The Epic Games Store charges developers a 12% commission on revenue, a figure that sits 13 percentage points below the 25% rates listed for Google Play and the Samsung Galaxy Store heading into 2026.

That gap is the core of the store comparison now circulating among developers weighing distribution options. For a studio pricing a premium title or running in-game purchases, the difference between a 12% cut and a 25% cut translates directly into how much gross revenue the developer retains after platform fees.

Epic Games has positioned its 12% rate as a deliberate challenge to the industry's older 30% standard since the Epic Games Store launched. Google and Samsung, by contrast, have historically anchored their mobile storefronts around higher commissions, with the 25% figure representing the rate now being compared against Epic's PC store.

For studios, the operational question is straightforward: which storefront leaves more revenue per transaction, and what does each platform give back in exchange for its cut. A developer earning $1 million in gross sales would retain roughly $880,000 after Epic's 12% commission, versus roughly $750,000 at a 25% rate — a $130,000 difference on identical sales volume.

The comparison also matters for monetization mechanics. Mobile stores such as Google Play and the Galaxy Store process in-app purchases, subscriptions and microtransactions within their billing systems, which is where their commissions apply. The Epic Games Store handles transactions for PC titles, including free-to-play games with cosmetic and battle-pass monetization, under the same 12% terms.

Developers publishing on multiple platforms therefore face a split economics picture: PC revenue through Epic's store at 12%, and mobile revenue through Google's and Samsung's storefronts at 25%. That asymmetry shapes portfolio strategy — studios with cross-platform titles weigh whether mobile distribution is worth the higher fee, or whether steering players toward PC or web-based payment options improves margins.

The 12% versus 25% framing also keeps pressure on the broader commission debate that has reshaped platform economics in recent years. Epic has been the most vocal advocate for lower, uniform rates, while Google and Apple have faced regulatory and legal scrutiny over their storefront terms. Samsung's Galaxy Store, as the default storefront on the world's largest Android handset line, remains a significant secondary distribution channel despite Google Play's dominance on Android.

For smaller studios in particular, the commission delta compounds over a product's lifetime. Live-service games with long tails of cosmetic sales and season passes feel the percentage difference on every transaction, not just the initial purchase price.

What changes for businesses is the bargaining landscape: with Epic publicly holding at 12% and mobile stores at 25%, developers have a concrete benchmark to negotiate from, whether with platforms directly or when choosing where to launch. The comparison heading into 2026 suggests the commission gap remains one of the widest in games distribution.

Whether Google or Samsung adjust their rates in response to continued regulatory pressure and Epic's pricing is the market signal worth watching through 2026.