MMORPGs are some of the most engaging, challenging forms of large-scale multiplayer content you’ll find online, and players – both new and old are always looking for a great place to start, or stay.
Having played literally every single MMO on the market, I wanted to take the time to give my thoughts on the best free to play MMOs on the market. This specifically means games like Final Fantasy XIV, Black Desert Online, The Elder Scrolls Online and World of Warcraft will be excluded, due to their recurring paid or outright purchase requirements.
Now let’s jump in.
Albion Online
Albion Online is a full-loot sandbox MMORPG focused on a player-driven economy, PvP, crafting, and territory control. Everything is free-to-play, with premium status aiding in speeding up progression. It can be incredibly hardcore – and is definitely not for players that want an easy, casual MMO.
It launched exclusively on PC for a while, but later expanded on to Mobile, and is now confirmed to be releasing on to console as well, further expanding the game’s reach.
It launched exclusively on PC for a while, but later expanded on to Mobile, and is now confirmed to be releasing on to console as well, further expanding the game’s reach.
Dungeons & Dragons Online
Dungeons & Dragons Online is the purest tabletop D&D experience in MMO form. The game is VERY old. We’re talking 20 years – older than perhaps some of you. It captures the feel of pen-and-paper adventures with tactical, instanced dungeon crawling, trap-disarming, puzzle-solving – it can be a little overwhelming at times.
The combat is engaging and skill-based, requiring an understanding of positioning, crowd control, and individual builds. It also offers deep character customization, but that’s what you’d expect from a D&D game.
It’s not flashy. It doesn’t chase the same hype or instant gratification as more recent titles, but therein lies its charm.
The combat is engaging and skill-based, requiring an understanding of positioning, crowd control, and individual builds. It also offers deep character customization, but that’s what you’d expect from a D&D game.
It’s not flashy. It doesn’t chase the same hype or instant gratification as more recent titles, but therein lies its charm.
Guild Wars 2
I’m going to go ahead here and include Guild Wars 2 due to the entire base game being free and allowing you access to everything the game has to offer, disregarding expansion content.
Guild Wars 2 is often praised as one of the strongest F2P MMORPGs. It features innovative horizontal progression, dynamic world events that reward players equally and encourage higher level players to come back to lower level areas, excellent combat, mounts, and a mix of PvE/PvP.
It’s an incredibly casual friendly game, with a very active endgame – and a LOT of players playing Barbie dress up.
A Guild Wars 3 game is in the works so I’m not sure what will ultimately happen to Guild Wars 2, but for right now, this is one of the best free to play MMOs you’ll find. Some people won’t consider it free to play due to the nature of its expansions, but many of us do.
Guild Wars 2 is often praised as one of the strongest F2P MMORPGs. It features innovative horizontal progression, dynamic world events that reward players equally and encourage higher level players to come back to lower level areas, excellent combat, mounts, and a mix of PvE/PvP.
It’s an incredibly casual friendly game, with a very active endgame – and a LOT of players playing Barbie dress up.
A Guild Wars 3 game is in the works so I’m not sure what will ultimately happen to Guild Wars 2, but for right now, this is one of the best free to play MMOs you’ll find. Some people won’t consider it free to play due to the nature of its expansions, but many of us do.
Old School RuneScape
Honestly, Albion and RuneScape share more similarities than most, while also both being incredibly unique games that haven’t had other MMOs replicate what makes them so popular.
Old School RuneScape has continued to increase in active players the last couple years. It’s a classic point-and-click MMORPG with deep skill expression, quests, bosses. The core experience is entirely free, with optional memberships unlocking more content.
It launched exclusively on PC as well, and later ported to Mobile, increasing its popularity significantly while not making it a pay to win mess.
Old School RuneScape has continued to increase in active players the last couple years. It’s a classic point-and-click MMORPG with deep skill expression, quests, bosses. The core experience is entirely free, with optional memberships unlocking more content.
It launched exclusively on PC as well, and later ported to Mobile, increasing its popularity significantly while not making it a pay to win mess.
Star Trek Online
If you loved ANY Star Trek TV series – The Next Generation, Andromeda, Deep Space Nine, even the OG Star Trek, you’ll love this as it lets you live out your inner wet nerd dream, allowing you to explore iconic planets, battle classic enemies, team up with absolute freakin’ legends, and command fleets of ships.
