Fantasy Grounds vs Shard Tabletop

Fantasy Grounds8.0Visit Shard Tabletop6.9Visit

Higher score Fantasy Grounds #4 in Virtual Tabletop Software 8.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 5 features Try Fantasy Grounds

vs

Shard Tabletop #9 in Virtual Tabletop Software 6.9/10 Free plan · paid from $19.99/yr Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Shard Tabletop

• Fantasy Grounds fits best

  Rules-heavy campaigns and automation

• Shard Tabletop fits best

  Rules-rich campaigns on a budget

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Side by side

Feature	Fantasy Grounds 8.0/10 Visit ↗	Shard Tabletop 6.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.0	6.9
Ranking	#4 in Virtual Tabletop Software	#9 in Virtual Tabletop Software
Best for	Rules-heavy campaigns and automation	Rules-rich campaigns on a budget
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop	Cloud
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Web
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market	Solo, Small business
Features Fantasy Grounds 3/5 · Shard Tabletop 2/5
Video and audio	Not published	—
Campaign tools	✓	✓
Rules compendium	✓	✓
API access	✓ (best)	Not published
Mobile apps	Not published	Not published
Specs
Player limit	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	Rules-aware combat automation with advanced modifiers Maps include line of sight, lighting, vision, tokens, and 3D dice XML and Lua extensibility supports custom rulesets and modules	Free plan supports SRD-based campaign and character tools Searchable rules content and automation support play at the table Custom content tools cover classes, monsters, spells, and adventures
Cons	Paid books, adventures, art, and community content can add cost Desktop software requires Windows, macOS, or Linux Advanced customization may require XML or Lua knowledge	Web-only access limits platform flexibility No verified integrations are provided Paid content is concentrated in one annual subscription plan
Our verdict	Fantasy Grounds is a desktop virtual tabletop for tabletop roleplaying games, whether sessions take place online or in person. It suits Game Masters and players who want structured campaign management, detailed records, maps, rules… Read the review →	Shard Tabletop is a browser-based virtual tabletop and character-management platform for D&D 5E players and gamemasters. It supports campaign creation, campaign state management, maps, encounters, tokens, combat tracking, digital character… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Fantasy Grounds — where it wins

  • Rules-aware combat automation with advanced modifiers
  • Maps include line of sight, lighting, vision, tokens, and 3D dice
  • XML and Lua extensibility supports custom rulesets and modules

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid books, adventures, art, and community content can add cost
  • Desktop software requires Windows, macOS, or Linux
  • Advanced customization may require XML or Lua knowledge

• Shard Tabletop — where it wins

  • Free plan supports SRD-based campaign and character tools
  • Searchable rules content and automation support play at the table
  • Custom content tools cover classes, monsters, spells, and adventures

  Where it doesn't

  • Web-only access limits platform flexibility
  • No verified integrations are provided
  • Paid content is concentrated in one annual subscription plan

• Fantasy Grounds8.0/10 · Free plan

  A mature, automation-focused virtual tabletop for complex roleplaying campaigns.

  Try Fantasy GroundsFull verdict →
• Shard Tabletop6.9/10 · Free plan · paid from $19.99/yr

  A rules-focused, budget-friendly virtual tabletop with broad campaign tools and web-only access.

  Visit Shard TabletopFull verdict →