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Review basis

Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.

10 reference sources

Information updated Nov 10, 2026

How we review
Epic Games Store logo

Epic Games Store Review

Epic's PC game store, best known for its regular free game giveaways

Editorial Team6.5/10Write the first review

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

  • Web
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Android
  • iOS
Free · Free
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Decide at a glance

Our verdict

Epic Games Store suits PC players who want a second store next to Steam, especially those who like free giveaways and a 14-day refund window. The trade-off: Trustpilot reviewers rate it 1.3/5, citing a slow launcher, login errors and automated support, and Epic's rebuilt launcher has only been in public preview since October 2026.

Best for: PC players who like claiming regular free games to grow a library

Skip it if: People who need a light, reliable launcher and fast human support

Pros

  • No subscription fee; in 2025 Epic gave away 100 games and players claimed 662 million copies
  • Eligible PC and Mac games can be refunded within 14 days with under 2 hours of play
  • The privacy policy states that personal data is not sold or used for targeted advertising

Cons

  • Trustpilot gives only 1.3/5 from 7,486 reviews (the profile is unclaimed), mostly about the launcher, logins, downloads and support
  • In 2022 Epic agreed to a $520 million FTC settlement over children's privacy and design that led to unwanted purchases in Fortnite
All pros and cons · Who is it for?

Pros

  • Over 6,000 games and a record 78 million monthly active PC users in December 2025

Cons

  • Gifts are non-refundable, and in-game items, virtual currency and subscriptions usually are too

Best for

  • Players of Fortnite, Rocket League or Fall Guys who already have an Epic account
  • Buyers after titles that launch as Epic exclusives or with Epic-only offers

Skip it if

  • Linux users who need a stable client: the Linux launcher has only been a preview since October 2026

Problems it solves

Experience & key features

What is Epic Games Store?

Epic Games Store is the game and app store from Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite and Unreal Engine. According to Wikipedia, Epic announced the store on 4 December 2018 with a 12% revenue share, against Steam's 30%, and launched it on Windows and macOS two days later. On 16 August 2024 it arrived on Android worldwide and on iOS in Europe. Epic's 2025 year-in-review, as reported by Wccftech, cites over 6,000 games and 317 million PC users.

How it works and key features

Players create an Epic account, install the launcher and buy or claim games. The Free Games programme gives titles away regularly, weekly since June 2019 according to Wikipedia. The store also offers achievements, cloud saves, the Epic Rewards programme and Cabined Accounts for children. The Epic Games app on the App Store is only a companion for chat, voice parties and two-factor authentication; its listing states that it cannot be used to access the store.

Pricing and value

Players pay nothing to use the store; publishers set each game's price. Under Epic's policy, eligible PC and Mac games can be refunded within 14 days with under 2 hours of play, and mobile products within 2 hours of purchase. Gifts are non-refundable, and subscriptions, in-game items and virtual currency usually are too. For developers, Wikipedia notes that from June 2025 Epic takes no cut until a game reaches $1 million in revenue, after which the usual 12% applies.

More analysis

Trade-offs to weigh

On Trustpilot, 83% of 7,486 reviews are one star. Complaints centre on the launcher, logins, downloads, automated support and hard-to-get refunds, while a few reviewers praise the library and free games. The profile is unclaimed, so the sample may be skewed. Epic's figures show players spent $1.16 billion in 2025 (up 6%), while total playtime fell from 7.72 billion to 6.65 billion hours even as third-party playtime grew. On 14 October 2026 Epic opened a preview of its rebuilt launcher, including a Linux version, and claims it is faster than Steam's; there is no independent data to verify that yet.

Who it's for and how it compares

Epic Games Store suits people who already own a Steam library and want a second place for free games or Epic's own titles. Steam has a larger catalogue and community; Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus are subscriptions rather than per-game purchases; GeForce NOW streams games from the cloud. If you need a light launcher and quick support, read the complaints before moving your library here.

Screenshots

App Store promotional image of the Epic Games app (the companion app, not the store)
App Store promotional image of the Epic Games app (the companion app, not the store)
Second App Store promotional image of the Epic Games app
Second App Store promotional image of the Epic Games app

Plans & pricing

Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026

Epic Games Store (app/launcher)

Personal

Free

Installing the launcher and creating an account are free; publishers set the price of each game and app. The Free Games programme gives away titles regularly.

Free plan limits
There is no paid subscription tier for players. Epic's 2025 year-in-review, as reported by Wccftech, says it gave away 100 games that year and players claimed 662 million copies.
Free trial
No free trial
Cancellation & refunds

Under Epic's refund policy, PC and Mac products marked "refundable" or "self-refundable" can be refunded within 14 days of purchase (or 14 days after release for pre-purchases) with under 2 hours of recorded runtime. Mobile products (iOS and Android) with the same labels can be refunded within 2 hours of purchase. Gift purchases are non-refundable; subscriptions, in-game items and virtual currency usually are too. EU consumers keep their statutory right of withdrawal.

