D&D Beyond

Works well, I used it for several years now, and it's got third party publishers added, but the recent wizards of the coast actions makes me wary of buying digital things. Yes they backtracked twice now but I don't think they're trustworthy anymore. So I can't recommend you use anything other than the basic free version, which only has the bare bones basic races and class features, so you might as well find another program. (That I won't list because wotc likes to nuke sites)

Before, you could find a book, then look for a specific class or race you wanted to play as and buy that individual product for only a couple of dollars. That was taken away, and now you're forced to purchase the entire book, which is obviously much more expensive. Now, they're going to force players to use the new system they're coming out with. When they could easily introduce the new system while letting players keep the stuff they purchased from the old system.

I'm disappointed that having paid over $1000 a few years ago for every D&D book on this app, as an early original backer, I thought I was signing up for the "complete collection" that I paid for would include future digital content as well. sadly no. if they were actual books, I'd understand, but a pdf costs them nothing and without our early money the app wouldn't be as great as it is today. give subscribers that paid for the collection all updates, then this would be perfect.

the app is fairly useful, but it lacks a filter on some parts to only show the content I own, doesn't allow me to save filters, and bookmarked content is device specific. Any time I need to find something I spend half my time clicking sources I don't have access to which makes it feel like a way to get me to buy more material. There are other things I could not pick, but the phone app feels like a store front masquerading as an actual tool for dnd.

Pros: Solid option to create 6 characters for multiple campaigns as a player character. There are options for old 5e, new 2024 rules, and optional expansions / approved homebrew systems like critical role. Also you are able to add custom regular items and change AC based on received armor relatively easily. Cons Each and every book costs $$$ and I have never seen them go on sale. The convenience and extra character sheets have a monthly fee for over 6 characters. Adding a pet/summon is a hassle

Dnd beyond was much better for character creation when you could buy individual classes, races, backgrounds, and ect. Now if you own a physical copy of a book you are screwed out of using characters you create from that book on DND beyond unless you want to buy the entire digital copy of that book. It gets worse if your character uses multiple different books as you're now looking at hundred or more dollars just to use it on DND beyond instead of the 6 or so dollars it used to be.

The app doesn't sync bookmarks between devices which makes it somewhat useless for management of characters and campaigns if you use multiple devices. The UI is solid and if you have predominantly digital books it works better at searching sources than the website. Just wish it would sync with other devices so that I can manage my bookmarks.

Character sheets, imo, will frequently be wrong. Like if your barbarian is wearing leather armor, it will still calculate your AC as unarmored. Many 3rd party magic items do not integrate in either, making sponsored 3rd party content that is supposed to be DNDBeyond compatible very difficult to use. Also, the apps search function is HOT GARBAGE. like if you look for a Long Bow, and not a Longbow, it will just say no results found. Many many more issues, but I'm out of my word count.

I like the app the information on creatures & such is useful. & getting to create a character sheet is also ok. My small issue on that would be to have more optional choices on a custom characters like races. But other than that still pretty good. My only main complaint is that I can't play an adventure solo or try to gain more experience since I'm still pretty new to playing D&D. I still like it but my only small request in the future is to add solo play for players who like to go at it alone.

so the app is ok, it's cool u get digital copy if the books if you join a dms campaign. but.. it is super unintuitive, I've been trying to go through the different spell list, and I have to go to the table of contents scroll ALL the way to for example the sorcer spell list, then find the spell I want it takes me to the description I read it then I have to go to the table of contents and scroll ALLtheway down again. just put a back button or let us use ourbookmarks.they do nothing! why have them?

Scam. Don't buy; you don't own it. I bought hundreds of dollars of supplemental materials over the years. I haven't been in a game for about a year. When I reopened the app (and logged in), everything except the free stuff was gone. Order history shows nothing in it. I basically have a brand new account, even though my Gmail hasn't changed. Don't subscribe to digital. You don't own it. Only buy physical copies.

The overall help and organization of the character sheets are great, most of the time. But in order for you to actually fully utilize this apps/website to its full potential, it REQUIRES YOU TO PURCHASE ANY AND ALL BOOKS related to any character build you make and any items(weapons, gear, magic, spells, etc...) in order for you to even know that they exist, let alone adding them to your sheet without having to essentially entering a manual override entry that doesn't mesh with your sheet

The most obviously frustrating thing is that you can't port your previous purchases, which was clearly a greed-based decision. Unfortunately, the issues don't end there. I won't bore you too much with details, it's just not a well-built app. Still feels clunky 1 year on and is not intuitive at all. I often find out about free downloads via my newsfeeds... I get nothing about it in the actual app. Even then, good luck finding said free stuff, as the in-app search engine kinda doesn't work.

Great app, it is very helpful when planning for and managing campaigns. 2 complaints. 1 recent: The search bar is no longer accurate. When you click a link from a search, it does not go to the labeled link about half the time. 2. You pay full price but do not own the information. If I'm not "buying," then adjust the cost. If I pay full price, then it is not too much to ask to own the information as if I bought the same thing physically.

This app if helpful for people brand new to D&D, but it doesn't even have all of the base content included. (Not in the free version, at least.) And if you spend $50 on a sourcebook at a bookstore? Too bad for you, there is no code to unlock any of that content on the app. But you are more than welcome to pay twice, once for the physical book and again to unlock content online.

so many problems. some are bugs, and some are active decisions of d&d beyond. I have to buy an entire book if I want a single feat or spell, I am limited in how many campaigns I can share with, even though it's all the same group, the app won't let me level up copies of characters, and those are just issues with using the app. that doesn't include all the things that the company does regularly... but you want me to review the app. Review: it's bad. and I'll be moving to another app soon.

Helps keep all my characters and stuff organized when they're needed. Yet, up until recently, it keeps saying it hasn't kept up with my latest changes. I kept reloading but it doesn't work. So, I had to delete and reinstall the game. Now it's happening again, and I don't know why this is happening. Before this happened, though, it was a good app for DND players. Maybe this is only happening to me? (EDIT:) Found out that it was a wi fi making the app act up. So, it's a good app overall now.

You used to be able to buy individual items (classes, subclasses, magic items, etc.) for $1.99 without having to buy a while book, but they removed that option and now, if you just want the artificer class, for example, you have to spend $30 for Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. This is very disappointing. I'm on a fixed income. I can't afford to pay $30 form something when I used to pay $1.99.

Wizards of the coast are getting more and more greedy by the day. You use to be able to buy specific things out of the books that you would like to use. (like buying warforged without buying the entire book) it would save you a bunch of money if that's the only thing you wanted out of that book. But, unfortunately, they did away with that feature, so now I'm looking into finding a new app to use for my campaigns.

Almost everything is paywalled and quickly moving to subscription instead of buy it and done. It's already past the point of micro transactions as all of the costs are anything but micro, and I've paid hundreds of dollars already. Plenty more free or fully paid options out there that give just as much functionality. Used to be good, but now it's only good if you're willing to pay an arm and a leg. Good luck, WotC.