Alchemy RPG vs Owlbear Rodeo
Alchemy RPG
alchemyrpg.comOwlbear Rodeo
owlbear.rodeoSide by side
| Figure | Alchemy RPG | Owlbear Rodeo |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 3 |
| Spec score · Virtual Tabletop Software | 9.1 (#3) | 7.7 (#15) |
| Intended users | Alchemy describes itself as made for gamemasters, players, and creators. | The maker describes Owlbear Rodeo as a way to run tabletop encounters and says it began as a way for its creators to continue their D&D campaign online. |
| Product | Alchemy is a cinematic virtual tabletop designed for immersive, story-driven tabletop roleplaying games. | Owlbear Rodeo is a browser based virtual tabletop designed to run tabletop encounters with minimal setup. |
| Scenes | Its scene-based structure is designed to create cinematic moments while managing game mechanics. | A scene is an infinite canvas that can use square, hexagonal, or isometric grids and can hold multiple maps, images, and drawings. |
| Support | Alchemy directs users to its Help Center, Discord community, in-app support chat, and support email. | The maker lists [email protected] for questions or feedback and links to Discord, Twitter, Reddit, and YouTube from its documentation. |
Plans
Owlbear Rodeo
- NestlingFree
- BestlingPrice not published
- FledglingPrice not published
In their own words
Alchemy RPG
Alchemy RPG is a virtual tabletop for running story-driven tabletop roleplaying games. Its scenes bring game mechanics together with music, animated environments, and overlays to support cinematic play. The Free Unlimited plan costs nothing and includes unlimited games, characters, universes, voice and video chat, and asset uploads, plus every game system and a homebrew system builder. Alchemy identifies gamemasters, players, and creators as its audience. Desktop apps are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux; the requirements are Windows 10 or later, macOS Monterey 12.0 or later, or Linux such as Ubuntu 22.04 or newer. A stable internet connection is required. The web app runs in browsers on computers, tablets, and mobile devices, though tablet and mobile use is not yet optimized. D&D Beyond character import is available to Alchemy Unlimited subscribers. Marketplace purchases are intended for download and use both within and outside Alchemy.
Owlbear Rodeo
Owlbear Rodeo is a browser-based virtual tabletop for running tabletop encounters. Its shared battle map workspace includes maps, tokens, images, drawing, text, and fog tools. Scenes use an infinite canvas with square, hexagonal, or isometric grids, and can hold multiple maps, images, and drawings. The app runs in a browser without requiring a software download and is responsive across mobile and desktop operating systems. Players can enter a room from a link without an account, request to join, and wait for the game master’s approval. Game masters can set layer permissions for creating, updating, or deleting items and limit character interaction to owners. Extensions add tools such as dice, initiative tracking, character sheets, and dynamic fog; listed integrations connect D&D Beyond and Pixels Dice. The free Nestling plan costs nothing and includes two rooms with random room names and backgrounds. Fledgling and Bestling offer custom room names and backgrounds, with 5GB and 10GB storage respectively; their prices are shown in checkout. Owlbear Rodeo offers campaign tools and API access, but no rules compendium or mobile apps.