Epic Books for Kids at Home: What Is Free, Plus 8 Alternatives

Your second grader comes home asking for "Epic" because the class reads on it, and you wonder whether Epic books for kids work at home and what they cost. The short version: Epic reading for kids is free in the classroom, while families pay after a trial. Here is what the Epic reading app offers, and eight alternatives for children from about 2 to 10.

What is Epic, and is it free at home?

Epic is a digital library for kids 12 and under. The Epic homepage offers "over 40,000 books, audiobooks & learning videos," with a "Free Trial for Families" and "Free for Educators." Epic also links to its apps on the App Store and Google Play.

The free part is for schools. The Epic educator page says the free Epic School plan opens on weekdays from 7am to 4pm with about 20,000 books, while the paid Epic School Plus plan gives 40,000+ books around the clock. Families at home use the paid family subscription after the trial.

Epic School vs a family plan at home

Epic School keeps a class reading during the school day, and Epic School Plus adds evenings and weekends. Epic's library also includes Read-To-Me books and titles in Spanish, French, Chinese and Gaelic. The family plan is the home version, and the Epic page for parents says kids only see books selected for their age and reading level.

How to choose an Epic alternative, step by step

The best Epic alternative depends on what your child loved about Epic and what you want to change. Work through these steps before you sign up for anything new.

1. Name what your child uses most. Write down whether your child reads, listens to audiobooks or watches videos on Epic. A listener needs narration, and a video fan needs read-alouds on screen.
2. Check your library card first. Libby and Hoopla bring your public library's ebooks and audiobooks to a phone or tablet at no cost. If you have no card, ask at your local branch.
3. Decide on a budget model. Choose between free, a monthly subscription and paying per book. A per-book model suits families who want a few special books instead of a large shelf.
4. Match the age. A toddler needs short, rhythmic books, while an 8-year-old wants longer stories with a real problem to solve. Check each option's own age range.
5. Test one week. Use the free tier or trial for seven evenings, then keep what your child asks for again.

The part parents skip: what free means

Free can mean three different things. Libby and Hoopla are free with a library card, Storyline Online and Unite for Literacy are free to everyone on the web, and Epic and Vooks offer a trial before a subscription. KidTeller lets you preview your first book's story, portraits and cover free, then you pay per book with no subscription.

The 8 best Epic alternatives for kids

KidTeller comes first because its stories are written for your child. The free libraries follow, then the paid and mail-based options.

1. KidTeller: a new story with your child as the hero

KidTeller writes a brand-new illustrated storybook in which your child is the hero. You start from a theme such as Adventure, Kindness, Friendship, Bedtime or Family, or describe your own idea in your own words: a first day of school, a new baby sister, a trip to the sea. Upload a photo, approve your child's illustrated portrait, and KidTeller keeps that face consistent on every page and on the cover.

Where Epic gives your child thousands of books about other kids, KidTeller gives them a story about themselves. That makes it a strong match for the moments a library cannot cover, like a fear of the dark or a move to a new town.

• Tuned to age: Stories are built differently for 0 to 2, 3 to 7 and 8 and up, from repetition for toddlers to a rule-of-three plot to a story about what a child wants versus what they need.
• 31 languages: Write the story in English, Spanish, Hindi, Arabic, Ukrainian or 26 more languages, so grandparents abroad get a book in their language.
• Narrated in your own voice: Choose a natural AI voice, or record about one minute of reading in the app and every book can be narrated in your own cloned voice. Narration plays in the app and on the web.
• Up to 5 characters: Add siblings, parents, grandparents, friends and pets, each from their own photo.
• A library on every screen: Every book lives in your library on the web, iOS and Android, with a page-turning reader, PDF download on the web and share links that let family save their own copy.
• Paper when you want it: Order a full-color A4 softcover printed on demand and shipped to 190+ countries.
• Fast, fair start: A preview arrives in minutes, your first book's story, portraits and cover are free to preview, and then you pay per book with no subscription.

You can change any line, redraw a page or retitle the book after the preview. To see the result first, browse sample books made with KidTeller, then start your child's book in the browser.

Free, library and paid picks

The next seven options cover free library apps, free websites, a paid video library and free books by mail.

2. Libby: your public library's ebooks and audiobooks

Libby is the library app by OverDrive. The Libby help page says you can borrow "free ebooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines from your library," and all you need is a library card. It runs on iOS, Android, Fire tablets and the web, and it downloads loans for offline reading.

