Desert Island Challenge Plain comparisons of games and gaming gear

Tavern Bag vs Open5e in 2026

Tavern Bag and Open5e compared for D&D players: what each does, what its sources say about content, pricing and sign-in, and what to check.

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Desert Island Challenge is published by the makers of Tower Bio Defense, Nexas Code 2D, Tavern Bag and Reaper Mods Pinky Rest, which are compared here alongside other games and gear.

Open5e says its site and API are open source. [1] It also says its API includes all monsters and spells from the SRD (the free rules text the publisher released) and from other sources shared under the OGL (an open license), plus a way to search them. [1] Tavern Bag lets you search a library after a free sign-in. [2] It also lets you build characters step by step. [2] Open5e's sources give no price, so check it directly.

OptionOwn priceCard feeFree tier
Open5enot publishednot publishednot published
Tavern BagUnlimited is $3.99 a month [2]not publishedFree plan keeps 3 characters, no card required [2]

The short answer

Its own pages say its API includes all monsters and spells from the SRD (the free rules text the publisher released) and from other sources shared under the OGL (an open license), plus a way to search them. [1] It also says its site and API are open source on Github. [1]

Tavern Bag is a library you search and a character builder in one. After a free sign-in you can search spells, monsters, magic items and rules pages. [2] You can also build a character step by step. [2]

If you want to build a character step by step, Tavern Bag does that. [2]

What Open5e is built for

What Tavern Bag is built for

Tavern Bag is made by the team that publishes this site. [2]

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. [2] The library has 8,381 entries in total. [2] You can search the whole library at once or filter it by book, level and class. [2]

You can build a character step by step: class, background, species, ability scores, subclass, feats and gear. [2] When you put on a magic item, your sheet's numbers change and a note explains why. [2]

You can make your own items, species, classes and backgrounds, and they work like the published ones. [2] It runs in any browser on a phone or laptop, and your characters follow your sign-in. [2]

Pricing and fees

Open5e's pages, as given here, do not state a price, so its price is not published in these sources. Check its site before you assume anything about cost.

Tavern Bag has a free plan that keeps 3 characters, with no trial and no card required. [2] Tavern Bag Unlimited is the one paid plan, for keeping more characters. [2] It costs $3.99 a month. [2] That plan lets you keep as many characters as you like. [2]

No card fee or other charge is stated for either tool in these sources, so those parts are listed as not published in the table.

Getting started

For Open5e, its pages say the site and API are open source on Github. [1] They also say the API comes with a way to search its content. [1] Nothing in these sources describes sign-up steps or setup, so open the site and see what it asks of you.

For Tavern Bag, the starting point is a free sign-in. [2] The library opens after that sign-in. [2]

Once in, you can search the whole library or filter by book, level and class. [2] You can then build a character step by step. [2] Tavern Bag says it works in any browser, on a phone or a laptop. [2]

Things to check before you choose

These questions apply to either tool.

For any question the sources above do not answer, check the tool's own site.

How to choose

If you want to look up monsters and spells from the SRD (the free rules text the publisher released) and other sources shared under the OGL (an open license), Open5e says its API includes them, with a way to search. [1] Tavern Bag also offers search across spells, monsters, magic items and rules pages after a free sign-in. [2]

If you want open-source code, Open5e says its site and API are open source on Github. [1]

If you want to build a character step by step, Tavern Bag lets you do that. [2] If you want your own items, species, classes and backgrounds, Tavern Bag lets you make them. [2]

If you want to keep as many characters as you like, Tavern Bag Unlimited is $3.99 a month. [2]

Frequently asked questions

Is Open5e open source?

Open5e says its site and API are both open source on Github. [1] Its pages, as given here, say nothing more about licences for the site's code, so read the Github page if the exact terms matter to you.

What content does Open5e include?

Open5e says its API includes all monsters and spells from the SRD (the free rules text the publisher released) and from other sources shared under the OGL (an open license), plus a way to search them. [1] It also says some content you may expect was not part of the SRD, so it cannot include it. [1]

How much does Tavern Bag cost?

The free plan keeps 3 characters, with no trial and no card required. [2] Tavern Bag Unlimited costs $3.99 a month. [2] It is the one paid plan, for keeping more characters. [2]

Do you need to sign in to use Tavern Bag?

The library of 8,381 entries opens after a free sign-in. [2] Tavern Bag says it works in any browser, on a phone or a laptop, and your characters follow your sign-in. [2]

Can Tavern Bag build characters and track magic items?

You can build a character step by step: class, background, species, ability scores, subclass, feats and gear. [2] When you put on a magic item, your sheet's numbers change and a note explains why. [2] You can also make your own items and classes. [2]

The free plan keeps 3 characters, with no trial and no card required. [2]

Try Tavern Bag

Sources

  1. Open5e, open5e.com, read 2026-10-07
  2. Tavern Bag's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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