Top 7 Decentraland Alternatives to Consider in 2024

The Sandbox
Metaverse
Second Life
Axie Infinity
Roblox
Spatial
Meta

Decentraland is a user-controlled 3D virtual world platform built on Ethereum. It offers a parallel economy with native tokens like LAND and MANA, allowing users to create unique environments and marketplaces. Criticized for technical bugs, it has also seen success with events like the AI World Fair and partnerships with brands like Netflix and Samsung.

Top Decentraland alternatives for 2024

For those exploring options beyond Decentraland, alternatives include The Sandbox, Metaverse, Second Life, Axie Infinity, Roblox, Spatial, and Meta.

The Sandbox

Crafted on the Ethereum blockchain, The Sandbox is an immersive metaverse empowering users to create, share, and trade digital assets. Debuting its journey as a mobile game in 2012, it metamorphosed into a blockchain version in 2018, marking a sweeping transmutation in the realm of digital realities.

The Sandbox Top Features

VoxEdit: Enables users to spawn their creations without the requirement of coding.
Marketplace: Here users can trade their creations as NFTs, blazing a trail in digital monetization.
Game Maker: A tool that encapsulates user-friendly design, enabling the evolution of imagination into graphical reality.
Copyright Ownership: Sandbox safeguards creative intellectual property using blockchain and smart contracts.
DAO: Aiming for a truly decentralized ecosystem, Sandbox has a DAO ensuring equity among token holders.

Token	Function
SAND	Used for all transactions
LAND	Signifies virtual real estate ownership
ASSETS	Used for in-game items
Gems	Used for attributes
Catalysts	Enhances assets

The Sandbox Downsides

Limited availability: As of now, Sandbox is not widely available, constricting creative expansion.
Restrictions on monetization: Sharing creations or making profit from them is not currently possible.
No Consent Required: Platform modifications can be enforced by private owners without LAND owner agreement.

The Sandbox Use Cases

Use Case 1: Virtual Real Estate Investors

With the LAND token’s game-changing potential, users can delve into the opportunistic world of virtual real estate investment. They can participate in public LAND sales, opening every quarter, and acquire vast virtual plots measuring 315ft x 315ft.

Use Case 2: Creators and Designers

For creatives scouting for a digital canvas, Sandbox’s VoxEdit and Game Maker prove invaluable. They can shape, sell, and even retain copyright ownership for their creations with blockchain.

Use Case 3: Gamers and Collectors

With ASSET tokens, gamers can purchase exclusive in-game items, creating a custom and engrossing gaming environment. Meanwhile, collectors can own unique digital assets on this platform, tapping into the booming NFT market.

Metaverse

Stepping into limelight by repurposing Facebook into Meta, the Metaverse offers a decades-old concept of an immersive 3D realm with a blend of VR and AR technologies. Today, it stands as a compilation of several 3D worlds, catering to diverse consumer groups and business operations.

Metaverse Top Features

Integration of VR and AR realities fostering immersive experiences.
Blockchain application and NFT synergy streamlining commerce and seamless integration.
Vast range of 3D, app-based worlds targeting diverse consumer groups and industries.
A tight interplay between VR equipment, haptic technology and digital economic systems.

Legacy	Metaverse has a rich historical lineage starting from Antonin Artaud’s essays(1938), to Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash(1992) coining the term ‘metaverse’, to the present-day Meta(2021).
Industrial Partnership	Forming industrial alliances such as the partnership between Siemens and Nvidia on industrial metaverse initiatives in 2022.
Market Response	Enthusiastic reaction from market participants, evidenced by the heavy investments and partnership initiatives.

Metaverse Limitations

Technical complexities and required sophistication of hardwares like VR headsets could limit user accessibility.
The concept could be perceived as being too futuristic or advantageous to those with tech savviness, creating a digital divide.

Metaverse Pricing

No specific pricing details are available at this moment. The developmental nature of the concept suggests an evolving pricing model in the future.

Metaverse Use Cases

Use case 1

The Metaverse is a playground for digital marketers and retail brands. Brands like Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, McLaren, and Walmart have started leveraging the Metaverse for unique marketing campaign experiences.

Use case 2

Another arena is the virtual collaboration for businesses. Microsoft’s Mesh is a glowing example of such use, allowing teams to meet and collaborate in shared virtual spaces, thus amplifying productivity.

Use case 3

In the Entertainment Sector, Epic Games’s Fortnite hosted Travis Scott’s virtual concert within the Metaverse, indicating a vast potential area for artists, performers, and even gamers.

Second Life

Established by Linden Lab’s CEO, Philip Rosedale, Second Life represents a major player in the sphere of virtual reality. Originally aimed at research on haptics, the firm shifted focus to building a virtual 3D world, initially referred to as “LindenWorld”. Today, it commands a vibrant economy, with users engaging in content creation, service provision, and goods exchange.

Second Life Top Features

Interactivity: Users can interact with each other in real-time, fostering sociability.
Economic system: A fully functional economy, where users can create, buy, and sell goods and services using Linden dollars.
Identity Verification: This feature promotes reliability and trust within the user community.

Feature	Description
Personalization	Facilitates user-customized settings and experiences via functional cookies.
User Diversity	Caters to a wide array of audiences, ranging from academics and artists to military veterans.
Real-World Representation	Second Life has stayed relevant by continually recreating real-world experiences for users.

Second Life Downsides

Cryptocurrency incompatibility: Presently, the platform does not support cryptocurrency for metaverse transactions.
Marketing restrictions: Second Life does not embrace targeted advertising models.
Confined data storage: The platform does not store any personally identifiable information.

