NetRadiant-Custom

Overview

NetRadiant-Custom is a cross-platform editor for building levels in id Tech games. Quake-series level designers get the clearest fit, with geometry, texture, and compilation tools gathered in one editor. Its game-specific focus is an advantage for those projects, but narrows its appeal for creators working elsewhere.

Key features

In the 3D view, users can create and manipulate brushes and entities. Vertex editing, face extrusion, patch thickening, and a CSG shell modifier give level designers several approaches to shaping geometry; the breadth is useful when refining maps, though it remains oriented around supported game configurations rather than general-purpose 3D work.

Texture tools cover UV alignment, drag painting, copying textures between brush faces and patches, and locking textures during vertex or edge changes. That combination helps preserve texture placement as geometry changes. Anisotropic filtering and optional MSAA are available in viewports, while shortcuts, themes, and fonts can be customized to suit individual workflows.

With region mode enabled, a working compilation builds only the selected map region, which can shorten iteration on a section. Bundled Q3Map2 features include automatic map packaging and BSP import and export as JSON. Its Assimp model-loading library supports more than 40 formats. Archive extraction, mod packaging, and script editing add useful scope beyond map construction. Supported formats include.map,.bsp,.pk3,.dpk,.dpkdir, Valve 220, brush primitives, axial projection,.def,.ent, and.fgd.

The project descends from NetRadiant, after the GtkRadiant 1.4 and 1.5 lineage. Its main focus is Quake, Quake 3, and Quake Live, with configurations for many additional games in releases. That lineage and configuration model make it a focused choice, not a universal editor for every game engine.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and includes the open-source editor, with ready-to-use packages in Releases. There is no free trial because the software is already free. This is a straightforward fit for individual creators and mod teams who want a no-cost editor; no paid tier or seat-based price is part of the plan.

Platforms

NetRadiant-Custom runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. That cross-platform support makes it viable for teams using different desktop systems, while its editing workflow remains centered on a desktop editor.

Who it's for

Choose it if you build Quake-family levels or work with one of the additional game configurations, and want geometry editing, texture controls, and map compilation in the same free tool. Look elsewhere if your project belongs to a game ecosystem that NetRadiant-Custom does not target.

Pros and cons

Pros: No-cost access to an open-source editor and ready-to-use release packages keeps the entry cost low.

Pros: Geometry, texture, viewport, and region-compilation tools support detailed map work and focused iteration.

Pros: Q3Map2 packaging and BSP JSON features, plus broad model-format support, extend its usefulness beyond basic level shaping.

Cons: Its main focus is Quake and related games, so creators in other ecosystems may find the configuration range a poor match.

Cons: The feature set is specialized around level editing and mod workflows rather than general-purpose 3D creation.

Alternatives

For a curated starting point, browse Game Modding Tools. The alternatives serve different needs:

Minecraft Launcher suits players seeking a free launcher across desktop and mobile platforms; access to games requires ownership or a time-limited demo.

Chunker is an open-source game-modding alternative for Linux, macOS, Windows, and the web.

Game Extractor is a better fit for reading and extracting archives from thousands of games; archive editing, saving, and previews are in its $10, paid once Full Version.

OpenMW-CS is the free construction set for the OpenMW game engine, a more relevant choice for that engine's projects.

QuickBMS is a free, open-source, multiplatform alternative when the task calls for a tool in that category rather than a level editor.

DarkRadiant is another free, open-source level editor; it requires game resources that the editor does not install.

Reloaded-II is another free option for readers comparing modding tools.

StarCraft II Editor is the more direct choice for creating maps and mods for StarCraft II, on macOS or Windows.

Verdict

NetRadiant-Custom is a strong choice for Quake-oriented level designers who want a free editor with substantial geometry and texture controls plus useful compilation features. Its specialization is also the main reason to look elsewhere: projects outside its id Tech and configured-game focus need a tool built for their target ecosystem.