Fantasy Grounds vs Penly

Professional comparison and analysis to help you choose the right software solution for your needs.

Fantasy Grounds

Penly

Fantasy Grounds vs Penly: The Verdict

⚡ Summary:

Fantasy Grounds: Fantasy Grounds is a virtual tabletop software for pen and paper roleplaying games. It provides tools to play games like Dungeons & Dragons online with built-in dice, character sheets, maps and more. Allows gamemasters to easily manage campaigns.

Penly: Penly is a free and open-source note taking app for Windows, macOS and Linux. It allows users to create rich text documents, add images and attachments, organize notes into notebooks, collaborate with others and sync across devices. Penly has a clean and intuitive interface, supports tagging and search, and integrates with cloud services.

Both tools serve their respective audiences. Compare the features, pricing, and user ratings above to determine which best fits your needs.

Last updated: May 2026 · Comparison by Sugggest Editorial Team

Feature	Fantasy Grounds	Penly
Sugggest Score	—	—
Category	Gaming Software	Office & Productivity
Pricing	—	Open Source

Product Overview

Fantasy Grounds

Description: Fantasy Grounds is a virtual tabletop software for pen and paper roleplaying games. It provides tools to play games like Dungeons & Dragons online with built-in dice, character sheets, maps and more. Allows gamemasters to easily manage campaigns.

Type: software

Penly

Description: Penly is a free and open-source note taking app for Windows, macOS and Linux. It allows users to create rich text documents, add images and attachments, organize notes into notebooks, collaborate with others and sync across devices. Penly has a clean and intuitive interface, supports tagging and search, and integrates with cloud services.

Type: software

Pricing: Open Source

Key Features Comparison

Fantasy Grounds Features

Virtual tabletop
Built-in dice roller
Character sheets
Maps
Content marketplace
Remote play
Ruleset support

Penly Features

Rich text editing
Notebooks for organization
Collaboration
Cross-platform availability
Open source
Cloud sync
Search
Tags
Attachments
Clean and intuitive interface

Pros & Cons Analysis

Fantasy Grounds

Pros

Great UI and UX
Active community support
Automates tedious tasks
Saves time prepping
Integrates with D&D Beyond
Works on multiple platforms

Cons

Steep learning curve
Can be expensive with all content
Performance issues sometimes
Missing some niche features

Penly

Pros

Free and open source
Available on Windows, Mac and Linux
Supports rich formatting
Good organization with notebooks
Collaboration capabilities
Cloud sync
Powerful search and tagging
Can attach files
Clean and simple interface

Cons

Limited compared to proprietary options
Formatting not as robust as Word
No mobile apps
Collaboration could be better
Sync relies on third-party services
Some features still in development

Pricing Comparison

Fantasy Grounds

Not listed

Penly

Open Source

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Learn More About Each Product

Fantasy Grounds

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