MUD Client vs Mudlet
Mudlet and MUD Client are both free MUD clients that script triggers and aliases, read GMCP and draw a map as you play. The biggest differences: Mudlet is scripted in Lua, is open source and also runs on Linux, while MUD Client is scripted in JavaScript and is a native Mac and Windows app installed from the Mac App Store and the Microsoft Store. Mudlet supports more MUD protocols and has the deeper mapper; MUD Client aims to be the quicker one to get going with.
Choose Mudlet if
- you play on Linux, a Chromebook or a Raspberry Pi
- you already write Lua, or want to rebuild the whole interface from scripts
- your game uses MXP, MSDP or a secure (TLS) connection
- you want a 2D and 3D mapper that finds the route to a room for you
- you want open source, or a screen reader
Choose MUD Client if
- you would rather write JavaScript than learn Lua
- you want a native app that the Mac App Store or Microsoft Store keeps up to date
- you want scripts to send system notifications, badge the Dock or taskbar, or put HP in the Mac menu bar
- you want a smaller set of settings and tools to learn before you play
Side by side
| Feature | MUD Client | Mudlet |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Source code | Closed | Open source (GPL) |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows 10 and 11 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Installed from | Mac App Store, Microsoft Store | mudlet.org |
| Scripting language | JavaScript | Lua |
| Regular expression triggers | Yes | Yes |
| GMCP | Yes | Yes |
| MSDP | No | Yes |
| MXP | No | Yes |
| MSP sounds | Yes | Yes |
| Secure connections (TLS) | No | Yes |
| Automatic mapper | Yes, from GMCP room data | Yes |
| Route-finding on the map | No | Yes |
| 3D map view | No | Yes |
Scripting: JavaScript or Lua
This is usually the deciding question. In MUD Client every trigger and alias runs JavaScript. A pattern can be a regular expression, each capture group is handed to the script, and the trigger editor tests the pattern against a line as you type. Code you want in several places goes in the Scripts section, and GMCP triggers fire when a GMCP value changes. The script functions cover sending commands, waiting, timers, variables and the autocomplete list.
Mudlet scripts in Lua. Its API is far larger: it reaches into every part of the window, so people build complete custom interfaces, gauges and packages for their games, and the community shares a lot of them. If you want that much control, Mudlet is the better fit. If you want triggers and aliases in a language you may already know from the web, MUD Client is.
Mapping
Mudlet's mapper remembers rooms as you walk, draws in 2D and 3D, finds the route to a room you pick, and takes custom exits and background images. It is the stronger mapper.
MUD Client draws the map as you walk in games that send room data over GMCP: one short trigger hands each room to the mapper, and the automapper guide shows it. Clicking an exit walks that way. It does not yet plan a route across the map to a distant room.
Protocols and connections
Mudlet supports more protocols: GMCP, MSDP, MSP, MSSP, MXP, NAWS, CHARSET, MTTS, NEW-ENVIRON, and TLS for games that offer secure connections. MUD Client supports GMCP, MCCP2 compression, MSP sounds, MSSP, NAWS, TTYPE and CHARSET, and full ANSI colour. If your game depends on MXP links and menus or on MSDP, use Mudlet.
Platforms and installing
Mudlet runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and its site says it runs on Chromebooks and Raspberry Pi too. MUD Client runs on macOS and on Windows 10 (version 2004) and Windows 11, and installs from the Mac App Store or the Microsoft Store, which handle its updates. In both, a setup made on one computer works on another.
Switching from Mudlet
There is no importer: Lua scripts have to be rewritten in JavaScript. Most triggers and aliases are short, so it is usually quick, and the regular expression tips and console commands posts cover the parts that differ most. You can keep Mudlet installed and try MUD Client side by side.
MUD Client is made by Hankinsoft, so this page is written by one side of the comparison. What it says about Mudlet comes from Mudlet's own pages, last checked November 2026: mudlet.org, the Mudlet wiki's supported protocols page. If something here is out of date, tell us on Twitter and it will be fixed.
Also compared: MUD Client vs CMUD and zMUD