Fan Fest is back in Berlin this year and Square Enix’s community calendar is pointing at a heavier-than-usual news cycle. Fresh players are picking FFXIV up for the first time in Dawntrail, veterans are dusting off raid clears, and both groups keep bumping into the same wall: the game is enormous, and the base client’s tools are not. The companion app ecosystem fills the gap.
We tested seven FFXIV companion apps on desktop across Windows, macOS, and Linux. Every pick works alongside the retail client without breaking the ToS in the way that changes raid parses or trivialises encounters. A short note upfront: Square Enix’s official stance on third-party tools is “you use them at your own risk.” None of these picks alter server-side behaviour; most are read-only.
What to look for in an FFXIV companion app
Read-only behaviour. Tools that only read the game state are lower-risk than tools that inject inputs.
Cross-server market data. Universalis-style aggregators need world-cluster support (Aether, Primal, Chaos, Light, Materia).
Raid guide coverage. Ultimate and Savage fights change per patch; the tool needs to keep pace.
Crafter and gatherer workflow. Housing, glamour, market speculation all live inside crafting.
Launcher-level quality of life. The base launcher is the ugly duckling of MMO tooling; modern replacements save time daily.
Cross-platform. Linux and Mac players are a real minority and deserve first-class support.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XIVLauncher | Faster login and plugin loading | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | Skips launcher, loads Dalamud plugins |
| ACT | Combat parsing and DPS meters | Windows | Yes | Real-time DPS log for raid analysis |
| Universalis | Cross-world market data | Web, plugin | Yes | Aggregates player-side price data across worlds |
| Teamcraft | Crafting and gathering | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | Full recipe tree with world market prices |
| FFLogs | Post-fight parse analysis | Web, Windows companion | Yes | Community-standard for raid ranks |
| Cactbot | Boss timeline callouts | Windows (via ACT) | Yes | Voice callouts for savage and ultimate mechanics |
| Dalamud | Plugin runtime | Windows via XIVLauncher | Yes | The plugin loader everything else in this space uses |
The apps
1. XIVLauncher, Best for a smoother login and plugin gateway
XIVLauncher replaces Square Enix’s default launcher with a version that logs in faster, remembers your account, integrates two-factor codes without a second app, and (optionally) loads the Dalamud plugin runtime. The Linux and Mac builds are what make FFXIV viable on Steam Deck and Apple Silicon Macs.
Where it falls short: third-party launcher and plugin loading is technically outside Square Enix’s supported path. In practice the community treats it as safe; official statements have consistently landed at “we do not endorse.”
Pricing: free. Open-source (GPL).
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Download: goatcorp.github.io/xivlauncher · GitHub
Bottom line: the first thing anyone in the modern FFXIV community installs.
2. ACT (Advanced Combat Tracker), Best for DPS parsing
ACT is a general-purpose combat log parser with FFXIV-specific plugins (FFXIV Parsing Plugin, Overlay Plugin, Cactbot integration). Real-time DPS and healing overlays are the killer feature; a raid group can pinpoint the person who is over-uptime on cooldowns and the one still using level-70 rotations at level 100.
Where it falls short: Windows-only. Linux users who want parses need to route through the FFLogs uploader (below) after each fight.
Pricing: free, plus a small donation ask.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: advancedcombattracker.com
Bottom line: default for any raider. Set it up once, install the FFXIV plugin, and you are set.
3. Universalis, Best for cross-world market data
Universalis aggregates market-board data from consenting players (via the MarketBoardPlugin for Dalamud) into a public price API. That means anyone with a browser or a mobile app can check current prices, sell-history, and per-world comparisons. For crafters and speculators, this is the price-check tool.
Where it falls short: data is only as recent as the last visit from a Universalis-enabled player to that market board. Small worlds have staler data.
Pricing: free.
Platforms: web, Windows plugin, mobile browser.
Download: universalis.app · MarketBoardPlugin
Bottom line: the crafter and market-flip pick. Free forever.
