GTA 5 isn’t just about the single-player story or the official GTA Online mode, which can sometimes be overrun by cheaters spawning vehicles and weapons, causing chaos, and ruining the fun for others.
The modding community has created entire new ways to play. Including a wide range of options such as; massive roleplay servers, free-roam servers with built in spawn menus, unique games modes such as king of the hill, sumo and much more.
The three big names in this space are FiveM, RAGE MP and alt:V, these platforms let you create your own adventures, meet new players, and explore Los Santos like never before.
In this guide, we’ll break down the best GTA 5 multiplayer and RP mods, how they work, and why thousands of players are choosing them over Rockstar’s servers.
GTA Online
Grand Theft Auto Online is the multiplayer component of Grand Theft Auto V, offering a persistent online version of the base game. Players connect to Rockstar’s servers, with public sessions capped at 30 players per instance.
You begin by creating a custom character, starting with limited money and basic weapons. From there, you can earn cash to purchase vehicles, properties, and gear, as well as RP (Reputation Points) to unlock new weapons, cars, clothing, and missions.
Activities in GTA Online
There’s no shortage of things to do in Los Santos and Blaine County. Key activity types include:
Series Modes: Adversary Mode, Community Race Series, Survival Series, Arena War Series, Stunt Series
Contact Missions: Short Trip, Auto Shop Robbery, Mobile Operations, Special Vehicle Missions
Heists: The Doomsday Heist, Diamond Casino Heist, The Cayo Perico Heist
Jobs: Race, Deathmatch, Versus Missions, LTS (Last Team Standing), Capture, Survival, Parachuting
Other Activities: Arm Wrestling, Darts, Golf, Shooting Range, Tennis
In addition, random map events and business management opportunities keep the world feeling alive and ever-changing.
So yes—there’s plenty to keep you busy… assuming you can deal with the occasional (or not-so-occasional) cheating player raining down chaos while you’re minding your own business.
If you’re looking for alternatives with different rule sets—enforced by active owners, admins, and moderators—keep reading.
FiveM
FiveM was one of the first major multiplayer modification frameworks for Grand Theft Auto V, launching in 2015 and developed by the CitizenFX Collective. It allowed players to connect to custom servers independent of Rockstar’s official GTA Online service, giving server owners full control over rules, scripts, and game content.
When it first launched, FiveM only supported a limited number of players per server. Larger communities often ran multiple instances to accommodate everyone, as the framework retained NPC pedestrians and traffic—something many other multiplayer modifications lacked.
This made the world feel alive, just like in the base game, but it also placed greater demands on server performance. Over the years, improvements to FiveM’s backend code and networking systems have dramatically increased capacity, with some servers now capable of supporting over 1,000 concurrent players.
You can try FiveM today by visiting the FiveM official website and downloading the modification. Simply run the installer, follow the setup instructions, and you’ll be ready to play. Keep in mind that a licensed copy of Grand Theft Auto V is required.
If you’re looking to get started, check out our guide to some of the best FiveM servers to explore.
RageMP
RAGE Multiplayer (RageMP) launched in 2016 as another major multiplayer modification framework for Grand Theft Auto V. Designed for performance and flexibility, it gave developers powerful scripting tools and server control, enabling everything from fast-paced competitive modes to expansive roleplay environments.
From the start, RageMP could handle more concurrent players per server than FiveM, making it attractive for large-scale events and communities. However, unlike FiveM, RageMP does not feature NPC pedestrians or traffic by default. While this results in less immersion compared to GTA V’s single-player world, it also reduces server strain, allowing for smoother performance and higher player counts without compromising stability.
Although it hasn’t reached the same level of mainstream streaming popularity as FiveM, it maintains a loyal following and powers many high-profile roleplay and competitive GTA V communities.
You can try RageMP today by visiting the RageMP official website and downloading the modification. Once downloaded, run the installer and follow the setup instructions to get up and running. As with FiveM, a licensed copy of Grand Theft Auto V is required to play.
alt:V
alt:V first launched in 2015 as another multiplayer modification framework for Grand Theft Auto V, focusing on high performance, low latency, and cross-platform stability.
Designed to give developers deep control over game logic, alt:V supports custom scripting in JavaScript, C#, and other languages, allowing for highly tailored multiplayer experiences ranging from roleplay servers to complex custom game modes.
One of alt:V’s key technical strengths is its efficient networking system, enabling smooth performance even with high player counts. Like RageMP, alt:V does not include NPC pedestrians or traffic by default—reducing world immersion but freeing up resources for more concurrent players and complex server-side features.
While alt:V arrived around the same time as FiveM, it has generally targeted a more developer-focused audience, with advanced tools for custom game logic and extensive API support. Over time, it has built a dedicated community of both server owners and players, and remains an actively developed platform for those seeking maximum control and efficiency in a GTA V multiplayer environment.
You can try alt:V today by visiting the alv:V official website and downloading the modification. After downloading, run the installer and follow the setup instructions to get started. As with other GTA V multiplayer mods, a licensed copy of Grand Theft Auto V is required to play.
FiveM, RageMP, alt:V Comparison
| Feature | FiveM | RageMP | alt:V |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch Year | 2015 | 2016 | 2015 |
| NPCs & Traffic | Yes, includes pedestrians and vehicles like base GTA V | No by default | Not by default |
| Max Players per Server | Upto 2048 players | 5000+ based on current servers | Upto 10,000 players |
| Customization / Scripting | C#, Lua, and JavaScript | JavaScript (JS), C#, and Pawn | JavaScript/TypeScript/C# APIs/Modules for Python, Rust, and Go |
| Community Focus | Large roleplay and streamer communities | Large-scale roleplay servers | Developer-oriented; efficient high-performance servers |
| Immersion | High, due to NPCs and traffic | Lower, world feels emptier | Lower, world feels emptier |
