The best free online RPG games to play

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If you're familiar with online RPG games, you'll know many of them to have a premium price tag over them. The price tag is either in the form of a monthly subscription or a one-time price. Even though the premium is worth it most of the time, gamers will still look for budget options especially if you love the RPG genre.

There are several free-to-play online RPG games around. Being free does not deter these games in quality either. They still have many of the fun RPG elements such as world exploration, questing, PvP and PvE combat and much.

Here is a list of 6 of the best free-to-play online RPG games that are still active and have a high player base.


#6. Neverwinter

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Initial Release Date: 20 June 2013

Available on: PC, Xbox One, PS4

Neverwinter is an MMORPG game that is based in the universe of the popular board game Dungeons & Dragons. There are eight different classes to choose from. It is not quite like other online RPG games in a traditional sense.

The game features a storyline you need to play, with the absence of a dungeon master to guide you. The game is completely free-to-play but some items are locked behind a premium tag. You can unlock many of these items by grinding and playing but it takes a lot more time.

Still, there are many things you can do in Neverwinter and you will love the game if you are a fan of Dungeons & Dragons.


#5. Star Trek: Online

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Initial Release Date: 2 February 2010

Available on: PC, Xbox One, PS4

Star Trek: Online is set in the Star Trek universe and takes place 30 years after the film Star Trek: Nemesis. Players control their own ship and can customize their fleet, ship's engineering, equip weapons for combat and much more.

Star Trek: Online is completely free-to-play with a premium subscription option. Free tier players will get access to all expansions and the game. The only difference is that free tier players will have some limitations with currency, fleet management, a few rewards and more.

It makes it a bit harder but you can also choose to purchase some items separately or play completely for free.

#4. Rift

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Initial Release Date: 1 March 2011

Available on: PC

Rift is a popular fantasy MMORPG game which features many elements from games such as World of Warcraft. You choose between two competing factions and you choose the race and class you choose to play as.

You need to level up your character and get the appropriate gear to increase your power level. You also fight many monsters in instances and "Rifts" where they spawn from. Rift was initially a paid subscription model but developers Trion Worlds have been generous enough to scrap it and give players a completely free-to-play option.

You can purchase some items with real money but most of the premium items are purely cosmetic. There is no pay-to-win option, so getting high-level items requires you to play the game and earn it.


#3. Lord of the Rings: Online

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Initial Release Date: 24 April 2007

Available on: PC

Lord of the Rings: Online is an online RPG game that lets you live the story of the original Lord of the Rings books/movies in the game. You can choose to be an Elf, Hobbit, Human or Dwarf while traversing Middle Earth.

The expansions were released as "Volumes", from the Shire all the way to facing Sauron in Mordor. New stories are still being added even though the final story is over. Lord of the Rings: Online is completely free-to-play, but it has a few restrictions compared to paid subscribers.

#2. Runescape

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Initial Release Date: 4 January 2001

Available on: PC, iOS, Android

Runescape is the most popular online RPG game ever. It is a free-to-play browser-based game which you can also play on mobile. Runescape also allows you to play the older, classic version (which fans call 2007scape). The current iteration is Runescape 3.

In the Runescape world, you are dropped in and you are free to explore whichever way you wish. You can craft items, fight monsters, level up with quests and much more. You can also interact with other players where you can join them side-by-side to fight, play minigames or trade items with each other.

Runescape also offers a premium subscription where you will get access to a much bigger world, get exclusive minigames, quests, and 10 additional skills to choose from. You don't have to go premium nor is it pay-to-win, it's simply more game content in a world already filled with an endless number of things to do.


#1. Path of Exile

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Initial Release Date: 23 October 2013

Available on: PC, Xbox One, PS4

Although not as popular as Runescape, Path of Exile is the best free-to-play online RPG game out there. The developers are extremely generous to their players and the only premium you need to pay is for cosmetic outfits and moves or for additional storage slots and character slots.

You can choose from 6 classes to play from and Path of Exile offers you a lot of flexibility on how you can play your class since there is no fixed "class identity". Many instances are randomly generated which allows players to replay them over and over. The game is inspired by Diablo 2 and has a top-down view and many similar gameplay mechanics.

You can also get items and gem slots to enhance the strength of your character. Path of Exile is unique because there is no in-game currency. Instead, you have to barter for items that you want. The game has a fair bit of complexity and a learning curve but once you get the hang of it, you will find it to be one of the best RPG games out there, if not one of the best games.