Epic
Epic is a digital reading platform for kids that provides instant access to a massive library of high-quality books, videos, and quizzes to fuel curiosity and reading confidence.
ParentSquare
ParentSquare is a unified school-to-home communication platform that streamlines mass notifications, classroom messaging, and school services into one central interface to increase family engagement and student success.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Epic | ParentSquare |
|---|---|---|
| Website | getepic.com | parentsquare.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Custom |
| Starting Price | Free | Custom Pricing |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 7 days free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✘ No product demo | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2013 | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Redwood City, USA | Santa Barbara, USA |
Overview
Epic
Epic is a digital reading platform designed to spark a love for reading in children aged 12 and under. You get instant access to a massive library of over 40,000 books, audiobooks, and learning videos from top publishers. Whether you are a parent looking to support your child's literacy at home or an educator seeking to enhance your classroom library, the platform provides a safe, ad-free environment tailored to young learners.
You can easily track reading progress, set personalized goals, and discover new titles based on specific interests and reading levels. The platform solves the problem of limited access to diverse physical books by providing a portable, ever-expanding digital collection that kids can take anywhere. It effectively bridges the gap between entertainment and education through interactive features that keep children engaged with every page.
ParentSquare
ParentSquare provides you with a single, unified platform for all school-to-home communication, replacing the fragmented mix of apps and paper forms typically used in districts. You can manage everything from emergency alerts and district-wide announcements to individual teacher-parent messages and permission slips. By consolidating these tools, you ensure that every family receives information in their preferred language and through their chosen channel, whether that is email, text, or app notification.
The platform is designed specifically for K-12 districts and private schools looking to improve equity and engagement. You can track deliverability in real-time to identify families who aren't receiving messages, allowing you to bridge the communication gap. It simplifies administrative tasks like scheduling parent-teacher conferences, collecting digital signatures, and managing school payments, all while maintaining strict data privacy and security standards for your entire school community.
Overview
Epic Features
- Unlimited Library Access Explore over 40,000 high-quality books, including popular titles, series, and non-fiction from leading global publishers.
- Read-To-Me Books Support developing readers with professionally narrated audiobooks that highlight words as they are read aloud to build fluency.
- Progress Tracking Monitor how many books your child reads and how much time they spend learning with detailed activity reports.
- Personalized Recommendations Get custom book suggestions based on your child's age, interests, and reading level to keep them constantly engaged.
- Interactive Quizzes Check reading comprehension and reinforce learning with fun, short quizzes at the end of many popular titles.
- Offline Reading Download your favorite books to your mobile device so you can keep reading even without an internet connection.
ParentSquare Features
- Two-Way Messaging. Chat directly with teachers or staff in real-time with automatic translation that breaks down language barriers for all families.
- Mass Notifications. Send urgent alerts and general announcements across email, text, and voice calls simultaneously to ensure everyone stays informed.
- Digital Forms. Create and send permission slips or health surveys that parents can sign electronically from any device in seconds.
- Conference Scheduling. Set up parent-teacher conference slots and let families sign up for times that work for them without back-and-forth emails.
- Volunteer Management. Post sign-up sheets for school events or classroom needs and track volunteer hours automatically within the platform.
- Secure Document Delivery. Send report cards and private student documents securely to specific parents while maintaining a digital paper trail for compliance.
Pricing Comparison
Epic Pricing
- Free for elementary educators
- Access during school hours
- Assign books to students
- Track classroom progress
- Ad-free environment
- Everything in School, plus:
- 24/7 unlimited access
- Up to 4 child profiles
- Offline reading mode
- Detailed progress sharing
- Access on all devices
ParentSquare Pricing
Pros & Cons
Epic
Pros
- Massive selection of popular and recognizable titles
- Completely free for verified classroom teachers
- Engaging gamification elements like badges and rewards
- Easy to use interface for young children
Cons
- Free school version has restricted hours
- Subscription required for full home access
- Limited selection of titles for older teens
ParentSquare
Pros
- Consolidates multiple communication tools into one easy-to-use interface
- Automatic translation helps reach non-English speaking families effectively
- High adoption rates among parents due to mobile app convenience
- Excellent customer support and onboarding for school staff
Cons
- Initial setup requires significant data syncing with student systems
- Notification settings can be overwhelming for parents if not configured
- Custom pricing makes it difficult to budget without a sales call