Alternatives · Similar games

Games like Elden Ring

No free game nails Elden Ring's Souls combat exactly — but if it's the vast open world, demanding fights and deep character builds you're after, these free action MMORPGs get you close.

8 free picks← All free-to-play MMORPGs

By the FreeMMO Compass editorial teamReviewed: September 2026Our methodology

Straight answer first: nothing free matches FromSoftware's precise, punishing Souls combat. So instead of pretending otherwise, we match Elden Ring on what a free MMORPG genuinely can deliver. A vast, cryptic open world you piece together yourself. Boss fights you have to learn rather than muscle through. Builds worth min-maxing.

If it's the tight dodge-and-parry duelling you're really after, keep your expectations in check. If it's the awe of a huge world and the payoff of a kill you earned, the picks below get you a good way there for nothing.

At a glance

Game	Best for	Platforms	Browser	Score
Throne and Liberty	Open World, PvPvE	PC, PlayStation, Xbox	—	7.8
Lost Ark	Action, Raids	PC	—	8.2
Guild Wars 2	No subscription, WvW	PC	—	8.8
Once Human	Survival, Open World	PC, Mobile	—	7.8
Tarisland	Raids, Cross-platform	PC, Mobile	—	7.2
Tower of Fantasy	Anime, Open World	PC, PlayStation, Mobile	—	7.4
Aion	PvPvE, Flight	PC	—	7.3
Neverwinter	Action, Dungeons	PC, PlayStation, Xbox	—	7.7

Free Elden Ring alternatives, reviewed

Ranked by how close they get — every game free to start.

7.8/10

1. Throne and Liberty

A modern, good-looking open-world MMORPG, free to play.

Why it's like Elden Ring: A huge free open world with weighty action combat and large-scale boss fights.

Developer NCSoft / Amazon GamesReleased 2024Platforms PC, PlayStation, XboxBrowser NoModel Free to play

Throne and Liberty is the newest big-budget MMORPG to launch free, and it looks it. The world is seamless and genuinely striking, with weather that reshapes the map (rain floods routes, wind opens gliding paths) and a weapon system that lets you swap between two types mid-fight for hybrid builds. Scale is the pitch: sprawling PvPvE sieges and world-boss contests where hundreds of players pile in, backed by guild-driven territory war that gives the endgame real stakes. If you've been waiting for a modern, high-production MMORPG you can try without buying anything, this is the one to look at first. It's also honest about what it is, which is a game built around large, competitive, guild-oriented play. Solo players and anyone allergic to PvP or gear-based power gaps will get less from it, the tab-target-meets-action hybrid combat won't click for everyone, and the battle passes and growth boosts are worth watching before you invest. Population has settled from the launch spike, as these games always do. As a free front door into a brand-new, gorgeous world with real scale, though, it's an easy recommendation, and a fresh one for genre veterans.

Throne and Liberty gameplay screenshot 1

Throne and Liberty gameplay screenshot 2

Throne and Liberty gameplay screenshot 3

Pros

Great visuals
Flexible weapon-swap builds
Large-scale events

Cons

Combat feels slow to some
Cash shop pressure at endgame

Best for: Players wanting a modern, good-looking open world

Play Throne and Liberty free Read full review

8.2/10

2. Lost Ark

Isometric action-MMO with spectacular raids, free to play.

Why it's like Elden Ring: Punishing, mechanic-heavy raids and deep builds — the closest free game for that 'earn every win' feel.

Developer Smilegate / Amazon GamesReleased 2022Platforms PCBrowser NoModel Free to play

Lost Ark pulls off a rare trick: snappy, skill-based isometric combat welded to the kind of mechanically brutal raids you'd expect from a subscription MMO, all for free. The moment-to-moment fighting is the star. Every class feels distinct, dodging and positioning matter, and the top-down camera makes group encounters read like choreography. The eight-player Legion Raids are the payoff, wipe-heavy puzzles you slowly learn, and getting your first character there is a genuine high. Where it drops points is everything around the raids. Progression leans on running several alt characters through daily and weekly chores, which can start to feel like a second job, and the honing system's cash-shop shortcuts push harder than the games above it. Server health varies by region, too. Still, if you want cinematic action and real raid content without spending a cent to reach it, Lost Ark hands you a scale and polish most free games can't. Go in for the combat and the raids, treat the alt grind as optional, and you'll get dozens of hours out of it before the question of money ever comes up.

