The D&D show finale on the official channel renewed the question that every dungeon master in the audience already had open in a browser tab: which tools do I actually need at the table in 2026? Most DMs we know run a campaign with a virtual tabletop on one screen, a digital compendium on another, a map maker for prep, and a worldbuilding tool somewhere in the stack. The trick is which ones genuinely save time versus which ones become another piece of admin you have to manage.
We tested eight apps for D&D dungeon masters on desktop. The list covers everything that runs on Windows, macOS, or Linux: the official digital compendium, three virtual tabletops, a worldbuilding hub, a map maker, and a browser extension that makes the entire stack work together.
What to look for in a DM stack
The decision rarely comes down to one app. Look for a kit that covers:
- A digital compendium your players also use (rules, spells, monsters, character sheets)
- A virtual tabletop with token movement, dynamic lighting, and dice
- A map maker that produces the maps the VTT consumes
- A worldbuilding tool for sessions where the campaign needs depth between adventures
- A bridge that lets your compendium and your VTT share data without double entry
The eight picks below assemble into a working stack three ways: hosted (Roll20 + D&D Beyond + Beyond20), self-hosted (Foundry + Inkarnate + World Anvil), or lightweight (Owlbear Rodeo + D&D Beyond + Inkarnate).
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Hosted or local |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D&D Beyond | Official 5e compendium and sheets | Yes (basic) | Around $7/mo | Hosted |
| Roll20 | Browser VTT with low setup | Yes | Around $5/mo | Hosted |
| Foundry Virtual Tabletop | Self-hosted VTT with modules | No | $50 one-time | Local |
| Owlbear Rodeo | Lightweight browser VTT | Yes | Around $7/mo | Hosted |
| Fantasy Grounds Unity | Desktop VTT with deepest automation | Demo | $39 one-time / $39 ultimate | Local |
| World Anvil | Worldbuilding hub | Yes | Around $5/mo | Hosted |
| Inkarnate | Browser map maker | Yes | Around $5/mo | Hosted |
| Beyond20 | D&D Beyond to Roll20/Foundry bridge | Free | Free | Browser extension |
The 8 best apps for D&D dungeon masters on desktop
1. D&D Beyond — best official 5e compendium and sheets
D&D Beyond is the official 5e digital toolset and the centre of gravity for most modern campaigns. Character builder, spell and monster lookup, encounter builder, dice roller, and homebrew tools all live in the browser. Wizards of the Coast acquired the platform in 2022 and has since unified it with the official rulebook releases — buying a rulebook in print no longer means re-buying it on D&D Beyond, depending on the bundle.
For DMs, the encounter builder and the monster compendium are the daily-use features. Sharing content with your players is per-user, which gets expensive at scale; the Master Tier subscription lets you share owned content with up to twelve players.
Where it falls short: Subscription cost stacks when you own multiple rulebooks. The interface for running an actual session at the table is thin — you still want a VTT in front of it.
Pricing:
- Free: Basic SRD content, one character slot
- Hero: Around $3/mo for unlimited character slots
- Master: Around $7/mo for the Master Tier (content sharing)
- vs running everything off PDFs: The compendium lookup is dramatically faster
Platforms: Web (Windows, macOS, Linux via browser). Official native app is mobile-only.
Download: D&D Beyond
Bottom line: Pick D&D Beyond as your compendium and character-sheet hub if you run 5e. Skip if you primarily run other systems.
2. Roll20 — best browser VTT with low setup
Roll20 is the browser-based VTT that almost every D&D player has used at least once. It runs entirely in the browser, supports tokens, dynamic lighting, fog of war, dice, character sheets, and chat in one screen. The free tier is genuinely useful for casual campaigns.
For new DMs, Roll20’s low setup is the headline. You can run a session within an hour of signing up.
Where it falls short: Dynamic lighting is paywalled. Asset library at the free tier is limited. The character sheet implementation for 5e is functional but less elegant than D&D Beyond’s; pairing the two via Beyond20 is the common workaround.
Pricing:
- Free: Useful free tier with limits on storage, dynamic lighting, and module access
- Plus: Around $5/mo
- Pro: Around $10/mo (custom API scripts, advanced features)
- vs Foundry: Cheaper subscription, less powerful customisation
Platforms: Web (Windows, macOS, Linux via browser).
