Story app guides and comparisons
Branchlings vs Epic (2026): a library of real books, or a story your child steers
Epic is a huge digital library of real children's books, free for teachers during school hours. Branchlings makes a new story starring your child, who decides what happens. They're different things, and lots of families will want Epic more. Here's the honest comparison, from the people who make the alternative.
| Compared | Branchlings | Epic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99/month or $109.99/year for about 5 stories a month, more on bigger plans; no free trial | $13.99/month or $84.99/year; 7-day free trial; free for teachers during school hours |
| What you get | New stories made for your child, painted as they go | A library of 40,000+ published books, plus audiobooks and videos |
| Who makes the stories | AI writes and paints them, with a safety check on everything written | Publishers and Epic's own authors and illustrators; Epic says it doesn't use generative AI |
| Choices in the story | At every fork, or their own idea | None: they're published books |
| Your child in the story | Yes, as a character they designed, with a cast they keep | No; recommendations follow what they've read |
| Read aloud | An AI storyteller voice, or your own recorded voice on Plus and Pro; words light up as they're read | Professional narration on Read-to-Me books, with words highlighted; audiobooks |
| Reading level | Each story is written for the reader's age; dyslexia-friendly font | Search by AR, Lexile, F&P and other levels; quizzes on many books; a reading log |
| Languages | English | English, plus 2,500+ Spanish and bilingual books and hundreds in French and Chinese |
| Children per plan | 1 reader on Basic, 2 on Plus, 5 on Pro | Up to 4 child profiles |
| Where it runs | iPhone and iPad, in the US; Android coming soon | Web, iPhone, iPad, Android and Chromebooks |
The real difference: a library, or a storyteller
Epic is a library with every shelf open. Your child browses, finds a dinosaur book, then another, then a chapter book about a dog detective. The books are the same ones you'd find on a library shelf, and some of them are wonderful.
Branchlings is a storyteller who only tells stories about your child. They pick where it happens and who comes along, or describe it in their own words, and at every fork they decide what happens. There's no library to browse, just tonight's story and the ones they've made before.
What Epic is genuinely better at
Real books, and lots of them. More than 40,000, from publishers including HarperCollins and National Geographic, chosen by teachers and librarians. If you'd rather your child read books written and illustrated by people, Epic is the better choice, and we understand.
Reading levels and progress. You can search by AR, Lexile, F&P and other levels, many books have quizzes, and there's a reading log you can export. Branchlings writes each story for your child's age, but it doesn't test or track reading.
Languages and devices. Thousands of books in Spanish, plus French and Chinese, on the web, Android and Chromebooks as well as iPhone and iPad. Branchlings is English, iPhone and iPad only for now.
The yearly price, and a free trial. Epic is $84.99 a year against our $109.99, and it has a 7-day free trial. We don't have a free trial. Teachers can also use Epic free during school hours.
What Branchlings is genuinely better at
Your child is the hero. They design their character (skin tone, hair, glasses, freckles; hearing aids and wheelchairs too), bring along whoever they like, from Grandma to an imaginary dragon, and keep them for the next adventure.
They decide what happens. At every fork they pick, or tap My idea! and add their own. For a child who'd rather tell stories than read them, that's often the hook.
Stories for the moments in their life. A first day at school, a new baby, a visit to the dentist, a big feeling, with your child as the one who's brave.
A bedtime that winds down. Around bedtime, stories turn calm and cozy, the screen dims after the last choice, and the end is just goodnight, with nothing new starting on its own.
Honestly? They do different jobs
If your child already loves books, Epic gives them more than they can read. If they'd rather tell a story than sit through one, Branchlings gets them turning the page. Plenty of families will be happier with Epic, and some will want both.
Questions
- How much does Epic cost?
- In October 2026, Epic's family plan was $13.99 a month or $84.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial and up to 4 child profiles. It's free for teachers and their students during school hours (weekdays, 7am to 4pm), with about half the library.
- Does Epic use AI to write its books?
- Epic says it doesn't use generative AI or AI chatbots, and that its books are picked by people. It uses an algorithm to recommend books. Branchlings stories and pictures are made with AI, with a safety check on everything typed and written.
- Is Branchlings a replacement for Epic?
- Not really. Epic is a library of published books; Branchlings tells new stories starring your child. If you can only have one, pick the one that matches what your child likes doing: reading lots, or deciding what happens.
- Who owns Epic now?
- Epic was sold in 2025, in the US bankruptcy of its former owner BYJU'S, to TAL Education Group, an education company based in Beijing. Epic's privacy policy names Epic Kids Inc. in San Jose, California, and says it doesn't show targeted ads to children.
- Is Branchlings free?
- Branchlings is free to download, with in-app purchases. You can read the sample stories before you choose a plan. Painting your character and new stories come with a plan, from $9.99 a month. See pricing.
Try Branchlings
Your child dreams up the story and picks what happens at every fork, and Branchlings writes and paints it. Free to download, with in-app purchases. You can read the sample stories before you choose a plan. Painting your character and new stories come with a plan. Plans start at $9.99 a month, and there's no free trial. For iPhone and iPad in the US.
Epic pricing and features checked October 2026. Apps change fast, so double-check on each app's own site before you buy. Names of other apps are trademarks of their owners and are used here only to identify them; we're not connected with any of them.