Guitar Hero: 4 Open Source Clones Compared
Frets on Fire is keyboard-based and includes a built-in importer that can rip playable songs directly from Guitar Hero PS2 discs, a process its README says takes around four hours per disc; its own development is halted. Frets on Fire X is a fork that extends the original with bass, drum, and vocal modes for up to four simultaneous players. YARG is a separately built rhythm game with extensive mod support distributed through Thunderstore, while Performous focuses on karaoke and band/dance modes and autodetects real instrument controllers from SingStar, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Linux, OSX, Windows
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- today
- Stars
- 1,123
- Contributors
- 91
- License
- LGPL-3.0
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- —
- Modding support
- YesExtensive mod support including content packs and mods available on Thunderstore; custom translations supported.
- Multiplayer
- —
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, OSX
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 15d ago
- Stars
- 645
- Contributors
- 105
- License
- —
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoOpen-source karaoke and band game that supports custom song formats, no original assets required.
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- Local
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Sporadic
- Last updated
- 4mo ago
- Stars
- 449
- Contributors
- 43
- License
- —
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoFrets on Fire X is a rhythm game that uses custom songs and themes, not requiring original game assets.
- Modding support
- YesHighly customizable rhythm game with support for multiple modes; can add songs and themes via preparation steps.
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, OSX
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 4y ago
- Stars
- 44
- Contributors
- 3
- License
- —
- Engine
- SDL2
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoFrets on Fire is an original game; songs can be composed or imported, not requiring original game assets.
- Modding support
- YesIncludes a song editor for importing custom songs; supports importing Guitar Hero songs via built-in importer.
- Multiplayer
- —
| Title | YARG (Yet Another Rhythm Game) | Performous | Frets on Fire X | Frets on Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Playable | Playable | Playable | Playable |
| Platforms | Linux, OSX, Windows | Windows, Linux, OSX | Windows, Linux | Windows, Linux, OSX |
| Play in browser | No | No | No | No |
| Mobile | No | No | No | No |
| Project health | ||||
| Development status | Active | Active | Sporadic | Halted |
| Last updated | today | 15d ago | 4mo ago | 4y ago |
| Stars | 1,123 | 645 | 449 | 44 |
| Contributors | 91 | 105 | 43 | 3 |
| License | LGPL-3.0 | — | — | — |
| Engine | — | — | — | SDL2 |
| Compatibility | ||||
| Requires original assets | — | NoOpen-source karaoke and band game that supports custom song formats, no original assets required. | NoFrets on Fire X is a rhythm game that uses custom songs and themes, not requiring original game assets. | NoFrets on Fire is an original game; songs can be composed or imported, not requiring original game assets. |
| Modding support | YesExtensive mod support including content packs and mods available on Thunderstore; custom translations supported. | — | YesHighly customizable rhythm game with support for multiple modes; can add songs and themes via preparation steps. | YesIncludes a song editor for importing custom songs; supports importing Guitar Hero songs via built-in importer. |
| Multiplayer | — | Local | Local Multiplayer | — |
| Preview | | |
Known limitations
- platform: macOS users may need to launch Performous from the Terminal and specifically run Performous.app/Contents/MacOS/Performous for microphones to work.
- compatibility: Some keyboard combinations may be impossible to press on certain keyboards; key remapping is available in settings.
- audio: Sound may crackle on some systems; adjusting audio buffer size or sampling frequency in settings may help.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Guitar Hero clones on this page open source?
Yes — every clone catalogued here is an open-source project. Availability, license, and development-status details for each one are listed in the comparison table above.
What license do these Guitar Hero clones use?
YARG (Yet Another Rhythm Game) (LGPL-3.0).
Do I need to own the original Guitar Hero to play these clones?
Performous, Frets on Fire X, and Frets on Fire run standalone, no original files needed.
Which Guitar Hero clone is the most actively maintained?
YARG (Yet Another Rhythm Game) and Performous are currently under active development, based on recent commit activity. See the "Development status" row above for every clone's current status.
See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to Guitar Hero.