- Heroic Games Launcher , Free
- RetroArch , Free
- Battle.net , Free
- Fanatical , Free
What you would be giving up
Epic Games Store is most often brought in for buying pc games, often at lower prices than competing stores, claiming the weekly free game, developers wanting a better revenue share than the 30% standard. Anything replacing it has to cover the ones you actually depend on, and a cheaper tool that misses one of them is not cheaper.
Two things this page cannot settle. It compares on price, model, tier count and rating, because those are the fields the category listing carries, feature-level differences need both full records, which is what the head-to-head pages load. And the ratings are third-party aggregates imported with each entry rather than reviews written here, so a 0.2 difference between two tools is noise rather than a finding.
If Epic Games Store is broadly right and the question is cost, the Epic Games Store pricing breakdown covers every tier and what each one adds. If you want the whole field rather than a shortlist, the Gaming category lists everything the directory holds, and best gaming tools ranks them.
Epic Games Store runs on windows, macos, web. Platform coverage is not carried on the category listing for the alternatives, so it is one more thing to check on each head-to-head page rather than here.
Questions about Epic Games Store alternatives
- What are the main alternatives to Epic Games Store?
- 20 other gaming tools are listed in this directory, led by Steam, Winio, Roblox, Fortnite. They are ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry, not by any Softwr ranking.
- What is the best free alternative to Epic Games Store?
- 14 of the alternatives listed here can be used without paying: Winio, Roblox, Fortnite, Lutris, Heroic Games Launcher.
- Why do people look for an alternative to Epic Games Store?
- On the figures on record, one thing stands out: there is only one tier. Each is set out with the numbers behind it above.
- What would I give up by switching from Epic Games Store?
- Epic Games Store is most often brought in for buying pc games, often at lower prices than competing stores, claiming the weekly free game, developers wanting a better revenue share than the 30% standard. Anything you replace it with has to cover the ones you actually rely on, the side-by-side comparisons linked from each alternative below put the two feature records against each other.
- Is there an open-source alternative to Epic Games Store?
- None of the gaming tools listed here are recorded as open source. That is what the licence field on each entry says, and the field is not always filled in, so it is worth checking directly for any tool you are serious about.
- How were these Epic Games Store alternatives chosen?
- They are the tools filed in the same category, Gaming, ordered by the aggregated rating on each entry. There is no editorial shortlist, and nothing on this page is paid: no sponsored placement runs on alternatives pages and the order cannot be bought. Softwr has not used these products.
- Where can I compare Epic Games Store against one of these directly?
- Every alternative below has a side-by-side page against Epic Games Store covering price, platforms, features and what each one is used for. Those pages read the full record for both products rather than the summary shown here.
- Does this list cover every gaming tool?
- No. It covers what this directory holds in the Gaming category, 20 tools beside Epic Games Store. The category page lists the rest of the catalogue as it grows.