Choose RIFT
Choose RIFT if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 7,463 Steam reviews back the pick.
RIFT vs The Elder Scrolls® Online
RIFT and The Elder Scrolls® Online both land in Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam. RIFT (2011) is 6 years older than The Elder Scrolls® Online (2017). The Elder Scrolls® Online scores higher on Steam reviews (81.6% positive) than RIFT (73.6% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose The Elder Scrolls® Online
Choose The Elder Scrolls® Online if you want the HDR available, Camera Comfort, and Custom Volume Controls side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 81.6% positive across 73,647 reviews.
Both RIFT and The Elder Scrolls® Online sit in Action, Adventure, and Massively Multiplayer on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 RIFT |  The Elder Scrolls® Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 73.6% positive (7,463 reviews) | 81.6% positive (73,647 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | gamigo US Inc. | ZeniMax Online Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- RIFT (2011) is 6 years older than The Elder Scrolls® Online (2017).
- The Elder Scrolls® Online scores higher on Steam reviews (81.6% positive) than RIFT (73.6% positive).
- RIFT is free; The Elder Scrolls® Online is paid (19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: RIFT is Deck Unsupported, The Elder Scrolls® Online is Deck Playable.
RIFT vs The Elder Scrolls® Online — FAQ
- Which is better, RIFT or The Elder Scrolls® Online?
- On Steam reviews The Elder Scrolls® Online scores higher (81.6% positive) than RIFT (73.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Elder Scrolls® Online is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play RIFT or The Elder Scrolls® Online first?
- If you want chronology, RIFT (2011) came out before The Elder Scrolls® Online (2017). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are RIFT and The Elder Scrolls® Online similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both RIFT and The Elder Scrolls® Online have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: RIFT ships Online Co-op, Co-op; The Elder Scrolls® Online ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is RIFT free?
- Yes — RIFT is a free-to-play Steam title. The Elder Scrolls® Online is paid (19.99 USD).