--- title: "Is there a website to play dnd?" url: https://isthereathing.com/a-website-to-play-dnd/ answer: "yes" summary: "Yes. Roll20 and Owlbear Rodeo run in your browser with a free tier, D&D Beyond has its own Maps tabletop, and Foundry and Fantasy Grounds are downloadable apps your players join online." category: "Games, hobbies & learning" published: 2026-10-09 updated: 2026-10-09 author: "Jack Stovell" publisher: "Adapt Progress Evolve Limited" language: en-GB --- # Is there a website to play dnd? **Answer: yes.** Yes. Roll20 and Owlbear Rodeo run in your browser with a free tier, D&D Beyond has its own Maps tabletop, and Foundry and Fantasy Grounds are downloadable apps your players join online. (Source: [Roll20](https://roll20.net/)) Yes. Roll20 and Owlbear Rodeo run in your browser with a free tier, D&D Beyond has its own Maps tabletop, and Foundry and Fantasy Grounds are downloadable apps your players join online. Most of them cost nothing to start, so the choice comes down to how much setup you will put up with and what you want the table to do. ## The shortlist ### Roll20 A browser-based virtual tabletop with dice, character sheets, maps and ready-to-play adventures. - Link: https://roll20.net/ - Free tier: yes. Free tier available forever, for GMs and players, with no credit card (Roll20). - Paid from: not checked (not verified: Roll20's subscription page blocked our request) - Best at: Starting fast: no downloads or hosting, and it says it supports D&D and 1,200+ other game systems. - The catch: Its full API for automation needs a Pro subscription; we could not read its subscription page to confirm prices. - Platforms: web - Source: [Roll20](https://roll20.net/) ### Owlbear Rodeo A lightweight browser tabletop focused on maps, fog, drawing tools and extensions. - Link: https://www.owlbear.rodeo/ - Free tier: yes. Nestling plan is free: 200MB storage, up to 2 rooms (Owlbear Rodeo pricing). - Paid from: US$3.33/month billed yearly (Fledgling: US$3.99 shown, or US$3.33 a month billed yearly; Bestling US$7.99, or US$6.66 a month billed yearly) - Best at: A simple map table that it says runs as easily on mobile as on desktop. - The catch: The free Nestling plan is limited to 200MB of storage and up to 2 rooms. - Platforms: web - Source: [Owlbear Rodeo pricing](https://www.owlbear.rodeo/pricing) ### D&D Beyond Maps VTT The official D&D Beyond site's character builder plus its Maps virtual tabletop. - Link: https://www.dndbeyond.com/subscribe - Free tier: yes. Free tier: up to 6 character slots, invite friends, run games on the Maps VTT (D&D Beyond). - Paid from: US$2.17/month (Hero from US$2.17 (annual) or US$2.99 (monthly) a month; Master from US$4.58 or US$5.99 a month; prices exclude taxes) - Best at: Playing with official D&D books and characters you already keep on D&D Beyond. - The catch: Uploading custom maps and using homebrew monsters on Maps need the Master Tier. - Platforms: web - Source: [D&D Beyond subscriptions](https://www.dndbeyond.com/subscribe) ### Foundry Virtual Tabletop Self-hosted tabletop software: the GM runs a game server and players connect through a web browser. - Link: https://foundryvtt.com/ - Free tier: no. Players connect free; the GM needs a licence (Foundry). - Paid from: US$50 once (Software licence key US$50.00, perpetual licence with future updates; tax computed at checkout) - Best at: A one-time purchase with no subscription fees or feature gating, and players join for free. - The catch: You host it yourself (Windows, Mac or Linux), which takes more setup than a website. - Platforms: windows, mac, linux, web - Source: [Foundry Virtual Tabletop purchase page](https://foundryvtt.com/purchase/) ### Fantasy Grounds A downloadable tabletop with heavy rules automation for combat, attacks, saves and effects. - Link: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/ - Free tier: yes. The full app is completely free; free to play since its transition (Fantasy Grounds). - Paid from: not checked (free app; store content priced per item) - Best at: Automation: the free app hosts games for anyone, with no licences needed. - The catch: It is an install, not a website, and official content is sold in its store. - Platforms: windows, mac, linux - Source: [Fantasy Grounds](https://www.fantasygrounds.com/) ## How they compare ### If you want to start tonight with nothing to install Roll20 is a browser-based virtual tabletop with dice, character sheets, maps and ready-to-play adventures. There are no downloads, no hosting and no setup: you invite friends with a link. It says it supports D&D and 1,200+ other game systems, and its free tier is available forever, for GMs and players, with no credit card. The catch is on the paid side. Its full API for automation needs a Pro subscription, and Roll20's subscription page blocked our request, so we cannot tell you what its paid plans cost. ### If you want the simplest map table Owlbear Rodeo is a lightweight browser tabletop focused on maps, fog, drawing and grid tools, with extensions for more. It says it runs as easily on mobile as on desktop, which helps if some of your group play from phones. It runs in the browser, on a phone as well as a computer. The free Nestling plan is limited to 200MB of storage and up to 2 rooms, which suits one table and gets tight with several. Fledgling is US$3.99 