Epic vs CommonLit

Epic9.3Visit CommonLit8.9Visit

Higher score Epic #2 in Reading Apps 9.3/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Epic

vs

CommonLit #5 in Reading Apps 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit CommonLit

• Epic fits best

  Families and schools building kids’ reading habits

• CommonLit fits best

  Teachers and schools teaching grades 3–12

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Side by side

Feature	Epic 9.3/10 Visit ↗	CommonLit 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.9
Ranking	#2 in Reading Apps	#5 in Reading Apps
Best for	Families and schools building kids’ reading habits	Teachers and schools teaching grades 3–12
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	$4,000/yr
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	7 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web
Integrations	3 integrations	4 integrations
Features Epic 4/4 · CommonLit 2/4
Phonics instruction	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Comprehension practice	✓	✓
Fluency practice	✓	✓
Offline access	✓ (best)	—
Specs
Age range	12 and under	Grades 3–12
Content format	Mixed	Mixed
Supported platforms	web, iOS, Android	web
Our review
Pros	40,000+ books, audiobooks, and educational videos Phonics, comprehension, fluency, and reading-progress tools Clever, ClassLink, Google Classroom, and SSO/auto rostering support	Thousands of literary and informational texts for grades 3–12 Standards-aligned lessons with comprehension checks and annotations Google Classroom, Canvas, Clever, and ClassLink integrations
Cons	Epic School access is limited to weekdays from 7am–4pm Epic School Plus pricing is quote-based Offline reading is available only on supported mobile apps	Student access is web-based rather than through a fully offline app The free plan does not include school-level dashboards or assessments Not designed as a phonics-verification tool
Our verdict	Epic is a digital reading platform for children ages 12 and under, combining ebooks, audiobooks, educational videos, decodable books, leveled readers, graphic novels, and literacy activities. Families get full library access and unlimited… Read the review →	CommonLit is a nonprofit educational platform for teachers and students in grades 3–12. Its free Text Library includes thousands of literary and informational texts, while standards-aligned reading and ELA lessons support classroom… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Epic — where it wins

  • 40,000+ books, audiobooks, and educational videos
  • Phonics, comprehension, fluency, and reading-progress tools
  • Clever, ClassLink, Google Classroom, and SSO/auto rostering support

  Where it doesn't

  • Epic School access is limited to weekdays from 7am–4pm
  • Epic School Plus pricing is quote-based
  • Offline reading is available only on supported mobile apps

• CommonLit — where it wins

  • Thousands of literary and informational texts for grades 3–12
  • Standards-aligned lessons with comprehension checks and annotations
  • Google Classroom, Canvas, Clever, and ClassLink integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Student access is web-based rather than through a fully offline app
  • The free plan does not include school-level dashboards or assessments
  • Not designed as a phonics-verification tool

• Epic9.3/10 · Free plan · 7-day trial

  A broad kids’ reading library with strong literacy tools for home and school.

  Visit EpicFull verdict →
• CommonLit8.9/10 · Free plan

  A broad web-based reading and ELA resource for classroom instruction.

  Visit CommonLitFull verdict →