3. Hoopla: books, audiobooks and videos with a library card

Hoopla is a library app that lends audiobooks, ebooks, comics, movies and TV shows. Its Google Play listing promises "no ads, no subscription" when you borrow with a card from a participating library, and says most titles have no waitlist. You can download audiobooks to listen without Wi-Fi.

4. Storyline Online: picture books read by actors

Storyline Online is a free video library of picture books read aloud by actors, from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. The Storyline Online site lists readers such as Kathy Bates, Bryan Cranston and Gary Oldman, offers teacher guides, and has a free app. It is the closest free match to a read-to-me book on Epic.

5. Unite for Literacy: free picture books in 50+ languages

Unite for Literacy is a free online library of more than 600 original picture books. The Unite for Literacy library page says books are narrated in 50+ languages and are "free to everyone as a digital public good," with no ads. It suits bilingual families and early readers.

6. Storyberries: free bedtime stories and audiobooks

Storyberries is a free website of stories and audiobooks for kids. Its Bedtime Radio page says every audiobook is free to stream with "no apps, no login, no subscription," sorted into ages 0 to 3, 4 to 6 and 7 to 12. For more sites like it, see the Storyberries alternatives guide.

7. Vooks: animated storybooks without ads

Vooks turns picture books into gently animated read-alouds. The Vooks site calls itself an "ad-free, kid-safe streaming platform," says it suits children under 9, offers a free trial before the subscription, and lets you download stories in the app to watch without a connection. It runs on iOS, Android, the web, Apple TV and Roku.

8. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: free books by mail

The Imagination Library mails free paper books to young children. The Imagination Library site says it gifts books "free of charge to children from birth to age five" in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland, where a local partner runs it. Read how to sign up in the guide to free books for kids by mail.

Epic vs the alternatives compared

KidTeller leads the comparison, with Epic next for reference. Every row comes from the service's own pages.

Which one to pick

Pick by the single thing your family needs most. For a story about your own child, in your voice or another language, pick KidTeller. For a big free shelf, pick Libby or Hoopla, and for read-aloud video, pick Storyline Online or Vooks.

How to make the switch stick

A reading app helps most when it adds to reading together instead of replacing it. Sit with a young child for the first few books, ask what they think happens next, and let them choose the next title.

Keep a mix of formats through the week. Use audio in the car, a library ebook after school and a paper book at bedtime, and you will see which one your child reaches for. The read-aloud books for kids list has good picks for the paper nights.

Treat the tablet as a book, not a game. Turn off other apps during reading time and set a clear end point, such as two books. Then watch for these signals:

• Asking: Does your child ask for the app or book without a reminder?
• Finishing: Do they finish the books they start, at least most of the time?
• Retelling: Can they tell you what happened in yesterday's story?
• Rereading: Do they return to one favorite? Rereading is a good sign for young readers.

A simple two-week test

Note each evening which book your child chose and whether they finished it. After 14 days, keep the option that shows up most often, and drop the one they never open.

Common mistakes when you leave Epic

Most problems come from switching too fast or picking by size alone.

• Mistake: judging by library size. A shelf of 40,000 titles is no help if your child rereads the same five. Pick by what they finish.
• Mistake: forgetting the trial end date. Trials turn into subscriptions. Put the end date in your calendar the day you sign up.
• Mistake: skipping the library card. Libby and Hoopla are free with a card, and many families never check.
• Mistake: one format for every child. A toddler, a new reader and a 9-year-old need different books. Mix audio, video, paper and stories about themselves.

An edge case: a child who loved Epic at school

Some kids miss the Epic they use in class. Keep that school routine as it is, and at home choose something it does not offer, such as a library audiobook or a book in which your child is the hero. For more ideas, see the best personalized children's books.

Your Epic alternatives checklist

• Get a library card: Then install Libby or Hoopla.
• Bookmark the free sites: Storyline Online, Unite for Literacy and Storyberries.
• Check the Imagination Library: If your child is under 5, see whether it runs where you live.
• Set a trial reminder: For Epic or Vooks, note the end date.
• Make one book about your child: A personalized story for a big moment, in your own voice.

When the moment calls for a story about your child, a KidTeller book takes minutes to preview.

Try itCreate a personalized storybookYour child's name and photo, a story in minutes