Alternatives to Epic Games Store
Epic's game storefront known for weekly free games and exclusive titles. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Epic Games Store
Epic's game storefront known for weekly free games and exclusive titles.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Epic Games Store.
Steam
Valve's PC gaming platform and client for buying, installing and playing games, with community features.
Steam has a larger store, Workshop and community features, and native clients for Windows, macOS and Linux, but has no weekly free games program noted.
Heroic Games Launcher
An open-source launcher for Epic, GOG and Amazon Prime games, on Linux, Windows, macOS and the Steam Deck.
Heroic is an open-source GPL-3.0 launcher that plays your Epic purchases alongside GOG and Amazon Prime games, adding Linux and Steam Deck support through Wine or Proton.
GOG Galaxy
DRM-free games store and unified library that also pulls in other platforms.
GOG Galaxy sells DRM-free games that need no launcher once downloaded and can unify other libraries, though its own catalog is smaller than Epic's.
itch
The desktop app for itch.io, which installs, updates and launches the indie games you bought or downloaded free.
itch is an MIT-licensed desktop app for itch.io indie games on Windows, macOS and Linux, but purchasing still happens on the website.
Legendary
An open-source command-line replacement for the Epic Games Launcher on Linux, macOS and Windows.
Legendary is an open-source command-line tool that installs and launches your Epic games without the official launcher on Linux, macOS and Windows, with no graphical interface.
Rare
An open-source graphical front end for Legendary for managing and playing Epic Games Store titles.
Rare is an open-source graphical front end for Legendary that manages your Epic library on Windows, macOS and Linux, but it depends on Legendary and offers no store.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Epic Games Store as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Rockstar Games Launcher
Rockstar Games' official Windows launcher for installing and running its PC games.
Epic Games Store covers many publishers with weekly free games on Windows and macOS, rather than only Rockstar Games titles on Windows.
Ubisoft Connect
Ubisoft's official launcher and player services hub for its game catalog.
Epic Games Store sells many publishers' games with weekly free titles on Windows and macOS, rather than only the Ubisoft catalog on Windows.
Xbox app
Microsoft's Windows app for installing and launching PC Game Pass and Xbox games on PC.
Epic Games Store works on Windows and macOS and offers weekly free games and exclusive titles instead of a PC Game Pass subscription catalog.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Playnite
A Windows game library manager that pulls Steam, Epic, GOG, Battle.net, Ubisoft and emulated games into one interface.
Lutris
A Linux gaming platform that installs the right emulator, Wine build or engine for each game and launches them from one place.
EA app
EA's official game launcher and library, replacing Origin on Windows and macOS.
GeForce NOW
NVIDIA's cloud gaming service that streams your existing game library to weaker hardware.
