The best free alternative to Age of Empires is 0 A.D., which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Age of Empires and many of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to Age of Empires are OpenRA, StarCraft, Warzone 2100 and Widelands.
Free, open-source real-time strategy game focusing on ancient warfare spanning 500 B.C. to 500 A.D., offering 3D graphics, city building, economy management, a variety of civilizations, cross-platform support, multiplayer options, and extensive modding features.
OpenRA is an open-source reimplementation of Westwood’s Command & Conquer Red Alert game engine, updated to use the hardware acceleration of modern video cards using OpenGL.
Command the exiled Terrans, the relentless Zerg, and the abiding Protoss, in the world's most longstanding RTS. (Released in 1998.).
Join "The Project" to restore humanity's synaptic-link technology after nuclear war has devastated Earth, rendering it a Warzone 2100.
Widelands is a free, open source real-time strategy game with singleplayer campaigns and a multiplayer mode. The game was inspired by Settlers II™ (© Bluebyte) but has significantly more variety and depth to it. Still, it is easy to get started through playable tutorials.
Free (as in freedom) open-source RTS Age of Empires engine. Written from scratch in C++, Python, Cython, Qt/QML, OpenGL/GLSL, Vulkan, ...
The Total Annihilation Inspired RTS you've been waiting for is coming.
CaesarIA is an open source remake of Caesar III game released by Impressions Games in 1998, it aims to expand the possibilities of the classical city-building simulators and to add new features showing the city life. Now the game work with Windows, Linux, Mac, Haiku and Android.
MegaGlest is an open source 3D-real-time strategy game, where you control the armies of one of seven different factions: Tech, Magic, Egyptians, Indians, Norsemen Persian or Romans. The game is setup in one of 14 naturally looking settings, which -like the unit models- are...
Dune Legacy is an effort by a handful of developers to revitalize the first-ever real-time strategy game. Based from Dune II
From legendary game designer Brian Reynolds (Civilization II, Rise of Nations), DomiNations is an epic new strategy game of exploration, advancement, and conquest. Lead your Nation to ultimate victory throughout all of human history – from the Stone Age to the Space Age!
United States
Mexico
It works on all platforms and it's free and open-source.