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Here are the best virtual tabletops software apps you can use right now. Since the Internet came along, tabletop games have come a long way. You could always play this way using theater of the mind with detailed descriptions and a lot of trust in your party to be honest about their dice rolls. But you don’t have to depend on all of that anymore.
There are a lot of virtual tables for players and GMs to use. The fancier options almost look like video games because they have full immersion, a wide field of view, and complicated tools to help you improve your campaigns. And if you don’t want to pay a monthly fee or a bigger one-time fee, there are plenty of simpler options that are completely free.
Best Virtual Tabletops Comparison Table
| Virtual Tabletop | Features | Prices | Visit Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roll20 | Dynamic Lighting, Character Sheets, API access, and more | Free – $9.99/month | Visit Website |
| Fantasy Grounds | Officially licensed D&D content, character creation | $3.99 – $39.99/month | Visit Website |
| Tabletop Simulator | Steam Workshop integration, VR support, physics engine | $19.99 | Visit Website |
| Astral | Simple and intuitive interface, campaign management | Free – $9.99/month | Visit Website |
| Shard | Simplistic design, easy-to-use API | Free – $10.00/month | |
| Above VTT | Dynamic Lighting, Character Sheets, maps and more | Free – $10.00/month | |
| Foundry Virtual Tabletop | Highly customizable, robust API, community support | One-time purchase: $50.00 | Visit Website |
| Tableplop | Simple and intuitive interface, Discord integration | Free – $5.00/month | Visit Website |
Roll20
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Virtual tabletop | Roll20 provides a digital tabletop with a grid and tokens for players to move around. |
| Character sheets | Players can create and store character sheets within Roll20, making it easy to keep track of their character’s stats and abilities. |
| Handouts | GMs can share handouts with players, which can include maps, images, and text. |
| Dice roller | Roll20 has a built-in dice roller that players can use to roll dice for in-game actions. |
| Video and voice chat | Roll20 offers integrated video and voice chat, making it easy for players to communicate with each other during games. |
Roll20 was made by three college roommates in 2012. It now has at least eight million users. It looks like a two-dimensional picture with three layers: a map layer, an icon layer, and a hidden GM layer that players can see. There are a lot of extra features, like drawing, music, and, probably most importantly, character sheets and macros that can changed to fit your needs.
It has a lot of pros, such as being well-known among RPG veterans, having a good text chat feature and a dice roller, and most people don’t need to pay for it. It also makes it easy for players to connect, has a lot community and industry support, and will connect digital RPG collections from places like DriveThruRPG through a planned integration with OneBookShelf.
The Good
- Interface that is easy to use
- Large group of people with a lot of resources and help to offer
- It’s free to use, but you can buy extra features that cost money.
The Bad
- Can sometimes be slow and glitchy
- Paid features can cost a lot.
Fantasy Grounds
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Virtual tabletop | Fantasy Grounds provides a digital tabletop with a grid and tokens for players to move around. |
| Character sheets | Players can create and store character sheets within Fantasy Grounds, making it easy to keep track of their character’s stats and abilities. |
| Library of content | Fantasy Grounds offers a wide selection of pre-made content, including rulebooks and adventure modules. |
| Rules automation | Fantasy Grounds can automate many of the rules and mechanics of tabletop games, making gameplay smoother and faster. |
| Integration with other tools | Fantasy Grounds can be integrated with other tools, such as D&D Beyond and Roll20. |
Fantasy Grounds is a popular virtual tabletop for people who like a platform where they can fully customize their maps and character sheets and own and control everything used in a game. It’s a program that you put on the hard drive of your computer and then connect to the internet to play with other people.
Other benefits include automation for more complex games, unlimited local storage, wide community and industry support, no subscription, and a fairly modern feel to the UI. Cons include a steep learning curve because of the interface’s complexity, online connection problems that happen often, and a high initial cost.
The Good
- There is a lot of pre-made content to choose from.
- And the rules can be automated to speed up the game.
