Heroes of Newerth vs League of Legends
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Heroes of Newerth (HoN) is a free‑to‑play multiplayer online battle arena that launched in 2010 for Linux, PC, and Mac. It offers a roster of over 70 heroes, each with unique abilities, and pits two teams of five against each other in intense, objective‑focused matches. The game emphasizes high skill ceilings, fast respawns, and a competitive ladder, catering to both casual pick‑up games and serious esports competition. Its community‑driven updates keep the meta fresh and the experience engaging.
League of Legends is a free-to-play 5v5 MOBA where teams of champions destroy the enemy base. With a vast champion pool, frequent updates, and the biggest esports scene in gaming, it is the genre’s defining title.
Free-to-play; monetized via champions and cosmetics.
- High skill ceiling rewards mastery
- Cross‑platform support includes Linux
- Robust competitive ladder and ranking system
- Active community with regular updates
- Huge champion variety
- Free to play
- Enormous esports and community
- Constant updates
- Steep learning curve for new players
- Microtransactions limited to cosmetics only
- Occasional matchmaking imbalances
- Very steep learning curve
- Toxic community reputation
- Big time investment
What reviewers say
Heroes of Newerth Reviews
No reviews yet.
League of Legends Reviews
4.0 (4)Love it
Picked up League of Legends recently. Constant updates. No real complaints. Would recommend.
Love it
Been playing League of Legends with friends. Enormous esports and community. One gripe: toxic community reputation. Would recommend.
Good but flawed
Picked up League of Legends recently. Upside: free to play. Downside: very steep learning curve.
More alternatives & similar tools
Alternatives to Heroes of Newerth
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A fast‑paced fantasy MOBA that pits mythic heroes against each other in epic battles
Alternatives to League of Legends
View all →The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataLeague of Legends is the safer default choice due to its massive global community and PC focus, traded off against Heroes of Newerth's broader platform support and mod options. Both feature steep learning curves and free-to-play models.
Key differences
- •Platform availability: League of Legends is available strictly on PC, whereas Heroes of Newerth runs natively on Linux, Windows, and macOS.
- •Community and Esports: League of Legends highlights a massive global esports scene and popularity, while Heroes of Newerth features a robust competitive ladder, spectator mode, and mod support.
- •Pricing and Monetization: League of Legends is monetized via champions and cosmetics, whereas Heroes of Newerth's free-to-play model restricts microtransactions to cosmetics only.
- •Developer and Age Rating: Heroes of Newerth specifies developers (Frostburn Studios, S2 Games), a 2010 release date, a PEGI 12 age rating, and a 71/100 critic score, none of which are specified for League of Legends.
Gameplay & fun factor
Both offer deep team-based strategy, distinct character rosters, and frequent balance updates to keep matches engaging.
Platform availability
Heroes of Newerth natively supports Linux, Windows, and macOS, whereas League of Legends is strictly on PC.
Price & value
Both are free-to-play/freemium games featuring optional cosmetic items.
Multiplayer / co-op
League of Legends emphasizes a massive global community and esports, while Heroes of Newerth includes MMO, co-op, and multiplayer modes.
Content & replayability
Heroes of Newerth explicitly features mod support for custom maps, hero skins, and gameplay tweaks to extend replayability.
Difficulty & accessibility
Both games explicitly note a steep learning curve that presents challenges for new players.
Graphics & performance
Specific graphics and performance metrics are not specified for either game in the provided data.
Choose Heroes of Newerth if…
MOBA enthusiasts seeking cross-platform support (Linux/Mac/PC), mod support, and a PEGI 12 rating.
Choose League of Legends if…
Players wanting the world's most popular MOBA with massive global esports and 160+ unique champions.
Common questions
Are both games free to play?
Yes, League of Legends is Free-to-Play (monetized via champions and cosmetics) and Heroes of Newerth uses a freemium model with optional cosmetic microtransactions.
Which platforms do these games support?
League of Legends is available on PC, while Heroes of Newerth runs natively on Linux, Windows, and macOS.
Do either of these games support mods or custom content?
Heroes of Newerth includes mod support allowing the community to create custom maps, hero skins, and gameplay tweaks. Mod support is not specified for League of Legends.