Choose RIFT
Choose RIFT if you want the Online PvP, Online Co-op, and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 7,463 Steam reviews back the pick.
RIFT vs Anarchy Online
RIFT and Anarchy 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 Anarchy Online (2017). Anarchy Online scores higher on Steam reviews (82.5% 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 Anarchy Online
Choose Anarchy Online if you want a Strategy experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 82.5% positive across 228 reviews.
Both RIFT and Anarchy Online sit in Action, Adventure, and Massively Multiplayer on Steam and both list Multi-player and MMO, 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 |  Anarchy Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play | Action, Strategy, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 73.6% positive (7,463 reviews) | 82.5% positive (228 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | gamigo US Inc. | Funcom |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- RIFT (2011) is 6 years older than Anarchy Online (2017).
- Anarchy Online scores higher on Steam reviews (82.5% positive) than RIFT (73.6% positive).
- Both are free to play.
- RIFT has co-op; Anarchy Online does not.
- RIFT is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Anarchy Online has no Deck rating yet.
RIFT vs Anarchy Online — FAQ
- Which is better, RIFT or Anarchy Online?
- On Steam reviews Anarchy Online scores higher (82.5% positive) than RIFT (73.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Anarchy 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 Anarchy Online first?
- If you want chronology, RIFT (2011) came out before Anarchy 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 Anarchy 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.