shown, or US$3.33 a month billed yearly, and Bestling US$7.99, or US$6.66 a month billed yearly. ### If your characters already live on D&D Beyond D&D Beyond pairs the official site's character builder with its Maps virtual tabletop, so you play with official D&D books and characters you already keep there. A free account holds up to 6 character slots, lets you invite friends and lets you run games on the Maps VTT. Paid tiers add unlimited slots and Maps components: Hero from US$2.17 a month billed annually or US$2.99 monthly, and Master from US$4.58 or US$5.99 a month. What you give up on the free tier is flexibility. Uploading custom maps and using homebrew monsters on Maps need the Master Tier. ### If you hate subscriptions Foundry Virtual Tabletop is self-hosted software: the GM runs a game server and players connect for free through a web browser. It is a one-time US$50.00 licence, perpetual, with future updates and no subscription fees or feature gating. Tax is computed at checkout. The price of that is setup. You host it yourself on Windows, Mac or Linux, which takes more work than a website, in exchange for owning the data and paying once. ### If you want the rules automated Fantasy Grounds is a downloadable tabletop with automation for combat, initiative, attacks, saves, damage and effects. The full app is completely free, on Windows, Mac and Linux, and anyone can host games with no licences needed. If you would rather not do the arithmetic mid-fight, that is the draw. The cost is that it is an install rather than a website, and official books and adventures are sold in its store. ### When paying is worth it Pay when the free tier limits your table. On Owlbear Rodeo that means more than 2 rooms or 200MB: Fledgling gives 5GB and up to 10 rooms, Bestling 10GB and up to 25 rooms. On D&D Beyond it is when you want custom maps, which means Master from US$4.58 a month billed annually, before tax; Master also lets you share purchased content with friends. On Foundry, only the GM pays, once. Roll20's free tier covers GMs and players, and its Pro subscription adds the automation API. ## What to watch for D&D Beyond prices exclude taxes, and its subscriptions renew automatically, with cancellation taking effect at the end of the term. If you mean to stop, cancel before the renewal date. Fantasy Grounds is free to play, but books and adventures are sold in its store; the free rulesets and SRD content come built in, so you can start without buying anything. Roll20's advanced automation API needs a Pro subscription. If you only want dice, maps and sheets, that limit may not touch you. ## How we checked On 2026-10-02 we read the Roll20 homepage, the Owlbear Rodeo homepage and pricing page, D&D Beyond's subscription page, Foundry's homepage and purchase page, Fantasy Grounds' homepage, and the AI Dungeon homepage. Roll20's subscription page blocked our request, so its paid prices are not stated. Nothing was tested hands-on. ## If none of these fit If you have no group, Roll20 says you can find a party with its looking-for-group tool and Discord. If you want a computer to run the story for you, none of the tabletops here does that. AI Dungeon describes itself as a free AI text adventure game where players create open-ended stories, rather than a D&D table, and it is not official D&D. ## Also typed as - is there an ai dnd - is there a online dnd - is there a dnd website - is there an ai dnd app - is there an ai for dnd - is there an ai dnd game - is there an app for dnd - is there an ai dm for dnd ## Related questions - [Is there an ai that can make video games?](https://isthereathing.com/an-ai-that-can-make-video-games/) - [Is there an app that lets you build lego?](https://isthereathing.com/an-app-that-lets-you-build-lego/) ## Sources - [Roll20](https://roll20.net/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Foundry Virtual Tabletop purchase page](https://foundryvtt.com/purchase/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Owlbear Rodeo pricing](https://www.owlbear.rodeo/pricing) (checked 2026-10-02) - [D&D Beyond subscriptions](https://www.dndbeyond.com/subscribe) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Fantasy Grounds](https://www.fantasygrounds.com/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [AI Dungeon](https://aidungeon.com/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Foundry Virtual Tabletop](https://foundryvtt.com/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Owlbear Rodeo](https://www.owlbear.rodeo/) (checked 2026-10-02) ## Questions people ask ### Can I play D&D online for free? Yes. Roll20 has a free tier available forever, Owlbear Rodeo has a free plan with up to 2 rooms, D&D Beyond's free tier can run games on its Maps VTT, and Fantasy Grounds is a free app. ### Is there an AI DM for D&D? None of the tabletops here runs the game for you. AI Dungeon describes itself as a free AI text adventure game where players create open-ended stories; it is not official D&D. ### Do my players need to pay? Not on Foundry: the GM buys the licence and players connect free through a web browser. Roll20's free tier covers GMs and players. ### Is there an app for D&D? Fantasy Grounds is a downloadable app for Windows, Mac and Linux. Owlbear Rodeo runs in the browser and says it is designed to run as easily on mobile as on desktop.