The Bad
- Interface can be hard to figure out at times.
Tabletop Simulator
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Virtual tabletop | Tabletop Simulator provides a digital tabletop with a wide variety of games and game pieces. |
| Customizable game pieces | Players can create and upload their own custom game pieces, including models and textures. |
| Physics engine | Tabletop Simulator has a built-in physics engine, allowing for realistic physics-based interactions with game pieces. |
| Multiplayer support | Tabletop Simulator supports multiplayer games, with up to 10 players able to play together. |
| Workshop support | Tabletop Simulator has a built-in workshop where players can share and download custom game content. |
Tabletop Simulator takes place in a space that has three dimensions. It isn’t made to work easily with TTRPGs, so you have to do some work and get used to it. Tabletop Simulator has a very active community, and it’s easy to play almost any popular board game.
You can also set up any TTRPG you want. You can look at the mods people have made for the game by going to the Steam workshop. Setting up a game will take time, but once you’re done, you can play with 3D miniatures and even 3D maps.
The Good
- There is a lot of room for customization.
- A lot of different games and game pieces
- The built-in physics engine makes the game more realistic.
The Bad
- Can be hard to understand and use well.
- Can sometimes be glitchy
Astral
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Virtual tabletop | Astral provides a digital tabletop with a grid and tokens for players to move around. |
| Character sheets | Players can create and store character sheets within Astral, making it easy to keep track of their character’s stats and abilities. |
| Integrated rulebooks | Astral has integrated rulebooks for many popular tabletop games, making it easy for players to reference rules during games. |
| Dynamic lighting | Astral has a built-in dynamic lighting system, allowing for realistic lighting effects during gameplay. |
| Integration with Discord | Astral can be integrated with Discord, making it easy for players to communicate with each other during games. |
Astral is like putting Roll20 and Foundry VTT together. It’s still on the web and works in a way that’s similar to Roll20. It’s technically free, but you can pay for it and there’s also a marketplace. One of the things that makes Astral stand out is that it has dynamic visual FX.
It adds more excitement to your game than a normal static battlemap. There are even tabs for keeping track of initiative and a tab you can pop as a GM for creatures that move quickly. Keep in mind that at the basic level, you can only upload up to 1GB of content, which can go quickly if you’re balancing high-resolution maps and waves of epic soundtracks.
The Good
- Having all the rules in one book saves time and effort.
- Dynamic lighting makes the game feel more real, and integration with Discord gives it more options.
The Bad
- Can sometimes be slow and glitchy
Shard
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Virtual tabletop | Shard provides a digital tabletop with a grid and tokens for players to move around. |
| Dynamic maps | Shard has a built-in map editor that allows players to create dynamic maps with animated backgrounds and moving objects. |
| Fog of war | Shard has a fog of war feature that allows GMs to reveal and hide areas of the map as players explore. |
| Campaign management | Shard has a built-in campaign management system that allows GMs to keep track of players, characters, and game progress. |
| Integration with Discord | Shard can be integrated with Discord, making it easy for players to communicate with each other during games. |
Shard is a strong VTT that is free for people who play D&D 5e. It’s too bad that it’s still in its early stages, because that means there may be a lot of limitations or bugs. On the other hand, there also a very busy Discord server, users can usually get answers to their problems quickly.
Users can buy manuals and adventures from third parties that work well with the system, but Shard doesn’t have access to official guides like D&D Beyond and Above VTT. Shard is a great option for both DMs and players who don’t need official content integration.
The Good
- Fog of war adds a layer of strategy to exploration, and dynamic maps make the game more fun.
- A system for managing campaigns keeps games in order.
The Bad
- There isn’t much ready-made content.