4. Teamcraft, Best for crafting and gathering planning
Teamcraft turns FFXIV crafting from a spreadsheet exercise into a workflow. Punch in a recipe, and Teamcraft breaks it into a full ingredient tree, checks Universalis prices per world, computes profit margins, and generates a rotation you can save. Gathering timers, alarms for FATE-locked nodes, and cross-list sharing round it out.
Where it falls short: dense. First-time users will spend an hour learning where each feature lives.
Pricing: free. Open-source (MIT).
Platforms: Web, Windows, macOS, Linux (Electron).
Download: ffxivteamcraft.com · GitHub
Bottom line: the pick for crafters. Save weeks of leve-quest gil-farming with the profit calculator alone.
5. FFLogs, Best for post-fight raid analysis
FFLogs takes ACT combat logs and turns them into web-hosted parse pages with per-boss ranks, percentile breakdowns, and rotational review. It is what raid statics use to decide progression targets and what recruiters use to filter applicants. The desktop uploader auto-syncs from ACT so you do not upload manually after every pull.
Where it falls short: the culture around FFLogs percentile chasing can be toxic. Use it as a tool, not a scoreboard.
Pricing: free. Premium is $5/month for private log storage and advanced filters.
Platforms: Web, Windows uploader.
Download: fflogs.com · Desktop client
Bottom line: the ranking pick for savage and ultimate raiders.
6. Cactbot, Best for boss-mechanic callouts
Cactbot runs as an ACT overlay plugin and provides voice or text callouts for boss mechanics: which tower to hit, when to spread, which quadrant is safe. It is the tool that turns weeks of raid VOD study into instant recognition mid-fight. Community-maintained timeline files cover every current savage and ultimate.
Where it falls short: callouts can feel like training wheels once you have cleared the fight a few times. Turn them down for later prog.
Pricing: free. Open-source (Apache 2).
Platforms: Windows via ACT.
Download: github.com/OverlayPlugin/cactbot
Bottom line: the pick for savage and ultimate progression. Turn off after clear.
7. Dalamud, Best for the plugin ecosystem underneath everything else
Dalamud is not a companion app so much as the runtime everything sits on. XIVLauncher installs Dalamud, and once Dalamud is running you can install community plugins (dozens of them) that cover UI improvements, keybinds, market-board reads, and more. It is the modding gateway for FFXIV.
Where it falls short: the plugin repository is community-run. Vet plugins before installing; there have been occasional issues with plugins that touched more than their description suggested.
Pricing: free. Open-source (AGPL).
Platforms: Windows via XIVLauncher.
Download: github.com/goatcorp/Dalamud
Bottom line: the substrate that makes the rest of the FFXIV desktop toolchain work.
How to pick the right one
Everyone: XIVLauncher. Installing it once unlocks the rest of the stack.
If you raid: ACT plus Cactbot for prog, FFLogs after clear.
If you craft or trade: Teamcraft plus Universalis.
If you play on Linux or Steam Deck: XIVLauncher is not optional, it is the only sane path.
If you play on macOS: XIVLauncher’s Mac build. Native FFXIV on Mac was end-of-lifed by Square Enix; XIVLauncher is what the community keeps alive.
If you just play story content: XIVLauncher plus optional quality-of-life Dalamud plugins. Skip the raid stack entirely.
FAQ
Are FFXIV third-party tools allowed by Square Enix? The official position is that no third-party tool is endorsed and use is at player risk. In practice, read-only tools (ACT, XIVLauncher, Teamcraft, FFLogs) have been widely used for years with no bans. Tools that modify inputs or automate gameplay are riskier.
Do I need ACT to raid? Not required. Recommended above 8-person savage tier. Most static groups expect logs.
Which FFXIV launcher is fastest? XIVLauncher. It skips several delays and preloads plugins in parallel.
Can I use these on Steam Deck? Yes. XIVLauncher has a Steam Deck installation guide (deck-shortcut format). ACT is the awkward one; use FFLogs’ web upload instead of the local overlay.
What is the best FFXIV app for beginners? Start with XIVLauncher, add a marketboard-aware plugin via Dalamud, ignore raid tooling until you finish the base story. Teamcraft is worth learning once you start crafting.
