You’ve been watching Stock Advisor’s track record—951% returns since 2002, 67% win rate—and you’re ready to commit. But then you see Epic in Motley Fool’s product comparison table, labeled “Best Value,” offering 5 picks per month instead of 2. The price jumps from $199 to $499. And now you’re here, wondering if that extra $300 buys you something real or just marketing fluff.
Motley Fool Epic is worth it for investors with $50K+ portfolios who want diversified stock picks across growth, value, and dividend strategies. At $299/year, you’re essentially bundling four services—Stock Advisor, Rule Breakers, Hidden Gems, and Dividend Investor—for less than you’d pay subscribing to each separately. The catch: you need the capital and conviction to act on 5 recommendations monthly, and you must hold for 5+ years to see the strategy work.
Quick Verdict
| Factor | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 |
| Price | $499/year |
| Best For | Investors with $50K-$100K seeking diversification |
| Skip If | You’re happy with 2 picks/month or have <$50K |
Motley Fool Epic delivers genuine value for the right investor. If you want exposure to multiple investing strategies—growth stocks, disruptive innovators, overlooked opportunities, and dividend payers—without managing four separate subscriptions, Epic consolidates everything into one membership. But if Stock Advisor’s 2 monthly picks already feel like enough, you’re paying for capacity you won’t use.
The Track Record Behind Epic
Here’s what makes Epic’s value proposition concrete: the Stock Advisor scorecard included in your membership has one of the longest verified track records in the industry.
Stock Advisor Performance (Included in Epic):
- Total Return: 951.5% since 2002
- vs S&P 500: Outperformed by 758.7%
- Win Rate: 67% of picks are profitable
- $10,000 invested in 2002: Worth approximately $105,150 today
That’s not a typo. The same $10,000 in an S&P 500 index fund would be worth roughly $29,000. Stock Advisor has delivered roughly 3.5x the market’s return over 23+ years.
But here’s what the marketing doesn’t emphasize: those returns required sitting through brutal drawdowns. In 2022, growth-heavy portfolios dropped 40%+ while the S&P fell 18%. Stock Advisor’s biggest winners—Netflix, Nvidia, Shopify—have each seen 50%+ crashes during their runs.
| Metric | Stock Advisor (in Epic) | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (2002-2025) | +951.5% | +192.9% |
| 2022 Drawdown | ~40% | -18% |
| Win Rate | 67% | — |
| Losers | 33% of picks | — |
The other three scorecards—Rule Breakers, Hidden Gems, and Dividend Investor—add diversification but don’t have the same level of independently verified performance data. You’re buying Stock Advisor’s proven track record plus three additional strategies that provide exposure to different market segments.
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What You Actually Get
Epic delivers 5 stock recommendations monthly across four distinct investing strategies:
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The Four Scorecards
Stock Advisor (2 picks/month): The flagship service with the 951% track record. Focused on market-beating stocks with 5+ year holding periods. This is the core of Epic’s value.
Rule Breakers (1 pick/month): High-growth, disruptive companies. Think early-stage positions in companies changing their industries. Higher volatility, higher potential upside.
Hidden Gems (1 pick/month): Led by co-founder Tom Gardner. Focuses on overlooked opportunities across all market sectors—companies the market hasn’t fully recognized yet. See our Motley Fool stock picks review for more on Motley Fool’s recommendation philosophy.
Dividend Investor (1 pick/month): Income-generating stocks and real estate investments. Balances the growth-heavy picks with cash-flowing positions.
Tools and Resources
- Fool IQ+ (Full Access): Financial data, proprietary estimates, max drawdown projections, and estimated returns for all publicly traded companies
- Quant Projections: 5-year scores and AI-driven analysis covering 340+ companies in the Epic database
- Top 10 Rankings: Monthly lists of best current buying opportunities from all Epic recommendations
- GamePlan+: Retirement planning and financial goal-setting tools
- Epic Opportunities Podcast: Member-exclusive insights from Motley Fool analysts
How Epic’s Approach Works
Epic follows The Motley Fool’s core investing philosophy—the same principles that generated Stock Advisor’s track record:
1. Buy 25+ Companies Over Time A diversified portfolio reduces single-stock risk. With 5 picks monthly (60 per year), Epic provides enough recommendations to build a properly diversified portfolio within 6-12 months.
