Games are something that most of us love to play and be a part of. There have been various games since the oldest of times, but the sources of fun and delight have never changed. Good company, a bit of competitiveness, and a sporty spirit are all you need to enjoy any game to ever exist.
With the passing of time, different types of games have undergone a lot of drastic changes with the introduction of video games being the biggest one so far.
However, the era of tabletop games isn’t over yet. At the time, tabletop games were the best possible way to indulge in some great sessions with family and friends for spending time.
They were a reliable source of fun for everyone, and people looked forward to that time in the evening when they can have fun with their friends and families playing tabletop games. However, as time flows, it brings about a wave of changes.
This has impacted tabletop games as well, and in the 21st century, where technology has turned the world upside down, tabletop games can be played online.
Yes, that’s right. Roll20 is an online platform that lets you play tabletop role-playing games. Let’s learn more about it.
What is Roll20?
Roll20 is a platform with multiple tools that allow you to create a virtual tabletop experience online and play various games with your friends.
It was launched way back in 2012, and it is a platform where you can organize game individual game sessions on your own or join existing game sessions created by other people.
You can create a game session using a suite of tools the platform provides you with. These tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) are really fun to play, and the fact that you can access all of them with just a click using Roll20 and similar platforms is amazing.
In terms of features, the Roll20 platform offers a number of them that enhance your virtual tabletop game experience in every possible way.
For starters, Roll20 is a platform that provides you with mediums of communication, including text chat, video chat, and Google Hangouts integration.
You can use either of them to interact with other players. As for the actual game experience, Roll20 provides features like automated dice rolling, dynamic character sheets, shared maps with basic characters & enemy tokens for RPGs, ample & diverse sound effects, and character creation.
All these features ensure you get the best virtual tabletop game experience at Roll20. One of the other features of this tool is the availability of a marketplace where art assets, game modules, and a reference compendium for various game systems are put up for sale.
To summarize, Roll20 is a platform with several tools to help you create a virtual tabletop top-game session that you can invite your friends and family to play with.
Similar to this, numerous other platforms serve the same purpose and are great alternatives. Before learning about them, let’s look at the need for the best Roll20 alternatives.
Need for Roll20 Alternatives
Tabletop games have been around for a while, and the fact that platforms like Roll20 allow you to create the same experience online is quite amazing.
However, it is easy to understand that this tool alone isn’t enough to serve as an ideal platform for virtual tabletop game experiences for people all across the globe plus. There’s always room for improvement.
With that in mind, we have handpicked some of the best Roll20 alternatives that we could find on the internet based on features and the overall virtual tabletop game experience they offer.
So without any further delay, let’s look at some of the best Roll20 alternatives of all time.
Best Roll20 Alternatives – Our Top Pick👌👌
Here are some of the best alternatives to Roll20 that we could find on the internet:
1. MapTool – Open-Source roll20 alternatives
Similar to Roll20, MapTool is also an online platform for experiencing a virtual tabletop. It is greatly suitable for playing online role-playing games.
What makes it a great choice is the fact that it is entirely free and the features it offers for no cost whatsoever are quite good too.
It is a virtual dashboard equipped with features similar to Roll20, and it also allows you to play together with your friends. You can play with random players online too.
It is a multi-user platform that connects people from all across the globe and brings them together in one place to create a perfect environment for a tabletop experience.
MapTool also lets you play something face-to-face or roleplay on the internet. It is an open-source project that aims at constant improvement, which makes it an ideal alternative to Roll20.
2. Fantasy Grounds
Fantasy Grounds is our second pick for the best Roll20 Alternatives available for Windows. Fantasy Grounds is a great choice when you are looking for an online platform that allows you to experience the fun and zeal of an actual tabletop virtually.
Easily downloadable and simple to use, this application has several perks that make it a great alternative to Roll20.
It includes all of the basic features you’d expect a virtual tabletop application to have, and it also has some extra features that add to the fun.
You can enjoy role-playing games on Fantasy Grounds without issues, as the application lets you play several games online with your friends.
It is a great way to spend quality time with your loved ones and experience the joy of tabletop games.
Fantasy Grounds lets you roll dice, allows character movement, and allows sharing brochures and images that add much more to its functionality, making it a great alternative to Roll20.
3. D&D Beyond
There’s nothing better than spending some quality time with friends. It gets even better if we’re discussing healthy competition at a tabletop.
D&D Beyond puts a cherry on the cake top by making all of it possible in just a few clicks. Yes, that’s right. D&D Beyond is an amazing Roll20 alternative that is an online multiplayer platform and allows you to feel the joy of playing on an actual tabletop virtually.
