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Gaming · head to head

Epic Games Store vs Lutris

Epic Games Store logo

Epic Games Store

Gaming

PC game storefront with a lower revenue cut for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lutris logo

Lutris

Gaming

Open source Linux game manager built around community install scripts and Wine runner management

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; Lutris it runs on Linux only, so it is irrelevant to the large majority of players and offers nothing to a Windows household.
  • They diverge on capability: Epic Games Store covers 12% revenue share, Lutris covers Community install scripts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Epic Games Store and Lutris actually diverge.

Attributes where Epic Games Store and Lutris differ
AttributeEpic Games StoreLutris
Pricing modelFree to use; individual games purchased separatelyOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWindows, macOS, WebLinux

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 Lutris

  • Community install scripts
  • Wine and Proton management
  • Multi-source library
  • Emulator support
  • Per-game configuration
  • Native Linux packaging

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 Lutris
  • Claiming the weekly free gamenot Lutris
  • Developers wanting a better revenue share than the 30% standardnot Lutris

Lutris

  • A Linux desktop user with a GOG or Epic library that Steam compatibility does not covernot Epic Games Store
  • Running an older Windows game that needs a specific Wine build and configurationnot Epic Games Store
  • Keeping emulators and native Linux games in one launcher rather than severalnot 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

Lutris

  • It runs on Linux only, so it is irrelevant to the large majority of players and offers nothing to a Windows household.
  • Install scripts are community-maintained and rot without warning, so a game that installed in one click last year can fail today with an error that means nothing to a new user.
  • Diagnosing a failure requires understanding Wine prefixes, runner versions and library overrides, which is a substantial amount of knowledge for what is presented as a launcher.
  • Runner version management is manual and the naming is opaque, so users end up with several multi-gigabyte Wine builds and no clear idea which game needs which.
  • Multiplayer titles with kernel-level anti-cheat will not run regardless of configuration, and no amount of work in Lutris changes that.

Pricing, plan by plan

Epic Games Store

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

Lutris

Free
  • LutrisFree
    • Full functionality
    • No account required for local use
    • Community install scripts free

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 Lutris if

  • You need community install scripts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want wine and proton management.
Lutris review

Questions people ask

Is Epic Games Store or Lutris better?
Neither clearly leads. Epic Games Store starts at Free and Lutris at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Epic Games Store or Lutris?
Epic Games Store starts at Free and Lutris at Free.
Does Epic Games Store or Lutris run on more platforms?
Epic Games Store runs on Windows, macOS, Web. Lutris runs on Linux.
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 Lutris is typically brought in for.
What can Epic Games Store do that Lutris cannot?
Epic Games Store covers 12% revenue share, Unreal Engine royalty waiver, Weekly free games, Cross-platform services. Lutris covers Community install scripts, Wine and Proton management, Multi-source library, Emulator support.

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.

Lutris: Do I need Lutris if I use Steam on Linux?

Not for Steam games, which Steam handles with its own compatibility layer. Lutris is for everything outside Steam.

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.

Lutris: Why did a game that used to work stop working?

Usually the install script or the runner it referenced changed. Check the script page for the game and whether anyone has updated it recently.

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.

Lutris: Will it run games with anti-cheat?

Often not. Kernel-level anti-cheat blocks Linux regardless of the launcher, and this is a publisher decision rather than a technical gap in Lutris.

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