If you are starting a FiveM roleplay server, the framework is the first decision that is genuinely hard to undo. Scripts are written against a framework's API, so switching later means replacing or rewriting most of what you have installed.
Here is how the three main options compare.
ESX
The oldest of the three, and still the most widely deployed. ESX has been around long enough that almost every script ever sold for FiveM has an ESX version, and almost every problem you hit has already been asked about on a forum somewhere.
Good for: maximum script availability, and a very large pool of developers who already know it.
Watch out for: the age shows. There are several forks in circulation, and "ESX compatible" can mean different things depending on which version a script was written against. Check the version a script targets before you buy.
QBCore
For several years, QBCore was the default recommendation for new roleplay servers. It shipped with more roleplay-specific systems built in — jobs, gangs, metadata on items — so you started closer to a working RP server than ESX did.
Good for: a large script ecosystem, and sensible roleplay defaults out of the box.
Watch out for: development slowed considerably, which is what led to Qbox.
Qbox (QBX)
Qbox is a community fork of QBCore, started by developers who wanted faster maintenance and a cleaner codebase. It keeps much of QBCore's shape, so the migration path is short and many QBCore scripts work with little or no modification.
It leans on modern tooling — ox_lib, ox_inventory, oxmysql — rather than reimplementing those things itself.
Good for: new servers that want an actively maintained base and modern libraries.
Watch out for: a smaller ecosystem than ESX. Growing quickly, but not yet at parity.
How to actually choose
Ignore the tribalism. Three practical questions get you there:
1. What do the scripts you already want support? Make a list of the ten resources you know you need. If eight of them only ship an ESX version, that decides it.
2. Who is maintaining your server in a year? If you are hiring developers, ESX and QBCore have the deepest talent pools. If it is you and a friend, pick the one whose documentation you find easiest to read — you will be in it constantly.
3. How much do you want to build yourself? Qbox and QBCore hand you more roleplay systems up front. ESX expects you to assemble more of it.
The honest answer
For a brand-new server in 2026, Qbox is the one we would start on: actively maintained, modern libraries, and close enough to QBCore that the script ecosystem largely works.
For a server that already runs ESX and works, stay on ESX. Migrating a live server is weeks of work and a lot of broken things in front of your players, and "the other framework is nicer" is not a good enough reason.
Where we stand
Every script in our store runs on all three — QBX, QB and ESX — so this choice does not lock you out of anything we sell. Each product page lists its framework tags, and if you are unsure whether something fits your setup, ask in Discord before you buy.