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Gaming · head to head

Epic Games Store vs Nvidia GeForce Now

Epic Games Store logo

Epic Games Store

Gaming

PC game storefront with a lower revenue cut for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nvidia GeForce Now logo

Nvidia GeForce Now

Gaming

Cloud gaming that streams games you bought elsewhere, when the publisher allows it

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Epic Games Store far fewer community features than Steam: no workshop, limited forums and a weaker review system; Nvidia GeForce Now the library is not yours in the way a Steam purchase is. Publishers have unilaterally removed their catalogues from GeForce Now before, and when that happens you keep the licence but lose the only way you were playing it, with no refund of the subscription.
  • They diverge on capability: Epic Games Store covers 12% revenue share, Nvidia GeForce Now covers Bring your own library.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Epic Games Store and Nvidia GeForce Now actually diverge.

Attributes where Epic Games Store and Nvidia GeForce Now differ
AttributeEpic Games StoreNvidia GeForce Now
Pricing modelFree to use; individual games purchased separatelyPer user per month
PlatformsWindows, macOS, WebWeb, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, ChromeOS, Smart TV

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Gaming).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Epic Games Store

  • 12% revenue share
  • Unreal Engine royalty waiver
  • Weekly free games
  • Cross-platform services

Only in Nvidia GeForce Now

  • Bring your own library
  • Tiered hardware
  • Wide client support
  • Session limits
  • Free tier
  • Cloud saves through the store

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Epic Games Store

  • Buying PC games, often at lower prices than competing storesnot Nvidia GeForce Now
  • Claiming the weekly free gamenot Nvidia GeForce Now
  • Developers wanting a better revenue share than the 30% standardnot Nvidia GeForce Now

Nvidia GeForce Now

  • Playing a large existing Steam library on a Mac, Chromebook or old laptopnot Epic Games Store
  • Gaming while travelling without carrying a gaming machinenot Epic Games Store
  • A second play position in a household that owns one gaming PCnot Epic Games Store
  • Trying whether a graphics card upgrade is worth it before spending several hundred dollarsnot Epic Games Store

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Epic Games Store

  • Far fewer community features than Steam: no workshop, limited forums and a weaker review system
  • A smaller catalogue, and its exclusivity deals have been unpopular with players
  • The client has a longstanding reputation for being slower and less capable than competitors
  • A smaller audience means developers trade reach for the better revenue split

Nvidia GeForce Now

  • The library is not yours in the way a Steam purchase is. Publishers have unilaterally removed their catalogues from GeForce Now before, and when that happens you keep the licence but lose the only way you were playing it, with no refund of the subscription.
  • You must already own each game on a supported store and the publisher must have opted in, so a library of a thousand Steam titles typically maps to a much smaller streamable set, and the mapping changes without notice.
  • Paid plans now carry a monthly play-time cap rather than being unlimited, so heavy players either buy top-up hours or find the service quietly runs out before the month does.
  • Sessions are time limited on every tier; long sessions end and you reconnect, which is disruptive in games with lengthy autosave intervals or online matches.
  • Latency and compression are decided by your connection and your distance from the nearest datacentre, so competitive shooters stay worse than local hardware and anyone on Wi-Fi in a crowded building will see it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Epic Games Store

Free
  • Epic Games StoreFree
    • Free account
    • Weekly free games
    • Game purchases billed individually

Nvidia GeForce Now

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Standard access with advertising
    • Short session length
    • Queued behind paying members
  • Performance$9.99/month
    • Higher priority access to servers
    • Up to 1440p at 60 frames per second
    • Ray tracing enabled
  • Ultimate$19.99/month
    • Top GPU class Nvidia offers on the service
    • Up to 4K, or high frame rate at lower resolution
    • Longest session length

Which should you pick?

Choose Epic Games Store if

  • You need 12% revenue share.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Web.
  • You also want unreal engine royalty waiver.
Epic Games Store review

Choose Nvidia GeForce Now if

  • You need bring your own library.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, ChromeOS, Smart TV.
  • You also want tiered hardware.
Nvidia GeForce Now review

Questions people ask

Is Epic Games Store or Nvidia GeForce Now better?
Neither clearly leads. Epic Games Store starts at Free and Nvidia GeForce Now at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Epic Games Store or Nvidia GeForce Now?
Epic Games Store starts at Free and Nvidia GeForce Now at Free.
Does Epic Games Store or Nvidia GeForce Now run on more platforms?
Epic Games Store runs on Windows, macOS, Web. Nvidia GeForce Now runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, ChromeOS, Smart TV.
Can I use Epic Games Store for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Epic Games Store best used for?
Epic Games Store is most often used 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. Of those, buying pc games, often at lower prices than competing stores and claiming the weekly free game are not what Nvidia GeForce Now is typically brought in for.
What can Epic Games Store do that Nvidia GeForce Now cannot?
Epic Games Store covers 12% revenue share, Unreal Engine royalty waiver, Weekly free games, Cross-platform services. Nvidia GeForce Now covers Bring your own library, Tiered hardware, Wide client support, Session limits.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Epic Games Store: Is the Epic Games Store free?

Yes, the store and account are free. Games are purchased individually, and one is given away free each week.

Nvidia GeForce Now: Do I need to buy games separately?

Yes. GeForce Now rents you the hardware. Every game is bought on Steam, Epic, GOG, Ubisoft Connect or Battle.net, or comes through PC Game Pass, and only supported titles can be streamed.

Epic Games Store: Why do developers use it?

A 12% revenue share against the 30% platform standard, plus waived Unreal Engine royalties on sales through the store.

Nvidia GeForce Now: Can a publisher remove a game I already own?

Yes, and several have. The publisher decides whether its titles may be streamed. If it withdraws them, they leave the service and your only recourse is playing on local hardware.

Epic Games Store: How does it compare with Steam?

Steam has a much larger catalogue and far richer community features. Epic competes on price, developer revenue share and free games.

Nvidia GeForce Now: Is it good enough for competitive multiplayer?

For most players, no. Added latency of tens of milliseconds and video compression are acceptable in single player and cooperative games, and a handicap in twitch shooters and fighting games.

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