Steam vs Epic Games Store: Which PC Storefront Deserves Your Library?

As developers who publish on Steam, we have skin in this game, literally. We also watch how Epic operates because the storefront landscape affects every indie studio. Here's the honest comparison from both the player and developer perspective.

Which is better for players: Steam or Epic Games Store?

Steam is the better primary platform for players thanks to its vastly superior features (mods, reviews, Steam Deck integration, cloud saves, family sharing), but Epic is worth using alongside it for its weekly free game giveaways. Most game prices are identical on both stores, so claiming free titles on Epic while buying on Steam gives you the best of both worlds.

Steam wins on features. Workshop (mods), community forums, user reviews, screenshot sharing, Steam Deck integration, Big Picture mode, Remote Play Together, family sharing, trading cards, achievements, cloud saves that work reliably. Steam has 20+ years of feature development. Epic has a storefront and a shopping cart (which took them years to add).

Epic wins on free games. Epic gives away 1-2 free games every week. Over the years they've given away hundreds of games including AAA titles (GTA V, Civilization VI, Control). If you've been claiming free games since Epic launched, you have a massive library at zero cost.

Pricing is comparable. Most games cost the same on both stores. Epic occasionally offers exclusive coupons ($10 off $15+ purchases during sales). Steam's sale infrastructure is more robust with wishlists, discovery queues, and better sale event presentation.

Exclusives. Epic buys timed exclusives, some games launch on Epic first and come to Steam 6-12 months later. This is Epic's most controversial practice and the primary source of player hostility toward the store. From a player perspective, waiting for a game you want because a storefront paid for exclusivity feels anti-consumer.

Library management. Steam's library management is dramatically better. Collections, categories, custom shelves, hidden games, family view. Epic's library is a flat grid. If you have hundreds of games (especially from free claims), navigating Epic's library is painful.

Which PC storefront is better for indie game developers?

Steam is the better choice for most indie developers despite its higher 30% revenue cut, because its 132 million monthly active users, discovery algorithm, and wishlist system drive far more organic sales. Epic's 12% cut is more advantageous for established studios whose audiences will follow them to any platform.

Revenue split is Epic's biggest advantage. Epic takes 12% of revenue. Steam takes 30% (dropping to 25% at $10M and 20% at $50M in sales). For a game that sells $1M, that's $120K to Epic vs $300K to Steam. The difference is an employee's salary for a year.

Steam has vastly more traffic. Steam has roughly 132 million monthly active users. Epic has fewer. Visibility on Steam's store page, discovery algorithm, and wishlist system drives significantly more organic sales. Many developers find that despite the higher revenue cut, they make more total money on Steam because more people see and buy their game.

Steam's tools are deeper. Steamworks provides analytics, beta branch management, achievement systems, workshop support, and partner tools that Epic's developer portal doesn't match.

The honest developer calculus: For most indie studios, Steam is where the audience is. The 30% cut hurts, but 70% of a lot of sales beats 88% of fewer sales. Epic's 12% cut matters more for established studios with built-in audiences who will follow them anywhere.

Our perspective

As a small indie studio, we publish on Steam because that's where PC gamers discover indie games. Steam's discovery algorithm, wishlist notifications, and community features remain irreplaceable for studios without a massive built-in audience, even though Epic's 12% revenue share is tempting.

We publish on Steam because that's where PC gamers discover indie games. The discovery algorithm, wishlist system, and community features are irreplaceable for a small studio. We'd love Epic's 12% cut, but we need Steam's audience.

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The shortest version

The bottom line: players should use both stores (claim Epic freebies, buy where prices are best, but treat Steam as the primary platform), while indie developers almost always need Steam's discoverability more than Epic's better revenue split. Competition between the two storefronts benefits everyone.

For players: Use both. Claim Epic free games weekly, buy on whichever store has the better price, but Steam's features make it the better primary platform. For developers: Steam has the audience, Epic has the revenue split. Most indie studios need Steam's discoverability more than Epic's revenue share. The reality: Competition is healthy. Epic's pressure forced Steam to improve. Players benefit from both existing.