Above VTT
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Virtual tabletop | Above VTT provides a digital tabletop with a grid and tokens for players to move around. |
| Web-based | Above VTT is entirely web-based, making it easy to access from any device with an internet connection. |
| Multiplayer support | Above VTT supports multiplayer games, with up to 10 players able to play together. |
| Asset library | Above VTT has a built-in asset library that includes tokens, maps, and other resources for games. |
| Integration with Discord | Above VTT can be integrated with Discord, making it easy for players to communicate with each other during games. |
Above VTT is one of the newer ways to make an RP session more interesting, but it has a lot of good points. Instead of being in a browser or app, it’s a free Chrome extension that connects to a user’s D&D Beyond account. This makes it easier for people to jump right into the game without having to do extra work.
But Above VTT has problems that come with how new it is. There are bugs in the code, and the developers warn users not to plan too far ahead because their work could be lost. It might not be a great system yet, but the way it works with D&D Beyond is something that no other VTT can do. Overall, it is one of the best Virtual Tabletops that you can download.
The Good
- The web interface is easy to use and get to.
- The built-in library of assets saves time and work.
- Integration with Discord gives you more options
The Bad
- Few ways to change things
- Can sometimes be slow and jerky
Foundry Virtual Tabletop
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Virtual tabletop | Foundry Virtual Tabletop provides a digital tabletop with a grid and tokens for players to move around. |
| Customizable character sheets | Players can create and upload their own custom character sheets, making it easy to tailor games to their needs. |
| Rules automation | Foundry Virtual Tabletop can automate many of the rules and mechanics of tabletop games, making gameplay smoother and faster. |
| Dynamic lighting | Foundry Virtual Tabletop has a built-in dynamic lighting system, allowing for realistic lighting effects during gameplay. |
| Integration with other tools | Foundry Virtual Tabletop can be integrated with other tools, such as D&D Beyond and Roll20. |
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Foundry Virtual Tabletop is a service that lets you create your own adventures and play them with other people over the web. Also, for D&D players, it is the best virtual tabletop. Foundry Virtual Tabletop is different from the other apps on this list because you have to buy a one-time license to use it.
The Good
- Interface that is easy to change
- Automating the rules speeds up the game. Combining it with other tools makes it more flexible.
The Bad
- Some users may have to pay a lot.
Tableplop
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Virtual tabletop | Tableplop provides a digital tabletop with a grid and tokens for players to move around. |
| Easy-to-use interface | Tableplop has a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and use. |
| Multiplayer support | Tableplop supports multiplayer games, with up to 6 players able to play together. |
| Integration with Discord | Tableplop can be integrated with Discord, making it easy for players to communicate with each other during games. |
| Dynamic maps | Tableplop has a built-in map editor that allows players to create dynamic maps with custom backgrounds and objects. |
Tableplop is a VTT that was made for 5e and came out in March 2020. It is simple and easy to use because it has a user-friendly interface, and it has all the basic functions of a VTT. It’s easy to set up and comes with 5e character sheets built in.
Tableplop is a web-based app that can be used on phones, laptops, and tablets. It is still being worked on, and there is a busy Discord server where people can give ideas to the developers. Overall, it is one of the best Virtual Tabletops that you can download.
The Good
- The interface is easy for both new and experienced users to understand and use.
- Integration with Discord gives you more options
- Dynamic maps make games feel more real.
The Bad
- Few ways to change things
- A smaller number of players may not be a
FAQs
Once you’re no longer a beginner, it’s easy to see that Foundry is just the better option. It works better, is more up-to-date, and is supported by a community of people who love it enough to keep it going.
Foundry Virtual Tabletop is a one-time purchase that doesn’t have any recurring costs or locked features. As a self-hosted app, you have full control over your game experience and own your own data.
Tabletop Simulator has a huge amount of user-made content, from custom miniatures to 3D environments, that can be used to run D&D sessions. Tabletop Simulator has been used for a long time by people who like board and card games and want to play online with their friends.
Still, Astral has a lot more to offer than Roll20 for the same amount of money per GB. Also, Roll20 has a small file size limit of 10 MB per file, while Astral Tabletop has limits of 25, 50, and 100 MB. If price is the most important thing to you, Astral is the best choice.