Download: Roll20
Bottom line: Pick Roll20 when you want a hosted VTT that anyone can join from a browser without installing anything.
3. Foundry Virtual Tabletop — best self-hosted VTT with modules
Foundry Virtual Tabletop (Foundry VTT) is the self-hosted Node.js VTT that the most invested DMs run. One $50 license covers your group; players join via browser without needing a license of their own. The module ecosystem is enormous, the rules-system support for 5e (and dozens of other systems) is deep, and the customisation surface is the largest of any VTT.
For DMs who want a polished session experience and who do not mind running a small server (locally, on a NAS, or on a $5/mo VPS), Foundry is the apex pick.
Where it falls short: Self-hosting overhead is real. Players need a stable URL and you need to keep Foundry running for sessions. The learning curve for modules and macros is the longest in the category.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $50 one-time
- vs Roll20 over a year: Cheaper after a few months if you would have paid for Roll20 Pro
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (Node.js application). Players connect via browser.
Download: Foundry Virtual Tabletop
Bottom line: Pick Foundry when you run a serious long-term campaign and you are willing to host it yourself.
4. Owlbear Rodeo — best lightweight browser VTT
Owlbear Rodeo is the minimalist VTT for DMs who think Roll20 and Foundry are overkill. Drop a map, drop tokens, move them around, roll dice in chat. No character sheets, no rules automation, no asset library bloat — just tokens on maps and quick prep.
For theatre-of-the-mind DMs who occasionally want a visual aid, Owlbear is the right fit.
Where it falls short: No character sheet integration. Lacks the automation conveniences of Roll20 or Foundry. Some session features (initiative tracking, fog of war) require the paid tier.
Pricing:
- Free: Useful tier with basic features
- Plus: Around $7/mo
- vs Roll20: Less feature surface, dramatically faster to set up per session
Platforms: Web (Windows, macOS, Linux via browser).
Download: Owlbear Rodeo
Bottom line: Pick Owlbear Rodeo when “tokens on a map and dice in chat” is all you actually need.
5. Fantasy Grounds Unity — best desktop VTT with deepest automation
Fantasy Grounds Unity by SmiteWorks is the deepest rules-automation VTT in the category. For 5e specifically, the official rulesets (Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Tasha’s, all the recent releases) integrate with the VTT so that adding a monster from the Monster Manual just works — its stat block, attacks, and abilities are automated. Combat math is handled for you.
For DMs who want the VTT to do the rules calculations rather than rolling everything by hand, Fantasy Grounds has the largest head start.
Where it falls short: Interface looks dated next to Foundry and Roll20. License model is per-DM or per-Ultimate (which covers your players). Mac and Linux support exists via the Unity build but feels less polished than Windows.
Pricing:
- Free: Demo
- Standard: $39 one-time (DM and friends need licenses)
- Ultimate: $149 one-time (DM license covers all players)
- Subscriptions also available
- vs Foundry: Comparable one-time cost for Standard, dramatically more rules automation, less customisable
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (desktop application).
Download: Fantasy Grounds Unity
Bottom line: Pick Fantasy Grounds Unity when rules automation is the priority and you are willing to accept a heavier desktop client.
6. World Anvil — best worldbuilding hub
World Anvil is the worldbuilding tool that grew up. It is part wiki, part timeline, part interactive map, and part novelist’s encyclopedia. For a DM running a homebrew campaign with persistent NPCs, factions, and locations, World Anvil is the place to write the lore once and reference it forever.
Players can be invited as collaborators with selective visibility (the king’s true name stays hidden until you reveal it), which makes the wiki shareable without spoiling everything.
Where it falls short: Subscription required for most useful features. The interface assumes you enjoy writing — DMs who prefer voice notes and short outlines may find it heavyweight.
Pricing:
- Free: Basic features
- Journeyman: Around $5/mo
- Master: Around $8/mo
- vs Notion or Obsidian: Purpose-built for worldbuilding with timeline, map, and interlinking tools
Platforms: Web (Windows, macOS, Linux via browser).
