Epic Games Storevs
Steam
Steam: The dominant PC storefront with far more games and community features, at a 30% cut for developers
Epic Games Store
PC game storefront with a lower revenue cut for developers
As of 29 August 2026, Epic Games Store is free to use. Epic’s PC storefront, built to undercut Steam on developer revenue share and known for weekly free games. Softwr lists it under Gaming. Epic Games Store is made by Epic Games, available on Windows, macOS, Web.
Overview
What Epic Games Store does
The Epic Games Store is a digital storefront for PC games, launched by Epic Games as a direct challenge to Steam. Its founding argument was commercial: Epic takes a 12% revenue share against the 30% that has been the platform standard, and games built on Unreal Engine have their engine royalty waived when sold through it. For players the visible feature is the weekly free game giveaway, which has been running consistently since launch and has built a large installed base. For developers the calculation is a materially better revenue share against a smaller audience and a store with fewer community features.
What people use it 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
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about 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
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of Epic Games Store
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
Pricing
What Epic Games Store costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Epic Games Store
Free
- Free account
- Weekly free games
- Game purchases billed individually
Capabilities
Features
12% revenue share
A materially lower cut than the 30% platform standard
Unreal Engine royalty waiver
Engine royalties waived on sales through the store
Weekly free games
A continuing giveaway that drives account signups
Cross-platform services
Free online services including matchmaking and achievements for developers
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
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.
Why do developers use it?
A 12% revenue share against the 30% platform standard, plus waived Unreal Engine royalties on sales through the 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.
Keep looking
Where to go from Epic Games Store
- Epic Games Store alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Epic Games Store pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Epic Games Store badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Gaming softwareThe full category
- Best Gaming softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Gaming software for
Compare Epic Games Store with
- GOG
- Battle.net
- Steam
- Lutris
- Playnite
- GOG Galaxy
- Heroic Games Launcher
- itch.io
- Humble Bundle
- Green Man Gaming
- Twitch
- Roblox
- EA Play
- Fanatical
- Battle.net
- GOG Galaxy
- Heroic Games Launcher
- Green Man Gaming
Other Gaming software
Blizzard game launcher and store, now owned by Microsoft, for a small first party catalogue
Free plan11 researched notesOpen source Linux game manager built around community install scripts and Wine runner management
Open source11 researched notesOpen source Windows library manager that pulls every storefront into one browsable collection
Open source11 researched notesFree optional client from CD Projekt that aggregates other storefronts and keeps GOG downloads DRM-free
Free plan11 researched notesOpen source client for Epic, GOG and Amazon libraries on Linux, Windows and macOS
Open source11 researched notesPay what you want game, book and software bundles with a bounded charity split
From $11.99/mo11 researched notesAuthorised key reseller with direct publisher agreements and a loyalty discount programme
Free plan11 researched notesA user-generated games platform running on Robux, not a single game, with a developer payout system and a marketplace cut
Free plan9 researched notesSubscription access to the EA back catalogue with timed trials of new releases
From $5.99/mo11 researched notesAuthorised key store built around build your own bundles of mostly Steam titles
Free plan11 researched notesBlizzard game launcher and store, now owned by Microsoft, for a small first party catalogue
Free plan11 researched notesFree optional client from CD Projekt that aggregates other storefronts and keeps GOG downloads DRM-free
Free plan11 researched notesOpen source client for Epic, GOG and Amazon libraries on Linux, Windows and macOS
Open source11 researched notesAuthorised key reseller with direct publisher agreements and a loyalty discount programme
Free plan11 researched notes
Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Epic Games Store, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on Epic Games Store
Epic Games Store alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
Epic Games Store pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare Epic Games Store
Put it head to head with anything we hold
Epic Games Store badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
Best Gaming software alternatives
Sandbox building and survival game sold as a bundled Java and Bedrock purchase, owned by Microsoft, with paid Realms subscriptions
One-time purchase, optional Realms subscriptionA user-generated games platform running on Robux, not a single game, with a developer payout system and a marketplace cut
Free to play, Robux currency packs and a subscription
Free to play battle royale and creative platform funded by V-Bucks, skins and a seasonal battle pass
Free to play with in-app purchases
Cloud gaming that streams games you bought elsewhere, when the publisher allows it
Per user per month
Pay what you want game, book and software bundles with a bounded charity split
Pay what you want per bundle, or a monthly subscriptionSubscription access to the EA back catalogue with timed trials of new releases
Per user per month