Alternatives to Owlbear Rodeo
A browser-based virtual tabletop for running tabletop role-playing sessions with maps, tokens and fog. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Owlbear Rodeo
A browser-based virtual tabletop for running tabletop role-playing sessions with maps, tokens and fog.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Owlbear Rodeo.
Roll20
A browser-based virtual tabletop for playing pen-and-paper role-playing games and board games online.
Roll20 also runs in the browser with no hosting, but adds support for over 1,200 systems, character sheets and automation, while showing ads and using tracking cookies.
Foundry Virtual Tabletop
A self-hosted virtual tabletop for running role-playing games that players join through a web browser.
Foundry Virtual Tabletop is a paid one-time purchase that the game master self-hosts, with players joining by browser and more room to extend through an API.
Fantasy Grounds
A desktop virtual tabletop for playing D&D, Pathfinder and other RPGs online with rules automation.
Fantasy Grounds is a desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux with strong rules automation and licensed content, though much content costs extra and automation takes time to learn.
MapTool
Host a virtual tabletop for pen-and-paper roleplaying games.
MapTool is free and open source under AGPL-3.0 and combines maps, tokens and chat, but it is a desktop app you host rather than a browser table.
Alchemy RPG
A virtual tabletop for playing, creating and sharing tabletop roleplaying games with a scene-based layout.
Alchemy RPG is a free tabletop with a scene-based layout for story-driven play, licensed worlds from over 125 publishers, and desktop apps plus a web version.
TaleSpire
A 3D virtual tabletop for building scenes and playing pen-and-paper role-playing games with friends online.
TaleSpire replaces the flat map with 3D scene building, but it is paid, runs only on Windows and is still in Early Access.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Dungeondraft
A desktop map editor for drawing battle maps for tabletop role-playing games.
Dungeon Alchemist
A 3D map-making application that builds tabletop RPG battle maps by automatically furnishing drawn rooms.
Wonderdraft
A desktop program for drawing fantasy world and regional maps for tabletop games and fiction.
Tabletop Simulator
A physics-based sandbox for playing and building board, card and tabletop games online with others.
VASSAL
An open-source engine for building and playing digital versions of board games and card games.
