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COMPARE · FOR UK FAMILIES

Epic alternatives for UK families

Epic is a large digital library of children's books for ages 12 and under, and its website lists prices in US dollars. For UK families, the closest free alternatives are your local library's apps (BorrowBox or Libby) and Oxford Owl's free eBooks, which are levelled by Book Band. For reading practice, Reading Eggs is a full learn-to-read programme and Teach Your Monster is free on computers; for writing, try Night Zookeeper. Litsee does something different: your child decides what happens in an illustrated story.

Last checked: Written by the Litsee team, who make Litsee. How we checked

At a glance

Epic and six alternatives for UK families: what each one is, ages, UK price, free options, devices and offline use. Checked on 30 October 2026; sources are listed below.
AppWhat it isAgesUK priceFree optionFree trialDevicesOffline
EpicDigital library: 40,000+ books, audiobooks and videos12 and underWebsite: $13.99 a month or $84.99 a year (US dollars). UK App Store: subscriptions in pounds, including £79.99 a yearFree for teachers and pupils in the school day (Epic School). No free family plan7 days (Epic Family)Computer, tablet or phoneYes, download books and audiobooks
Library appsBorrow your library's ebooks and audiobooksAll ages; the children's choice depends on your libraryFree with your library membershipYesNot neededBorrowBox: iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire. Libby: phones, tablets, web, KindleYes (Libby downloads to read offline)
Oxford OwlFree levelled eBook library3–11Free (registration needed)YesNot neededIn the browser; eBooks are tablet-friendlyNot stated
Reading EggsLearn-to-read programme: phonics to comprehension2–13 (Reading Eggs 3–7, Fast Phonics 5–10, Reading Eggspress 7–13)£6.99 a month or £54.99 a year for up to 4 children (£9.99 or £79.99 with maths)No free plan30 days free on monthly plans, plus a 30-day money-back guaranteeWeb on desktops and tablets; iOS and Android appsNot stated (printable worksheets)
Teach Your MonsterPhonics and reading games (Teach Your Monster to Read, Reading for Fun)Teach Your Monster to Read: 3–6 (its App Store listing)Free on computers. Teach Your Monster to Read app: £8.99 one-off on the UK App StoreYes, every game is free on computersNot neededComputer browser; iOS, Android and Amazon appsNot stated
Night ZookeeperReading and writing programme, set as an adventure6–12£11.99 a month, £27.99 a quarter or £99.99 a year for one child; more for each extra childNo free plan7 daysBrowser on tablets, PCs and laptops; iOS app for iPad and iPhoneNot stated
LitseeInteractive stories: the child chooses what happens next5–11 (stories written for reading ages 5–9)Standard £4.99 a month (15 stories), Premium £6.99 (unlimited), Book Club £19.99 (plus a printed book monthly)No free plan7 days; a card is needed to start itWeb app in the browser on phones, tablets and computers; no app-store appNo, it needs an internet connection

What Epic does well, and why UK families look elsewhere

Epic is good at being a big library. It has more than 40,000 books, audiobooks and learning videos, read-to-me books for younger children, offline downloads, up to four child profiles and a parent dashboard. Teachers and their pupils can use it free during the school day.

UK families tend to look for an alternative for one of three reasons. Some want a free option once the 7-day trial ends. Some want books that match the Book Band colours on their child's school reading book. And some want a reading app that teaches, or one where their child does more than pick the next book. The alternatives below each answer one of those needs better than the others.

Who each one suits

Start from what your child needs. More than one can be right, and Litsee is only the answer for one of these.

  • Lots of books, free

    Your library's apps (BorrowBox or Libby)

    Your local library's apps. With a library card, BorrowBox or Libby lend ebooks and audiobooks at no cost, and Libby downloads them for offline reading.

  • Books that match the school reading book

    Oxford Owl for Home

    It is free, for ages 3 to 11, and levelled by Oxford Level and Book Band.

