Rolisteam vs Roll20

Rolisteam is a virtual table for tabletop role-playing sessions, available on Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted setups. Its chat provides global, direct, and extra channels, with dice commands and clickable links. Mind maps connect notes with nodes, images, packages, and tags. Users can create interactive, multi-page character sheets on PDF backgrounds, adding fields, buttons, formulas, or JavaScript. Three independent audio players handle ambient music, effects, and background tracks, but they play referenced files or URLs rather than streaming audio. The PDF viewer can crop page content to the clipboard for sharing or placement on maps and mind maps. DiceParser uses the same commands in Rolisteam and its Discord bot. Three-dimensional dice are a technical preview supporting d4 through d100 denominations. Rolisteam is free and open source under GNU GPL v2.0. Roliserver can host multiple games on one computer.

Roll20 is a browser-based virtual tabletop for playing tabletop roleplaying games and board games online. It supports D&D, Pathfinder, and more than 1,200 game systems, with built-in character sheets for over 250 systems and the option to design your own. The tabletop combines voice and video, live chat, 3D dice, handouts, digital tokens, and effects. Game masters can use Dynamic Lighting and Fog of War, and create maps with Dungeon Scrawl. Macros automate rolls, spell effects, and character actions; extending the service through its API requires Pro. Dungeon Scrawl maps can sync to a Roll20 game page, alongside connected Roll20 Characters and Compendium features. The free tier is available indefinitely and includes base tools, 100MB of storage, and ads. Pro costs $8.33 a month, billed $99.99 pay once a year; Elite costs $12.50 a month, billed $149.99 pay once a year. Chrome and Firefox fully support the VTT.