Tavern Bag vs D&D Beyond in 2026
A plain comparison of Tavern Bag and D&D Beyond: what each tool does, what each costs, how to start, and what to check before you pick one.
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Tavern Bag lets you search a library of openly licensed books and build characters step by step. Tavern Bag lets you search a library of openly licensed books and build characters step by step. [1] D&D Beyond says its character builder offers premade or custom options. [2] D&D Beyond also describes Maps as the official D&D virtual tabletop. [2]
| Option | Paid plan for more characters | Price | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tavern Bag | Tavern Bag Unlimited, keep as many characters as you like [1] | $3.99 a month [1] | Free plan keeps 3 characters, no card required [1] |
| D&D Beyond | Hero Tier, with unlimited character slots [2] | Hero Tier from $2.17 USD per month [3] | Free account limits not published |
The short answer
Tavern Bag is a character builder and rules library. After a free sign-in you can search 1,817 spells, 3,144 monsters, 2,861 magic items and 175 rules pages from 18 openly licensed books. [1] You can also build a character step by step. [1] D&D Beyond says its character builder offers premade or custom options and mobile and tablet support. [2] It also offers Maps, which it calls the official D&D virtual tabletop. [2]
On needs: if you want unlimited characters at a stated monthly price, both tools say they offer it. Tavern Bag Unlimited costs $3.99 a month. [1] D&D Beyond lists Hero Tier from $2.17 USD per month. [3] If you want a virtual tabletop, D&D Beyond's sources describe one and Tavern Bag's sources do not mention one.
What D&D Beyond is built for
D&D Beyond says its character builder offers premade or custom options and mobile and tablet support. [2]
It also has Maps, which it describes as the official D&D virtual tabletop available to all D&D Beyond users. [2] Its page says you can play in Maps with a free account. [2]
D&D Beyond says Hero Tier includes a subscriber content library and unlimited character slots. [2] D&D Beyond lists Hero Tier as including monthly new character options and 150+ cosmetic perks. [3] Hero Tier also includes 1-week early access for pre-ordered books. [3]
D&D Beyond says Master Tier includes the subscriber content library, sharing of book content, and using homebrew content in Maps. [2]
The homepage also lists bundles and individual books for sale, covered in the pricing section below.
What Tavern Bag is built for
Tavern Bag is made by the team that publishes this site. It is made by Lunar Werx. [1]
After a free sign-in you can search 1,817 spells, 3,144 monsters, 2,861 magic items and 175 rules pages from 18 openly licensed books. [1] The library has 8,381 entries and opens after a free sign-in. [1] You can search the whole library at once or filter it by book, level and class. [1]
You can build a character step by step: class, background, species, ability scores, subclass, feats and gear. [1] When you put on a magic item, your sheet's numbers change and a note explains why. [1]
You can make your own items, species, classes and backgrounds, and they work like the published ones. [1]
It runs in any browser on a phone or laptop, and your characters follow your sign-in. [1]
Pricing and fees
D&D Beyond lists Hero Tier from $2.17 USD per month. [3] It lists Master Tier from $4.58 USD per month. [3] Its page does not state in the material here what the free account limits are, so check that on the site.
The D&D Beyond homepage lists the D&D: World of Warcraft Ultimate Bundle at $124.99. [2] It lists the Arcana Unleashed Bundle at $99.99. [2] It lists Eberron: Forge of the Artificer at $29.99. [2]
Tavern Bag has one paid plan, Tavern Bag Unlimited, for keeping more characters. [1] It costs $3.99 a month. [1] The free plan keeps 3 characters, with no trial and no card required. [1]
The table below puts the monthly prices side by side.
Getting started
With D&D Beyond, its page says you can play in Maps with your free account. [2] Its character builder lets you choose from premade or custom options. [2] The sources here do not describe the sign-up steps, so check the site for those.
With Tavern Bag, you start with a free sign-in, which opens the library. [1] From there you can search the whole library or filter it by book, level and class. [1] You can then build a character step by step. [1]
Tavern Bag says it works in any browser, on a phone or a laptop, and your characters follow your sign-in. [1] The free plan keeps 3 characters, with no trial and no card required. [1]
Things to check before you choose
These questions apply to either tool.
- Which books and rules do you need? Tavern Bag's library comes from 18 openly licensed books. [1] Check whether the content you play with is in the tool you pick.
- Do you need a virtual tabletop? Check whether the tool offers one and what it requires.
- How many characters will you keep? Check the free limit and what the paid plan changes.
- Do you build your own content? Check how homebrew works and where it can be used.
- What does the whole cost come to? Check subscriptions, books and bundles separately.
- Who can open an account? Tavern Bag says Connections accounts are for people 18 and over. [1] Check the age rule for any tool a younger player will use.
- Which devices do you play on? Check how each tool works on your phone, tablet or laptop.
How to choose
If you want a virtual tabletop, D&D Beyond says Maps is available and can be played with a free account. [2]
If you want a subscription with a content library and unlimited character slots, D&D Beyond says Hero Tier includes both. [2] If you also want content sharing and homebrew content in Maps, D&D Beyond says Master Tier includes them. [2]
If you want to search a library of openly licensed books after a free sign-in, Tavern Bag says it offers that. [1] If you want to make your own items, species, classes and backgrounds that work like the published ones, Tavern Bag says you can. [1]
If you want a character sheet that explains number changes when you put on a magic item, Tavern Bag says it does that. [1]
If you want unlimited characters at one stated paid price, Tavern Bag Unlimited is $3.99 a month. [1]
Frequently asked questions
Is Tavern Bag free to use?
Tavern Bag has a free plan that keeps 3 characters, with no trial and no card required. [1] The library opens after a free sign-in. [1] Tavern Bag Unlimited is the one paid plan, for keeping more characters. [1] It costs $3.99 a month. [1]
How much does D&D Beyond cost per month?
D&D Beyond lists Hero Tier from $2.17 USD per month. [3] It lists Master Tier from $4.58 USD per month. [3] Its homepage also lists books and bundles at separate prices, so check the current page before you buy.
Does D&D Beyond have unlimited character slots?
D&D Beyond says the Hero Tier subscription includes a subscriber content library and unlimited character slots. [2] It also lists monthly new character options and 150+ cosmetic perks for Hero Tier. [3] Check its site for what the free account keeps.
Can you play on a virtual tabletop with D&D Beyond?
D&D Beyond says Maps is the official D&D virtual tabletop available to all D&D Beyond users. [2] Its page says you can play in Maps with your free account. [2] It says Master Tier adds using homebrew content in Maps. [2]
Can you make homebrew items and classes in Tavern Bag?
Tavern Bag says you can make your own items, species, classes and backgrounds, and they work like the published ones. [1] You can build a character step by step with class, background, species, ability scores, subclass, feats and gear. [1]
The free plan keeps 3 characters, with no trial and no card required. [1]
Try Tavern BagSources
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