ReadStory vs Epic vs Book Creator

A class or family needs books on devices. Either you subscribe to a catalog, you author new digital books, or you turn existing print into talking copies.

Side by side

Feature	ReadStory	Epic (and similar libraries)	Book Creator
Job	Digitize and share YOUR print books	Borrow a large licensed catalog	Author new digital books in class
Use the book on the shelf	Yes — photo, OCR, TTS	No — only titles in Epic	Only if you recreate it by hand
Licensed commercial library	No catalog of publisher ebooks	Yes, that is the product	No
QR sticker on a physical copy	Yes	No	Not the usual flow
TTS / read-aloud	Yes, device voices	Many Epic titles include audio	Possible, not the core loop
AI generate a new story	Yes	No	No
Typical buyer	Families, tutors, schools digitizing print	Schools and families wanting a library	Teachers running book-making projects

Pick ReadStory when

• The books that matter are already in the classroom or at home in print.
• You want a QR label on the cover so any phone opens the talking version.
• You need Chinese / multilingual OCR and TTS on those same pages.

Pick Epic or Book Creator when

• You want thousands of publisher titles with one login — use Epic or your library app (Libby, etc.).
• The assignment is “students design a new ebook” — Book Creator is built for that.
• You need publisher audio and illustrations you do not have rights to photograph.

Questions

Is ReadStory an Epic alternative?

No. Epic is a library. ReadStory does not license those titles. It helps you make a talking copy of a print book you already use, then share that copy.

Can a school use both?

Yes. Many classrooms use a catalog app for extra reading and ReadStory for the physical readers and teacher-made packs they already own.

Does ReadStory include a marketplace of books?

No public store of other people’s books. Sharing is via project codes, links, and QR codes that you control, with an optional passcode.