Privacy

Epic's privacy policy (last updated 22 April 2026) covers its services, including the Epic Games Store. Epic collects account details, purchase and payment information, device data and usage activity, and may infer preferences such as the game genres you favour. The policy states that Epic does not sell personal data, does not process it for targeted advertising and does not use automated profiling for decisions with legal or similarly significant effects. The list of recipients still includes publishers of games you buy, payment processors, anti-cheat and fraud-prevention providers, large language model providers for AI features, and marketing and advertising partners. Epic asks for age at sign-up and places children in restricted Cabined Accounts; from April 2026 it deletes personal information tied to a child's account after 18 months of inactivity. In December 2022 Epic agreed to a $275 million penalty in an FTC settlement over collecting data from Fortnite players under 13 without parental consent.

Official pricing page

Epic Games Store alternatives

Steam logoVSEpic Games Store logoSteam vs Epic Games Store
Steam logo7.2/10

Steam

Valve's PC game store, library and community, partly blocked in Vietnam

Free
Google Play Games logo6.8/10

Google Play Games

Google's Android game profile and library, now playable on Windows PCs too

Free

Frequently asked questions

Is Epic Games Store free?

Installing it and creating an account are free, and there is no player subscription. Each game is priced by its publisher, and the store regularly gives games away.

Can I get a refund on Epic Games Store?

Yes, for PC and Mac games marked "refundable" or "self-refundable": within 14 days of purchase and with under 2 hours of play. Mobile products can be refunded within 2 hours of purchase. Gifts are non-refundable, and in-game items and virtual currency usually are too.

Does Epic sell my personal data?

According to the privacy policy updated on 22 April 2026, Epic does not sell personal data or use it for targeted advertising. It still discloses data to publishers of games you buy, payment processors and other partners, including marketing and advertising partners.

Is Epic Games Store available on mobile?

Yes. According to Wikipedia, since 16 August 2024 the store has been available on Android worldwide and on iOS in Europe. It is separate from the Epic Games app on the App Store, a companion for chat and authentication that cannot access the store.

Review evidence & sources10

Scores

Ease of use
6.6
Why this score

The store spans web, Windows, macOS and mobile, but Trustpilot reviewers cite connection and login errors and missing authentication codes, and the companion Epic Games app scores 3.1/5 on the US App Store.

Features
7.2
Why this score

Regular free games, self-service refunds, achievements, cloud saves, the Epic Rewards programme and child accounts, with a 6,000+ game catalogue. Behind Steam on catalogue and community, and the Linux client is still a preview.

Value for money
8.2
Why this score

No subscription fee, frequent giveaways and a 14-day refund window; publishers set game prices, so value depends on the title.

Performance
5.8
Why this score

Trustpilot reviewers cite slow or failed downloads and a sluggish launcher. In 2021 PC Gamer found the launcher could cut laptop battery life by up to 20% (Epic later patched it). The rebuilt launcher has been in preview only since 14 October 2026, with no independent speed data yet.

Support
4.8
Why this score

There is a help centre and a support request form, but Trustpilot reviewers say automated support rarely resolves issues and refunds are hard to obtain; that sample skews towards dissatisfied users.

Privacy & security
6.4
Why this score

Credit for the stated no-sale, no-targeted-advertising position and the Cabined Accounts for children. Marked down for broad collection (payments, device data, inferred preferences), disclosure to publishers and marketing and advertising partners, and the 2022 FTC penalty of $275 million over children's data in Fortnite.

What users say

Sources

Specs & compatibility
Developer
Epic Games
Headquarters
United States
Launched
2018
Category
Entertainment

Capabilities

  • Mobile app
  • Integrations

Platforms

  • Web
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Android
  • iOS

Interface languages

  • English
  • Vietnamese
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Thai
  • Indonesian

Integrations

  • Fortnite
  • Epic Authenticator

Support

  • Help center

Change history

  1. Feature.Epic opens a public preview of its rebuilt launcher, including a Linux version.
  2. Update.Reaches a record 78 million monthly active PC users; player spending for 2025 rises 6% to $1.16 billion.
  3. Price.Epic stops taking a cut until a game reaches $1 million in revenue.
Full change history (8)
  1. Feature.The store launches on Android worldwide and on iOS in Europe.
  2. Update.Epic agrees to a $520 million FTC settlement over Fortnite ($275 million for children's privacy violations, $245 million in player refunds); Cabined Accounts for children launch the same month.
  3. Update.The GTA V giveaway brings in over 7 million new users and briefly crashes the servers.
  4. Feature.The free games programme moves from one game every two weeks to one every week.
  5. Launch.Epic announces the store with a 12% revenue share versus Steam's 30%; it launches on Windows and macOS on 6 December 2018.
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