2. Hold for 5+ Years Stock Advisor’s data proves this works: positions held 5-10 years average 210% returns with a 65.6% win rate. Positions held 10+ years average 3,951% returns with a 91.9% win rate. The strategy requires patience.
3. Let Winners Run The asymmetry is striking: Stock Advisor’s average winner returns +1,598% while the average loser drops -43.5%. You can only lose 100% on a position, but winners can return 1,000%+. The math favors holding.
4. Buy Through Volatility Picks made during bear markets have historically delivered the strongest returns. Epic’s diversified approach across four strategies helps you stay invested when single-strategy portfolios might feel too risky.
Pricing and Value Math
The Cost
| Option | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Epic Annual | $299/year | Standard offering |
| Promotional | Varies | Occasional new member discounts |
| Guarantee | 30 days | Full refund, no questions asked |
The Bundle Math
If you subscribed to each service separately:
- Stock Advisor: $199/year
- Rule Breakers: $299/year
- Hidden Gems: ~$199/year (estimated)
- Dividend Investor: ~$199/year (estimated)
- Total: $800+/year
Epic bundles all four for $299—roughly 40% savings versus individual subscriptions.
Breakeven Analysis
At $499/year, here’s what it takes to justify the cost:
If you invest $5,000 per recommendation and just ONE pick outperforms the S&P 500 by 10% over a year, that’s $500 in excess returns. You’ve paid for the entire annual subscription.
With 60 picks per year, you only need one meaningful winner to break even. Given Stock Advisor’s 67% historical win rate, the odds favor you.
The Real Question: $499 isn’t the cost. Your attention and discipline are the cost. If you’ll follow the recommendations and hold through volatility, $499 is trivial. If you’ll second-guess every pick and sell at the wrong time, $499 is wasted.
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The Trade-Offs
What Works
- Diversification in one subscription: Four distinct strategies covering growth, disruption, value, and income
- Proven core: Stock Advisor’s 951% track record anchors the bundle
- Volume for portfolio building: 60 picks/year lets you build a 25+ stock portfolio quickly
- Full refund guarantee: 30 days to test everything, no questions asked
- Research tools included: Fool IQ+ and Quant projections add analytical depth
What Doesn’t
- No standalone Epic performance data: You’re trusting the component services, not a verified Epic-specific track record
- Requires capital: 5 picks/month means nothing if you can’t invest in them
- Growth-heavy: Even with Dividend Investor, the overall tilt is toward growth stocks
- Upsell pressure: Motley Fool will market Epic Plus ($1,999) and higher tiers aggressively
Who Should Subscribe
Epic is right for you if:
- You have $50K-$100K to invest and can allocate $2,000-$5,000 per recommendation
- You want diversification across growth, value, and income strategies
- You’ll hold for 5+ years through inevitable 30-50% drawdowns
- You find 2 picks/month limiting and want more opportunities
Epic is NOT right for you if:
- You have less than $50K — you can’t properly diversify across 5 monthly picks
- You’re happy with Stock Advisor — save $300/year and stick with the proven flagship
- You want active trading — this is a buy-and-hold service with multi-year time horizons
- You need options or crypto — those require Epic Plus ($1,999/year)
Best Alternatives
If You Want Less
Motley Fool Stock Advisor — $99/year
The flagship service with the 951% track record. Two picks per month, proven methodology, lower commitment. If you’re unsure about Epic, start here. Stock Advisor is included in Epic anyway—you can always upgrade later. See how they compare in our Stock Advisor vs Epic analysis, or read our Stock Advisor review for the complete breakdown.