Download: World Anvil
Bottom line: Pick World Anvil when your campaign has enough lore that a personal wiki has started to feel necessary.
7. Inkarnate — best browser map maker
Inkarnate is the browser map maker that gets the most maps drawn per hour of any tool in the category. Asset stamps for terrain, towns, and dungeons let you produce a usable battle map in an evening. The Pro tier unlocks the full asset library and high-resolution exports.
For DMs who want maps without learning Photoshop or paying a cartographer, this is the daily-use pick.
Where it falls short: Free tier is genuinely limited. The asset library is opinionated; if you want a specific genre (Cthulhu mythos, post-apocalyptic) the relevant stamps may not exist.
Pricing:
- Free: Basic stamps, low-resolution exports
- Pro: Around $5/mo (or annual)
- vs Dungeondraft (one-time $20): Inkarnate’s browser approach is faster to start, Dungeondraft’s desktop client has more customisation
Platforms: Web (Windows, macOS, Linux via browser).
Download: Inkarnate
Bottom line: Pick Inkarnate when you want fast battle maps with low learning overhead.
8. Beyond20 — best D&D Beyond to Roll20/Foundry bridge
Beyond20 is the browser extension that bridges D&D Beyond’s character sheets to Roll20 and Foundry. Click an attack on D&D Beyond, the roll appears in your VTT chat with the right modifiers. Click a spell, the description and damage roll show up. The single piece of plumbing that makes “D&D Beyond + Roll20” a coherent workflow.
For DMs whose players use D&D Beyond character sheets and your group plays on Roll20 or Foundry, Beyond20 is mandatory.
Where it falls short: Browser extension, so works only on the browsers it supports (Chrome, Firefox, Edge). Occasionally breaks when D&D Beyond ships a UI update.
Pricing:
- Free: MIT-licensed open-source extension
- vs not using it: Saves the double-entry of recreating sheets in Roll20
Platforms: Browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Edge). Works on any OS that runs those browsers.
Download: Beyond20 on GitHub
Bottom line: Pick Beyond20 if your group uses D&D Beyond and either Roll20 or Foundry. Free, takes five minutes to set up, saves hours.
How to pick the right stack
If you are a new DM running your first 5e campaign, install D&D Beyond (free tier), Roll20 (free tier), and Beyond20 (free extension). That covers compendium, VTT, and the bridge between them for zero dollars.
If you are running a long-term campaign and you are okay with hosting your own VTT, switch to Foundry Virtual Tabletop (one-time $50). Pair with D&D Beyond and the Foundry equivalent of Beyond20.
If you want maximum rules automation and you are willing to live with an older-looking desktop client, use Fantasy Grounds Unity instead of Roll20 or Foundry.
For homebrew worldbuilding, add World Anvil. For maps that look polished without an artist on call, add Inkarnate. For lightweight theatre-of-the-mind sessions where you want only tokens on a map, swap Roll20 for Owlbear Rodeo.
Stick with paper and a battle mat if your group meets in person and the digital overhead is the friction you are trying to remove. None of these tools is mandatory.
FAQ
What is the best free app for D&D dungeon masters?
D&D Beyond’s free tier covers the SRD content and one character slot. Roll20’s free tier covers a usable VTT. Beyond20 is permanently free. The three together let a new DM run a campaign for $0.
Is Foundry VTT worth $50?
For DMs running long-term campaigns: yes. The module ecosystem, the customisation, and the one-time cost (no recurring subscription) pay back within a couple of months versus Roll20 Pro.
Can I use D&D Beyond with Roll20 or Foundry?
Yes, via the Beyond20 browser extension. Rolls from D&D Beyond character sheets land in your VTT chat with correct modifiers. Free, MIT-licensed.
Do I need both a VTT and a map maker?
The VTT renders maps that you already have. If your VTT comes with map assets (Foundry modules, Roll20 marketplace) that may be enough. For custom maps, a map maker like Inkarnate is the addition.
What is the best DM app on macOS?
Foundry VTT, Roll20, D&D Beyond, Owlbear Rodeo, World Anvil, and Inkarnate are all fully usable on macOS via browser or native app. Fantasy Grounds Unity has a Mac build that is functional but feels less polished than the Windows version.