The best part about using this tool to organize tabletop game sessions is that you can invite your friends to play them with you. What makes it a great Roll20 alternative is the feature D&D Beyond offers.
It has one of the best digital toolkits you can come across on the internet itself, and use the tools present to make your tabletop game sessions more fun and exciting.
The toolkit contains massive online compendiums, spells, character designs, etc., and all of them combined make D&D Beyond a great tool.
4. Astral Tabletop
Astral Tabletop is a popular platform that serves the same purpose as Roll20 and other applications/platforms mentioned in this article.
It is an application/platform for creating a digital tabletop that lets you play tabletop role-playing games online with your friends, family, and even random players.
The unique perk Astral Tabletop brings to the table lies in its available tools. Remember that a good virtual tabletop platform is decided by its toolkit, and that is exactly where Astral Tabletop excels.
Its toolkit is full of useful tools with a single purpose: making your experience the best tabletop experience you’ve ever enjoyed.
Astral Tabletop offers you its amazing toolkit, mind-blowing visual effects, and interactive mediums for absolutely free.
However, that is not all there is to it. If you wish, then you can also go for a Pro version that will give you access to even more features.
5. PlanarAlly – Roll20 free alternatives
PlanarAlly is slightly different from all of the other Roll20 alternatives discussed in this alternative. Before we learn what makes it unique, let’s discuss its main features.
Just like Roll20, PlanarAlly is also an online interactive platform where we can experience a virtual tabletop with our friends, family, and even random people on the internet across the globe.
Isn’t that amazing? Not only that, it has an amazing toolkit that aims at making your tabletop experience memorable and fun.
However, one thing crucial about PlanarAlly is that this application is still under development, and there is a lot of room for upgrades.
Even without upgrades, PlanarAlly is easily one of the best alternatives to Roll20, and there are many reasons for that.
The first one is the bonus tools PlanarAlly provides you with. PlanarAlly gives you battle maps and other bonuses that make the game experience more exciting and rewarding.
6. Battlegrounds RPG edition
Role-playing games have been around for a while, and their genre is vast. However, virtual tabletop platforms like Battlegrounds RPG edition make things easier for us as we can find almost any role-playing tabletop game there and have a great time.
Battlegrounds RPG edition is a great way to play role-playing games with your friends regardless of their presence or absence in the room, as you can connect with them via the internet.
The Internet is a blessing, and tabletop software like the Battlegrounds RPG edition keeps reminding us of it from time to time.
It is a great viable alternative to Roll20 as it is a complete package of awesome virtual tabletop experiences. What makes Battlegrounds RPG edition special is the numerous cool features it offers to its players.
These features ensure that our tabletop experience is unforgettable and that we enjoy quality time with our friends and families.
7. Mipui
Mipui might seem like a funny-sounding name, but as they say, we should never judge a book by its cover.
Mipui is one of the best alternatives to Roll20, and its features justify that statement. Primarily, it is an online map that gives you full freedom to play games the way you want them to play.
The user interface is super friendly, and the learning curve is quite easy to overcome. One of the best parts about using Mipui is that you don’t even need to download it.
You can just open Mipui in your browser and interact with other players worldwide.
Though the tools available in Mipui might be fewer in numbers when compared to its rival software, these tools are of exceptional quality.
They are enough to provide you with a great tabletop experience that will certainly blow your mind. Mipui is a customizable map that lets you play games in the way of your choice.
8. Epictable
Epictable is one of the best virtual table applications out there. Downloading Epictable is fairly easy, and that’s all you need to do to enjoy a great tabletop experience that’ll leave you craving more.
Like some other Roll20 alternatives mentioned in this article so far, Epictable also has one of the most fantastic toolkits you’ll ever come across, and these tools guarantee an unforgettable tabletop experience.
These tools include maps, character sheets, leaflets, miniatures, tokens, and whatnot. Everything that is needed to make an application a decent virtual tabletop, Epictable, has it all, and that is why it is a great alternative to Roll20.
It is available for Windows and is super fun to play with friends and family. The tools listed above are only a part of what Epictable offers. It is packed with features that will ensure you enjoy your tabletop experience.
9. GM Forge – Roll20 alternatives with competitive features
Finding the right alternative to Roll20 can be hard. The main reason is that some alternatives may not offer all the features needed for a great tabletop experience, while the ones that offer charge more money.
That is precisely why, in this article, we’ve brought you a variety of alternatives to Roll20, and GM Forge is one of them.
GM Forge is probably one of the most affordable online interactive tabletop software on the internet, and that is precisely its best selling point.
It isn’t an ideal alternative to Roll20 because it’s cheap; it is an ideal alternative to Roll20 because it offers great value-for-money features for a rather cheap sum of money. Isn’t that insane?