It offers a different style of character customization in the way of officer abilities and builds, fleet features along with ground-combat. The story is incredibly deep, expanding on the franchises’ already extensive lore.
Trust me, as a Trekkie, you’re gonna love this one.
It offers a different style of character customization in the way of officer abilities and builds, fleet features along with ground-combat. The story is incredibly deep, expanding on the franchises’ already extensive lore.
Trust me, as a Trekkie, you’re gonna love this one.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars The Old Republic is one of the most story-rich MMORPGs currently available, with exceptional class-based narratives, NPC companions, channeling the typical BioWare-style questing system, set in the Star Wars universe. The base game and early expansions are free, with a subscription unlocking more.
This is one of the few MMOs that are both enjoyable solo or with a larger group of players. I played this with my sister when we started this channel, and then played it again years later with my wife, and it was a completely different experience both times due to the complexity of the narrative.
This is one of the few MMOs that are both enjoyable solo or with a larger group of players. I played this with my sister when we started this channel, and then played it again years later with my wife, and it was a completely different experience both times due to the complexity of the narrative.
The Lord of the Rings Online
The Lord of the Rings Online might look and feel a little dated in 2026, but it delivers one of the most immersive, lore-rich MMORPG experiences available.
You step into Tolkien’s Middle-earth with an epic story that follows and expands the books. The atmosphere, music, and world-building are unmatched, creating a cozy, emotional journey that feels like a single-player RPG in a living world. It’s extremely solo-friendly, which fits todays style of MMO player, and ultimately, respects players and their time.
You step into Tolkien’s Middle-earth with an epic story that follows and expands the books. The atmosphere, music, and world-building are unmatched, creating a cozy, emotional journey that feels like a single-player RPG in a living world. It’s extremely solo-friendly, which fits todays style of MMO player, and ultimately, respects players and their time.
Where Winds Meet
I’m going to include Where Winds Meet here because many people consider it to be an MMO – or at the very least MMO-adjacent. Me? I like to think it’s the evolution of the MMORPG genre. It features a stunning open-world Wuxia experience. As someone that grew up in Perfect World International, that’s right up my alley.
It features a beautiful, immersive ancient China filled with breathtaking landscapes, secrets, and vertical exploration. Real time action combat that is fluid, stylish, and incorporates full parries, dodges and weapon combos. My wife Mrs Stix has poured over a thousand hours into the game since it launched. Or near enough to.
It’s completely free-to-play with no pay-to-win – progress comes from playing, and developers seem to be committed to keeping it fair with cosmetics being the main driving force behind revenue. The world is massive, solo-friendly yet social when you want, with cross-play across PC, PS5, and mobile.
Some people may argue Where Winds Meet is not an MMO, and that’s totally fine, but many of us agree it’s more of an MMO than a lot of what has released in recent years.
It features a beautiful, immersive ancient China filled with breathtaking landscapes, secrets, and vertical exploration. Real time action combat that is fluid, stylish, and incorporates full parries, dodges and weapon combos. My wife Mrs Stix has poured over a thousand hours into the game since it launched. Or near enough to.
It’s completely free-to-play with no pay-to-win – progress comes from playing, and developers seem to be committed to keeping it fair with cosmetics being the main driving force behind revenue. The world is massive, solo-friendly yet social when you want, with cross-play across PC, PS5, and mobile.
Some people may argue Where Winds Meet is not an MMO, and that’s totally fine, but many of us agree it’s more of an MMO than a lot of what has released in recent years.
And there you have it. These right here, these are the best free to play MMORPGs right now. Sure, they might not have the combat of Korean MMOs like Black Desert or Blade and Soul. Nor the Anime aesthetic of PSO2 or SoulWorker. Nor the content cadence of MMOs like World of Warcraft.
But bar a few paid exceptions, this is the best the genre has to offer. These are all games with their own unique playerbases, filled with passionate players enjoying their games. And I can personally attest to having had fun in each and every single one of them.
But bar a few paid exceptions, this is the best the genre has to offer. These are all games with their own unique playerbases, filled with passionate players enjoying their games. And I can personally attest to having had fun in each and every single one of them.