Pros

Excellent combat & raids
Tons of content
Great class variety

Cons

Alt-heavy endgame
Honing RNG progression

Best for: Players who want spectacle: action combat plus raids

Play Lost Ark free Read full review

8.8/10

3. Guild Wars 2

Buy-to-play world, but the core game is completely free.

Why it's like Elden Ring: A vast explorable world with challenging group content and no subscription.

Developer ArenaNetReleased 2012Platforms PCBrowser NoModel Free to play

Guild Wars 2 made a promise most of its rivals won't: no subscription, not now, not ever. The core game is free and huge, a hand-built world stitched together by dynamic events that pull nearby players into the same fight instead of making you squabble over one spawn. The whole thing is designed against the grind. You earn experience from almost everything, old zones scale to your level so they never go dead, and gear caps out fast, which turns the endgame into a hunt for cosmetics, achievements and mastery rather than a bigger number. That makes it the friendliest game here for alts and for coming back after a break; wander off for a year and you won't be hopelessly behind. World vs World, the round-the-clock three-faction PvP mode, is bundled in for nothing. Free accounts carry a few anti-bot limits on chat, trading and map travel, and the two expansions add elite specs, mounts and maps you'll eventually want. But hundreds of hours sit in the free core before any of that matters, with no monthly bill hanging over you. If a subscription is what's kept you out of the genre, this is your way in.

Pros

No sub fee at all
Active endgame & world events
Alt-friendly, no gear treadmill

Cons

Free accounts have chat/economy restrictions
Expansions are paid

Best for: Explorers who never want to pay a monthly fee

Play Guild Wars 2 free Read full review

7.8/10

4. Once Human

A free open-world survival MMO set in a strange post-apocalypse.

Why it's like Elden Ring: A free open-world with a darker, eerie atmosphere and tough encounters.

Developer Starry StudioReleased 2024Platforms PC, MobileBrowser NoModel Free to play

Once Human is the odd one out here, and better for it. It's a free open-world survival MMO that swaps knights and elves for a strange, unsettling post-apocalypse full of body-horror monsters and reality-warping anomalies. You scavenge, build a base you can pack up and move, craft gear and take on world bosses solo or with others, wrapped in an atmosphere closer to a horror game than a traditional fantasy MMORPG. That setting and its Deviants, captured creatures that grant passive powers, are the draw, and they help it stand apart in a genre drowning in the same medieval towns. It's free to jump into on PC and mobile, with seasonal servers that reset and remix the rules, so the world regularly starts over. Those wipes are also its most divisive feature: some players love the clean slate, others resent losing progress, and the monetisation and season structure won't suit everyone. Think of it as a months-long survival campaign rather than a forever home, and know the crafting loop will feel familiar if you've played the genre. If you want something free, atmospheric and genuinely different from everything else on this list, it's the most original pick here.

Pros

Atmospheric survival world
Co-op base-building
Fully free to play

Cons

Seasonal wipes aren't for everyone
Performance can be uneven

Best for: Survival fans who want an eerie open world for free

Play Once Human free Read full review

7.2/10

5. Tarisland

A polished cross-platform MMORPG built around classic raids — free to play.

Why it's like Elden Ring: Demanding action combat and raid bosses to learn, free on PC and mobile.

Developer Level InfiniteReleased 2024Platforms PC, MobileBrowser NoModel Free to play

Tarisland is a modern themepark MMORPG built for PC and mobile, with cross-play and a promise of no pay-to-win power. It offers familiar class-based questing, dungeons and raids in a polished fantasy world you can take anywhere. Combat is responsive and the production values are high for a free cross-platform game. It plays it fairly safe on ideas, and how the monetization holds up long-term is worth watching, but as an accessible, good-looking free MMORPG for phone and PC, it's an easy recommendation.

Pros

Modern cross-platform play
Focus on raids & dungeons
Easy for returning MMO players

Cons

World and story feel generic
Smaller Western community

Best for: Raids, Cross-platform

Play Tarisland free Read full review

7.4/10

6. Tower of Fantasy

An anime open-world MMORPG with true shared-world exploration — free to play.

