Steam vs Epic Games Store — Where to Buy PC Games in 2026

Steam and the Epic Games Store are the two biggest PC gaming platforms. They overlap on many titles but differ significantly in pricing, features, and free game programs.

At a Glance

Feature	Steam	Epic Games Store
Game library	50,000+	~2,000
Free games	Occasional sales	1–2 free games every week
Developer cut	30% (drops to 20–25%)	12%
Regional pricing	✅ Strong	✅ Good
User reviews	✅ Extensive	❌ No reviews
Workshop / mods	✅ Built-in	❌ Limited
Family sharing	✅	❌
Refund window	2h playtime / 14 days	Self-service, no playtime limit
Cloud saves	✅	✅
Achievements	✅	✅ (limited)

Game Library

Steam has by far the larger catalog — over 50,000 titles from AAA to indie. Nearly every PC game releases on Steam.

Epic focuses on exclusive timed deals (e.g., Alan Wake 2, The Finals) and first-party Unreal Engine games. Most exclusives eventually come to Steam after 6–12 months.

Winner: Steam for selection. Epic for specific exclusives.

Free Games

Epic gives away 1–2 free games every Thursday, permanently. Over the years this has included GTA V, Civilization VI, Control, Borderlands 3, and many more. The program alone is reason to have an Epic account even if you don't buy there.

Steam runs free weekend events and has free-to-play titles but doesn't have a weekly free game program.

Winner: Epic by a wide margin.

Pricing and Regional Discounts

Both platforms use regional pricing, but the implementation differs:

• Steam adjusts prices per region and allows purchases in local currency. Regional gift cards (bought via Marix) let you top up your wallet at lower rates — Turkey and Brazil wallets often give 30–60% savings.
• Epic also has regional pricing but their gift card ecosystem is less developed.

For maximum savings, Steam wallet top-ups via regional gift cards consistently outperform Epic's discount model.

Winner: Steam for strategic regional pricing via gift cards.

Refund Policy

Steam: Refund within 14 days of purchase AND less than 2 hours of playtime. If either condition fails, refunds are manual and case-by-case.

Epic: More flexible — refund within 14 days, no hard playtime limit. Self-service in the launcher.

Winner: Epic for refunds.

Community Features

Steam has Workshop (mods), community hubs, user reviews, screenshots, guides, and trading cards. Epic has none of these beyond basic friend lists.

Winner: Steam by a landslide.

Which Should You Use?

Scenario	Better choice
Maximum game selection	Steam
Free games without spending	Epic
Modding support	Steam
Epic-exclusive titles	Epic (obviously)
Best regional pricing savings	Steam (via wallet top-up)
Flexible refunds	Epic
Social features, reviews	Steam

Verdict: Use both. Create an Epic account for the weekly free games, and use Steam as your primary store. Top up your Steam wallet via Marix regional gift cards for the best prices on everything else.