--- {"title": "Tavern Bag vs D&D Beyond in 2026", "description": "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.", "url": "https://desertislandchallenge.com/tavernbag-vs-dandd-beyond/", "date": "2026-10-12"} --- 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. 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] - [Visit Tavern Bag](/go/tavernbag-vs-dandd-beyond) ## Sources [^1]: Tavern Bag's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/tavernbag-vs-dandd-beyond) [^2]: D&D Beyond, dndbeyond.com, read 2026-10-07 (https://www.dndbeyond.com/) [^3]: D&D Beyond, dndbeyond.com/subscribe, read 2026-10-07 (https://www.dndbeyond.com/subscribe)