  • A big library with offline downloads, and you don't mind paying

    Epic

    Epic itself is still the strongest choice here: more than 40,000 titles, audiobooks and downloads for journeys.

  • Phonics practice for a 4 to 6-year-old

    Teach Your Monster

    Teach Your Monster to Read. It is free on computers and built around letter sounds, blending and tricky words.

  • One programme from first sounds to comprehension

    Reading Eggs

    It covers ages 2 to 13 on one plan for up to four children, with a 30-day free trial.

  • Writing practice for ages 6 to 12

    Night Zookeeper

    Writing, grammar, spelling and vocabulary are its focus.

  • Reading for pleasure, where your child shapes the story

    Litsee

    Your child picks the hero and the world and chooses what happens after each chapter. It is a web app, a card is needed for the trial, and the stories are written and illustrated with AI.

Each app in more detail

Epic

A large digital library of children's books, audiobooks and learning videos. UK price: Website: $13.99 a month or $84.99 a year (US dollars). UK App Store: subscriptions in pounds, including £79.99 a year.

What it does well

  • A very large library: more than 40,000 books, audiobooks and learning videos, including read-to-me books.
  • Books and audiobooks can be downloaded to read offline, which helps on journeys.
  • Up to four child profiles, a parent dashboard, end-of-book quizzes and tap-a-word definitions.
  • Free for teachers and their pupils during the school day.

Worth knowing

  • The website shows family prices in US dollars; UK families pay in pounds through the app stores.
  • There is no free plan for families after the 7-day trial.
  • It is a library to choose from, so it won't teach phonics step by step.

Visit Epic

Your library's apps (BorrowBox or Libby)

Borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your local public library on a phone or tablet. UK price: Free with your library membership.

What it does well

  • Free: Libby describes borrowing from your local library at no cost, and BorrowBox works with your library membership.
  • Real published ebooks and audiobooks, and Libby lets you download them to read offline.
  • Works on phones and tablets, and Libby also on Kindle e-readers and the web.

Worth knowing

  • You need a library card, and the books on offer depend on what your library has bought.
  • There are no reading lessons, games or progress reports.

Visit Library apps (BorrowBox)

Oxford Owl for Home

A free eBook library for ages 3 to 11, levelled by Oxford Level and Book Band. UK price: Free (registration needed).

What it does well

  • Free to read once you register.
  • Books are levelled by Oxford Level and Book Band colour, so you can match your child's school reading book.
  • Some books have audio.

Worth knowing

  • It is a library of books to read, not games or a full programme.
  • You need to register before reading.

Visit Oxford Owl

Reading Eggs

A learn-to-read programme of games, lessons and e-books, from first sounds to comprehension. UK price: £6.99 a month or £54.99 a year for up to 4 children (£9.99 or £79.99 with maths).

What it does well

  • One programme that runs from early phonics (Reading Eggs, Fast Phonics) to comprehension for older readers (Reading Eggspress, 7–13).
  • One plan covers up to four children.
  • A long trial: 30 days free on the monthly plans, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
  • Printable worksheets, and a maths add-on (Mathseeds) if you want it.

Worth knowing

  • There is no free plan once the trial ends.
  • It is a structured course, so children follow its lessons rather than choosing what to read.

Visit Reading Eggs

Teach Your Monster

Phonics and reading games from a charity set up by Peter Usborne of Usborne Publishing. UK price: Free on computers. Teach Your Monster to Read app: £8.99 one-off on the UK App Store.

What it does well

  • Free to play on computers, from a charity set up by Peter Usborne of Usborne Publishing.
  • Teach Your Monster to Read goes in three stages from the first letter sounds and tricky words to reading sentences for meaning, and was developed with academics at Roehampton University.
  • The app has no in-app purchases or adverts.
  • Reading for Fun turns reading into quests, with more than 70 books to collect.