This tool offers a ton of cool features along with a great toolkit for making your virtual tabletop experience better than it has ever been.
GM Forge is cheap, and the experience it provides is no less than an actual tabletop. It is a great platform for playing role-playing games with your friends and family, and it’s a steal deal when you consider how affordable it is.
![GM Forge - Virtual Tabletop [Steam Announcement!]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JMmBleHDj6U/0.jpg)
10. D20PRO
When it comes to multiplayer platforms, D20PRO is a platform that stands above many of its other rivals. It is an amazing platform that offers a ton of features to its players. You need to download it on your computer, and you’re good to go.
You’ll get much more than you expect when you use D20PRO to experience a virtual tabletop.
What makes it a great alternative to Roll20 is the massive number of super cool features this tool brings to the table. When you use this application, your view of role-playing games will change a bit.
You’ll get the feature of rolling automatic dice, brilliant gaming maps, and much more. D20PRO takes the virtual tabletop experience to the next level and outclasses some of its rival software with a great difference.
11. Dungeon Sketch
Dungeon Sketch is another popular platform for playing multiplayer role-playing games with your family and friends.
Multiplayer games are fun if played correctly, and Dungeon Sketch adds even more fun to that as it is a feature-packed platform with a pinch of creativity that appeals to many players across the globe.
Downloading this application is all you need to do to step into a world of creativity and thrill. Dungeon Sketch lets you customize the map as much as you want and opens a whole world of possibilities regarding its customization features.
You can draw on the map according to your wish and add images and more creative stuff. The creativity Dungeon Sketch allows you to do, along with the massive customization it offers.
12. Standard Action
Some software is hard to get used to or has a complex user interface. You’ll often find their learning curve pretty hard to ascend, and it spoils all the fun at one point.
However, you won’t have to worry about that part if Standard Action is your chosen platform.
It is easily one of the best online gaming platforms on the internet, and its immersive tabletop experience is unmatched.
That is not even the best part about it. The best part about using Standard Action is that it is one of the easiest-to-learn applications.
It offers great customization while keeping things easy and beginner-friendly, which is undoubtedly the best perk of using this application.
✅FAQ
What Can I Use Instead Of Roll 20?
If you are looking for Roll 20 alternatives, then you can go for MapTool, Fantasy Grounds, EpicTable, Astral Tabletop, Battlegrounds: RPG Edition, Rolistream, Inkarnate, Foundry Virtual Tabletop, and others. These are some of the best Roll 20 alternatives that you can consider going for.
Is There A Free Alternative To Roll 20?
There are various free alternatives to Roll 20, such as Astral Tabletop, MasterScreen, Inkarnate, and gRove.
If you are looking for a game similar to Roll 20 and you don’t want to pay for it, then you can go for these Roll 20 free alternatives.
What Is Alchemy RPG?
Alchemy RPG is a new virtual tabletop platform. It is a free-to-use program; you can even access it through your browser.
It supports various games like Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and has its specialty campaign, Lore of Aetherra: The Los Druid.
What Is the Best VTT?
There are several good VTTs out there that you can use. You can use Foundry Virtual Tabletop and Roll 20 if you want the best. You can also go for Astral, Fantasy Grounds, TaleSpire, The RPG Engine, etc. Out of them, Roll 20 is one of the best and most popular virtual tabletop software.
What Are the Pricings Of Roll 20?
There are three different pricing plans for Roll 20- Free, Plus, and Pro. Free features include 100MB upload storage, Compendium sharing of 1 game per 5 players, and look-for groups.
The plus plan costs $49.99 annually and has similar benefits with 3 GB upload storage, Compendium Sharing for 3 per 10 players, dynamic lighting, ad-free, shared table, and access character vault.
The pro plan costs $99 annually and has more features like transmogrified, customer character sheet, Dev Server access, etc.
Final Verdict on the roll20 alternatives
In this article, we learned in detail about tabletop games and how at a time, they ruled society as the most prominent form of entertainment.
However, as mentioned before, time changes everything. Now, we have amazing online platforms like Roll20 that digitally bring the original tabletop experience to the table.
It is an amazing way to play together with your friends and family, especially if you live in different areas of the world. Roll20 makes you feel connected to the world.
However, the internet now has a tonne of alternatives to offer. Roll20 is certainly quite amazing, but many people may find themselves unsatisfied with Roll20 and wish to explore other platforms.
That is why we presented to you some of the best Roll20 Alternatives in terms of features and functionality. You can’t go wrong with any of them, as most are free, easy to use, packed with features, provide an immersive game experience and give you a memorable tabletop experience.