Why it's like Elden Ring: A free open world with action combat if you want exploration over pure difficulty.

Developer Hotta StudioReleased 2022Platforms PC, PlayStation, MobileBrowser NoModel Free to play

Tower of Fantasy is a stylish anime open-world MMORPG with weapon-swapping combat and a genuinely shared world. If you loved Genshin's world but wanted more players in it, this is the closest free pick. Exploration and combat are the draws, both free from the start. Spending goes toward a gacha for weapons and characters, which is where the pressure creeps in, and the story is hit-or-miss. But as a free, cross-platform anime open world with real multiplayer, it stands out.

Pros

A real open-world MMO
Stylish anime combat
Cross-platform with mobile

Cons

Gacha weapon monetization
Story is hit-or-miss

Best for: Anime, Open World

Play Tower of Fantasy free Read full review

7.3/10

7. Aion

A classic winged-fantasy MMORPG with large-scale PvPvE — free to play.

Why it's like Elden Ring: Action-based combat and big boss fights across an open fantasy world, free to play.

Developer NCSoftReleased 2009Platforms PCBrowser NoModel Free to play

Aion is a classic fantasy MMORPG with a signature twist: flight, both in exploration and combat. Its winged battles and open-world PvP made it stand out, and it remains free to play with an optional premium tier. The art still looks striking, and the character creator is famously deep. It's an older game, so some systems feel dated and the grind can bite, but for classic themepark MMO structure with aerial combat, it's a distinctive free option.

Pros

Iconic flight combat
Large-scale PvPvE (the Abyss)
Classic MMORPG progression

Cons

Dated systems
Grind-heavy leveling

Best for: PvPvE, Flight

Play Aion free Read full review

7.7/10

8. Neverwinter

A free Dungeons & Dragons action MMORPG set in the Forgotten Realms.

Why it's like Elden Ring: Action-RPG combat and dungeon challenges in the Forgotten Realms, free to play.

Developer Cryptic StudiosReleased 2013Platforms PC, PlayStation, XboxBrowser NoModel Free to play

Neverwinter is the gentlest way into a Dungeons & Dragons MMORPG for free. Set in the Forgotten Realms, it turns tabletop fantasy into fast, reticle-based action combat and a steady drip of story quests, which makes it a comfortable landing spot for anyone put off by heavier, more systems-obsessed MMOs. Its episodic modules add fresh campaigns fairly often, the classes are simple to pick up but leave room to specialise, and the D&D flavour gives it a character built for fans of the setting. It's on PC, PlayStation and Xbox, all free. Age and monetisation are what hold it back. The graphics and some systems show their years, and once the story campaigns run dry the endgame leans on a lockbox-and-key economy that can feel grabby. It's strongest as a free, pick-up-and-play fantasy adventure rather than a min-maxer's endgame. But for D&D fans, or anyone who wants approachable, action-driven questing in the Realms without a subscription or a purchase, Neverwinter holds up and earns its place in our top fifteen.

Pros

Truly free to play
Fast, fun action combat
Steady stream of story content

Cons

Endgame leans on paid boosts
Aging visuals

Best for: D&D fans who want approachable fantasy questing

Play Neverwinter free Read full review

How we pick these alternatives

We only list games that are genuinely free to start, still actively updated in 2026, and a real match for Elden Ring in feel — not just the same genre label. Every pick is one we'd actually recommend to a friend, ranked on gameplay, how much you get for free and fair monetization. Nothing here is a paid placement.

FAQ

Is there a free game like Elden Ring?

There's no free Souls-like of the same calibre, but Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark deliver the big open world, demanding combat and deep progression for free.

What free game has combat like Elden Ring?

Lost Ark's raid mechanics and Throne and Liberty's action combat are the closest free experiences, though neither is a true Souls-like.

Which game is most like Elden Ring?

Throne and Liberty is our top pick: A huge free open world with weighty action combat and large-scale boss fights.

Are these games really free?

Yes — every game we recommend here is free to play, with no purchase required to start. Some offer optional cosmetics, a subscription or expansions.