Software Alternatives & Reviews

RetroArch VS Roll20

Compare RetroArch VS Roll20 and see what are their differences

RetroArch logo RetroArch

RetroArch is a frontend for emulators, game engines and media players.

Roll20 logo Roll20

Roll20 is a suite of easy-to-use digital tools that expand pen-and-paper gameplay.
  • RetroArch Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-22
  • Roll20 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-20

RetroArch videos

RetroArch - Getting Started! Your Ultimate Retro Gaming PC! [Setup and Demonstration]

More videos:

Roll20 videos

Roll20 Overview 2019 (Play 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Online)

More videos:

  • Review - Why I Quit Roll20
  • Review - Roll20 Vs Fantasy Grounds | Which is REALLY the Cheapest?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to RetroArch and Roll20)
Gaming
61 61%
39% 39
Emulators
100 100%
0% 0
Game Engine
0 0%
100% 100
Gaming Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare RetroArch and Roll20

RetroArch Reviews

Best DS Emulator: Are These Emulators Safe And Legal To Use?
RetroArch also supports a wide range of controller types, making it a great choice for gamers who want to use their favorite controller.
Source: appletoo.us
5 Best Nintendo DS Emulators for PC
It has highlights like RetroArch are shaders, netplay, rewinding, next-frame response times, run ahead, machine translation, blind accessibility features, and much more.
Best emulators for Android in 2023
RetroArch is a popular open-source front-end for emulators. If you’re into playing retro games, RetroArch is your one-stop shop for all your emulating needs. It's not an emulator by itself but instead allows you to add "cores" that act as the backend to emulate several legacy consoles. While most of its most popular emulators are already covered here by dedicated apps, it...
5 of the Best GameBoy Advance (GBA) Emulators for Android
RetroArch is a poster child worldwide of emulation, specifically due to the fact that it’s not precisely an emulator. The retroArch is best refer to as a solitary, unified application where you can communicate with other emulators.
4 Free Open Source Game Emulators For Windows PC, Linux, and macOS
In addition to this, you are able to run original game discs (CDs) from RetroArch. RetroArch has advanced features like shaders, netplay, rewinding, next-frame response times, runahead, machine translation, blind accessibility features, and more! What systems does it play?

Roll20 Reviews

  1. When it works, its mediocre

    As a DM for homebrew games, I used Roll20 for 2+ years. When it works, its OK. When it doesn't, its frustrating. I use a lot of custom rules and they are simply not supported due to a lack of modularity within the system. A simple variant of Proficiency Dice in 5e is outlined in the rules, and even it is hacky and not well supported on Roll20.

    The format feels like it was made two decades ago, and the web console spits out warnings and errors left and right. There has even been some conspiracies / drama with some of the higher-ups at Roll20, showing a lack of leadership.

    Please, let's let Roll20 die. Support another system.

    👍 Pros:    Can purchase modules like curse of strahd and tomb of annihilation|Free for dms and players|Use with a variaty of systems|Many features
    👎 Cons:    Not modular enough for me|Hacky programming|Ugly|Features feel clunky and slow|Some features do not work well at all|Buggy
  2. Not very easy to learn

    Not easy to learn, not friendly controls

    🏁 Competitors: digitald20.com Digital d20
    👍 Pros:    The most famous
    👎 Cons:    User experiance|Design|Costly pro plan

10 Best Sites Like Roll20 Alternatives For Tabletop Gaming
These tools aide gamers during online games. Both Roll20 and the Roll20 alternatives can be best described as table-top games. Launched in 2012, Roll20 has received a lot of positive feedback.
Roll20 Alternatives, Similar Games, Apps 2020
Roll20 is a set of easy-to-use digital tools that extend the pencil and paper set. It is the easiest and free way to play board games (such as paper and pencil role-playing games) online with others. Roll20 is completely online, so it runs directly in your browser.
7 Best Roll20 alternatives 2020
Programs like Roll20 and Best Roll20 alternatives are quite similar. So you can play and try one of them and easily download from play store, app store and Roll20 official Website.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Roll20 seems to be a lot more popular than RetroArch. While we know about 334 links to Roll20, we've tracked only 20 mentions of RetroArch. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

RetroArch mentions (20)

  • RetroArch cannot be found on the PlayStore, the first result is a copycat. It is just me?
    No, isn't just you. Every 64-bit phone haves the Play Store Retroarch available, the 32-bits no. But you can still download the 32-bit version on the Retroarch website. Source: 11 months ago
  • Cause of the intrusion has been found and isolated. Sites are operational again.
    It was only the download links on retroarch.com on the Platforms page that got (briefly) redirected for a few hours. That should all be safe now. Source: 11 months ago
  • Malicious download links?
    Yes, only the retroarch.com and libretro.com websites were affected. Source: 11 months ago
  • Recent update from supposed hackers
    I went to retroarch.com and it said "discord.gg/evaderz is big haxors" its unrespectable. Source: 11 months ago
  • Latest RetroArch on Xiaomi Mi box
    I've got installed RetroArch Plus from Google Play on my Xiaomi Mi box 4k and I want to update it to the latest version. I downloaded apk from retroarch.com but when I use apk installer to update it say is not compatible. I removed version from Google Play but fresh install 1.15.0 is not compatible too. I tried 32 and 64 version. What I'm doing wrong? Is any other AndroidTV version? Source: 11 months ago
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Roll20 mentions (334)

  • Friend screwed 3/4 of the table out of 1/2 the game.
    There are other options: https://roll20.net/. Source: 5 months ago
  • Looking for a DND/TTRPG group
    I've used roll20.net up until now. They have a find group feature and a virtual table top with character sheets and dice roller included, so everything you need to play virtually is all on the one site. Source: 5 months ago
  • I’m here to giveaway $1,500 in RPG goodies to celebrate 1 Year of Roll20 x DriveThruRPG! [Mod Approved]
    1 Year Roll20 Pro Subscription ($109 value!) – use it yourself or give it to your GM! Source: 6 months ago
  • Looking for advice on running DnD game on stream!
    There are plenty of D&D software programs out there that are free and paid versions. Many of them with the ability to have friends join and interact with the table. As basic as Tabletop Simulator to Fantasy Grounds (both on steam that I have experience with, not an endorsement). roll20.net being a popular browser based version. Source: 6 months ago
  • I'm looking for someone to teach me how to Play DnD
    I have made a character on roll20.net that maybe border line iffy/OP, so I may have to make one that's not. My free time can be a bit unusual at times(it's 12:24AM as I write this)so someone who has similar free times as I do(if your interested let me know and we can talk times), basicly I've been listening to a DnD podcast and I think it sounds fun and I want to try it out Edit: I'm in PST timezone in... Source: 6 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing RetroArch and Roll20, you can also consider the following products

OpenEmu - Console and Arcade video game emulator for macOS.

Foundry Virtual Tabletop - A self-hosted, modern, and developer-friendly roleplaying platform.

LaunchBox - LaunchBox is a portable, box-art-based games database and launcher for DOSBox, emulators, arcade cabinets, and PC Games. Download it free!

Astral Tabletop - Create, host, and manage your tabletop role-playing games — online or in person

BSNES - bsnes is a Super Nintendo (SNES) emulator focused on performance, features, and ease of use.

D&D Beyond - Official online toolset for Dungeons & Dragons tabletop gaming