Second Life Pricing

Second Life operates on a freemium model, with options to purchase premium services and in-game currency, Linden dollars.

Second Life Use Cases

Use Case 1: Social Engagement

Second Life stimulates social interactions by creating shared experiences for users in real-time. This feature has endeared it to many social groups, including academics, artists, and trans community members.

Use Case 2: Economic Engagement

As a platform with a thriving economy, Second Life offers creative users an outlet to create, buy, and sell goods or services, pumping the virtual economy.

Use Case 3: Therapeutic Engagement

Second Life’s commitment to diversity has made it a haven for communities of military veterans discussing PTSD, using the platform for therapeutic purposes.

Axie Infinity

Welcome to the world of Axie Infinity, a whimsical combination of blockchain technology and creature-collecting madness. It’s your childhood dreams of Pokémon come to life, sprinkled with elements of play-to-earn model, and finally topped off with some cryptocurrency on the side!

Top Axie Infinity Features

Utilizes NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) for in-game items, like monsters and land plots.
Two types of in-game currencies: SLP tokens and AXS tokens.
Integrated with Ethereum blockchain and Ronin sidechain to minimize fees & transaction delays.
Features vicarious battles against computer-controlled teams or other players over the internet.
Allows real money trading of NFTs on its marketplace.

Features	Details
Platforms	PC, Mac, Android, iOS
Axies Breeding	Helps create potential for more powerful teams and additional NFTs for sale.
Play-to-earn Model	Players are rewarded with crypto tokens exchangeable for real money.

Axie Infinity – A Glimpse at the Downsides

Requires investment in at least three Axie NFTs before you can start playing.
Experienced a significant hack incident in 2022 causing a dip in player numbers and Ethereum value.

Axie Infinity Pricing

Get ready to experience a new kind of sticker shock: you must initially purchase a minimum of three Axie NFTs to join the game.

Axie Infinity Use Cases

A New Generation of Online Gamers

Axie Infinity is a perfect playground, or shall we call it the battleground, for gamers looking for that heady mix of online gaming and blockchain. Is it the future of gaming? Only time (or your Axie team) will tell.

Blockchain Enthusiasts

If you’ve got a soft spot for Ethereum and an appetite for risks, Axie Infinity might just be your next favorite hangout. With its blockchain-based NFT system, it is redefining how we interact with digital assets, and who knows? You might just hit the NFT jackpot!

Crypto Investors

Did someone say play-to-earn? That’s right, your gaming hours literally turn into ‘working hours’ with Axie Infinity. Perfect for those who want an exciting way to earn (and spend) cryptocurrency.

Roblox

Founded in 2004, Roblox developed into a mammoth game-creation and gameplay platform. Sporting its proprietary engine, Roblox Studio, it allows users to craft games using the Lua derivative, Luau. Solidifying its influence, the platform boasts of over 100 million monthly active users and a content library exploding with more than 50 million user-generated games.

Roblox Top Features

Rich content library of over 50 million games, all user-crafted.
Over 100 million monthly active users, fostering a vibrant community.
Roblox Studio enabling creators to generate games using Luau language.
Economically rewarding its 2 million creators with substantial payouts.
Strong presence on social media, including numerous YouTube tutorial communities.
Presence across multiple platforms – Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Xbox One, Meta Quest 2.
Stalwart player safety with algorithms blocking sensitive data, inappropriate visuals.
Robust teaching resources for learning Roblox programming languages, game development basics.

Feature	Benefit
User-generated Content	Fuels continuous innovation and varied gaming experiences.
Integration with Blender	Enhances game development through advanced modelling, animating.
Social Interaction	Promotes community establishment, rapport among players through chat, friend addition functionalities.

Roblox Limitations

Reports of adult content misuse, drawing scrutiny.
Concerns on the presence of microtransactions, allegations of child-exploitative practices.
Moderation issues leading to possible quality lapses in user-generated content.

Roblox Pricing

Roblox operates chiefly on a free model, but utilizes an in-app purchase system through its virtual currency, Robux. Payout to creators have been substantial, surpassing $100 million in 2019.

Roblox Use Cases

Freelancing Developers

With its encouraging payout model and development support, Roblox proves indispensable for freelancing developers who wish to monetize their creative prowess.

Small Business

Small businesses can leverage Roblox‘s gigantic user base and engage with potential clients via interactive, engaging gaming experiences.

Education and Learning

The platform’s teaching resources appeal to learners, offering insights into game development basics, Roblox programming languages, bonus online classes and YouTube tutorials.

Spatial

Turn your whole world into a virtual plaform with Spatial, an innovative technology solution that uses augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to create immersive experiences that surpass the boundaries of physical reality.

Spatial Top Features

Immersive AR/VR experiences for gaming and collaboration
Personalized spaces with options for galleries and live shows
Integration with Unity for custom space creation
Avatar customizations, enhanced with brand partnerships. You could don a chic Calvin Klein robe, or sport an Adidas tracksuit virtually!
Spatial audio and Token Gate privacy features
3D design collaboration to materialize your innovative thought
Interactions via eyes, hands, and voice

Unique Feature	Benefit
Efficacy across VR/AR devices	Experience augmented reality through a gamut of devices, expanding accessibility.
AI-powered avatar rendering	Ogle at realistic avatars, rendered from 2D photos to 3D, using progressive AI technology.
Cross-platform	Seamless integration with Google Drive, Microsoft 365, Slack, and Figma.

Spatial Limitations

Limited brand partnerships for avatar customization
Dependence on applicable hardware for hand and eye movement interaction

Spatial Pricing

Experience the expansiveness of the Spatial universe for free! Yes, you heard that right. Spatial is free for up to 30 participants.