Worth knowing

  • Teach Your Monster to Read is aimed at early readers; its app says ages 3 to 6.
  • The phone and tablet apps cost money; only the computer versions are free.

Visit Teach Your Monster

Night Zookeeper

A reading and writing programme for ages 6 to 12, set as an adventure. UK price: £11.99 a month, £27.99 a quarter or £99.99 a year for one child; more for each extra child.

What it does well

  • Writing is the focus: grammar, vocabulary, spelling, reading comprehension and creative writing.
  • A wide age range, from 6 to 12.
  • A 7-day free trial, and you can cancel within it without being charged.

Worth knowing

  • The dearest of these for one child, and each extra child adds to the price.
  • No Android app is mentioned; on other devices it runs in Safari or Chrome.

Visit Night Zookeeper

Litsee

Interactive illustrated stories where the child chooses what happens next. UK price: Standard £4.99 a month (15 stories), Premium £6.99 (unlimited), Book Club £19.99 (plus a printed book monthly).

What it does well

  • The child is the author: they pick the hero and the world, and after each chapter choose one of three paths or write their own idea.
  • Stories are illustrated and read aloud, with each word highlighted as it is read, at your child's reading level.
  • One plan covers every child in the family, each with their own profile, and there are no adverts.

Worth knowing

  • It is a web app: it runs in the browser and needs an internet connection, and there is no app-store app.
  • A card is needed to start the 7-day free trial (nothing is charged if you cancel before it ends), and there is no free plan.
  • Litsee uses AI to write and illustrate each story from your child's choices, so it is not a library of published books. It is not a phonics programme either.

Litsee plans and prices

Questions parents ask

Is Epic available in the UK?

Yes. Epic's family app is on the UK App Store, where its subscriptions are listed in pounds (including £79.99 a year when we checked). Its own website shows family prices in US dollars: $13.99 a month or $84.99 a year.

Is there a free alternative to Epic in the UK?

Yes. With a library card, your local library's apps (BorrowBox or Libby) lend children's ebooks and audiobooks for free. Oxford Owl for Home has a free eBook library for ages 3 to 11, levelled by Book Band, and Teach Your Monster's reading games are free on computers.

Which Epic alternatives work offline?

Libby lets you download ebooks and audiobooks to read offline, and so does Epic. We could not find an offline mode on the Oxford Owl, Reading Eggs, Teach Your Monster or Night Zookeeper pages we checked. Litsee needs an internet connection.

How is Litsee different from Epic?

Epic is a library of published books to choose from. Litsee is one story at a time that your child shapes: they pick the hero and the world, then after each chapter choose one of three paths or write their own idea. Litsee uses AI to write and illustrate each story at your child's reading level, and every story request and idea your child types is checked against child-safety rules.

Are these prices up to date?

We checked every price on 30 October 2026, on each company's own website or its UK App Store listing. Prices and offers change, so check the company's site before you subscribe.

How we checked

Written by the Litsee team. We make Litsee, so we are not neutral: we have tried to be fair, we say where another app is the better choice, and every fact links to the company's own website or app store listing. If something here is wrong or out of date, email info@litsee.com and we will fix it.

Prices, ages, free options and devices were read on each company's own website or its UK App Store listing on . Where a site did not say something (whether it works offline, say), we write "not stated" rather than guess. Prices and offers change, so check before you subscribe.

Let your child write the next page

In Litsee, your child picks the hero and the world and chooses what happens next, in an illustrated story read aloud at their level. Every family starts with a 7-day free trial; a card is needed to start it, and nothing is charged if you cancel before it ends.

Start your free trial

See plans and pricing · How Litsee works

Try it in LitseeYour child creates the hero, picks the world and chooses what happens next, in an illustrated story that is read aloud.Start your free trialUse it in classRead an illustrated, narrated story together on the whiteboard, and let the class choose what happens next.Start a free classroom trialSee Litsee for schools