If You Want More
Motley Fool Epic Plus — $1,999/year
Adds AI Playbook Portfolio, Moneyball with daily recommendations, options trading strategies, and 3 additional scorecards. For investors with $100K+ who want more frequent guidance and advanced tools.
If You Want Different
Alpha Picks — $449/year
Seeking Alpha’s quant-driven approach. Two picks monthly based on algorithmic analysis rather than human research. Different philosophy, competitive pricing, strong recent performance. Read our Alpha Picks review or see how it stacks up in our Stock Advisor vs Alpha Picks comparison.
Final Verdict
Motley Fool Epic solves a real problem: you want diversified stock recommendations across multiple strategies without managing four separate subscriptions. At $299/year for 60 annual picks across growth, disruption, hidden value, and dividends, the bundle math works.
The anchor is Stock Advisor’s verified 951% return since 2002. That track record—67% win rate, 23+ years of live results, $10K becoming $105K—gives Epic its credibility. The other three scorecards add diversification and exposure to different market segments. For a detailed analysis of Stock Advisor specifically, see our Stock Advisor review.
Here’s the honest assessment: Epic is worth it if you have $50K+ to invest, want more than Stock Advisor’s 2 picks monthly, and will actually hold positions for 5+ years. If any of those conditions don’t apply, stick with Stock Advisor at $199 and save the difference.
Five years from now, investors who followed Epic’s recommendations through the inevitable volatility will likely be glad they did. The ones who panic-sold during the first 30% drawdown won’t. The service works. The question is whether you will.
Want to compare Epic to Stock Advisor directly? See our Stock Advisor vs Epic breakdown. For a broader view of all available options, explore our best stock advisors guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Motley Fool Epic worth the money?
Yes, for investors with $50K+ portfolios who want diversified stock picks. At $299/year, you’re bundling four services—Stock Advisor, Rule Breakers, Hidden Gems, and Dividend Investor—for less than individual subscriptions would cost. The core value comes from Stock Advisor’s 951% return since 2002. If you can invest in 5 picks monthly and hold for 5+ years, Epic delivers genuine value.
What are the best alternatives to Motley Fool Epic?
For a simpler option, Stock Advisor ($99/year) offers the same proven track record with fewer picks. For more advanced features, Epic Plus ($1,999/year) adds AI tools, options strategies, and daily recommendations. For a different approach entirely, Alpha Picks ($449/year) from Seeking Alpha uses quant-driven stock selection instead of human analysts.
Motley Fool Epic vs Stock Advisor: Which is better?
Stock Advisor is better if you want the proven track record (951% since 2002) at the lowest price ($199/year) with 2 picks monthly. Epic is better if you want diversification across 4 strategies (5 picks monthly) and have $50K+ to invest. Epic includes everything in Stock Advisor plus three additional scorecards and enhanced research tools. For a detailed comparison, see our Stock Advisor vs Epic breakdown.
How do I cancel Motley Fool Epic?
Contact Member Support at [email protected], call (888) 665-3665 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm EST), or use the Customer Service Contact Form. Annual memberships include a 30-day money-back guarantee—cancel within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked. After 30 days, you retain access through your subscription period but won’t receive a refund.
What’s the difference between Epic and Epic Plus?
Epic ($299/year) includes 5 monthly picks across 4 scorecards plus research tools covering 340+ companies. Epic Plus ($1,999/year) adds AI Playbook Portfolio, Moneyball with daily recommendations, 5 Moneymakers Portfolios, options trading strategies, 3 additional scorecards, and an expanded database covering 3,500+ companies. Epic Plus is designed for investors with $100K+ portfolios who want more frequent guidance.
Does Motley Fool Epic have a money-back guarantee?
Yes. Epic offers a 30-day membership fee back guarantee. If the service isn’t right for you, cancel within 30 days and receive a full refund—no questions asked. This applies to annual memberships and gives you time to evaluate all four scorecards and research tools before committing.