VRChat Equipment Guide: Best Equipment Ranked

Q: Is VRChat free?

Yes, the platform is free on Steam with an optional VRChat Plus subscription that adds avatar and favourite slots plus cosmetic features. There is no paywall on worlds or avatars themselves.

Q: Do I need a VR headset?

No. Desktop mode supports movement, voice chat, menus and world interaction with mouse and keyboard, and a large share of the population plays that way.

Q: What are Trust Ranks for?

They track account standing across Visitor, New User, User, Known User and Trusted User. Rank gates uploading content and reporting tools, and other players' Safety settings use it to decide which of your avatar's features they display.

Q: How do I make my own avatar?

Install Unity through the VRChat Creator Companion, import a base model, set up Avatars 3.0 parameters and an expression menu, then upload. Aim for Good or Excellent performance rank so other players can actually see it.

Q: Can I stop strangers appearing in my instance?

Yes. Choose Friends, Invite Plus or Invite when creating an instance instead of Public. Group instances add moderation tools on top, which is why recurring events usually run as Group Public.

Complete VRChat equipment guide. Every equipment option ranked with stats, best builds, and how to get them.

EarlyGuides Editorial Team

Researched and editorially reviewed. Updated August 12, 2026.

VRChat is a free social platform where nearly all content is made by users in Unity and uploaded through the VRChat SDK. You pick an avatar, join instances of player built worlds, and talk with proximity based voice, either in VR or on desktop with mouse and keyboard. The Udon scripting system in SDK3 turned worlds into full games, which is why the platform hosts murder mysteries, horror survival maps and nightclubs alongside empty hangout rooms.

Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.

Equipment Rankings

Equipment	Tier	Best For	Notes
Quick Menu	S	Muting a loud user, blocking a harasser, or adjusting per player volume in a crowded world.	The radial menu holding mute, block, user volume, Safety settings and world controls.
Safety Shield settings	A	New accounts entering Public instances for the first time and anyone sensitive to flashing effects.	Shields hide avatar features such as animations, particles, audio and shaders based on the other user's Trust Rank.
Expression Menu	A	Avatar creators adding costume swaps, emotes and toggles without needing separate uploads.	The avatar side radial menu built with Avatars 3.
Avatar Cloning	B	New users who want to leave the default robot avatar in their first session.	If a creator enables it, other players can clone their public avatar directly from the nameplate.
VRChat Creator Companion	B	Anyone starting an avatar or world project and wanting the correct Unity and SDK versions from the start.	The official tool that manages Unity project setup, SDK versions and package updates for avatar and world projects.

The radial menu holding mute, block, user volume, Safety settings and world controls. Almost every problem with another player is solved here rather than by leaving the instance.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	S
Best For	Muting a loud user, blocking a harasser, or adjusting per player volume in a crowded world.
Key Mechanic	Avatars 3.0 and expression menus
Recommended Build	World hopper

How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.

Best builds using Quick Menu: Pairs naturally with World hopper thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

A-Tier: Safety Shield settings

Shields hide avatar features such as animations, particles, audio and shaders based on the other user's Trust Rank. Loosening them for Trusted Users while keeping Visitors restricted is the standard configuration.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	A
Best For	New accounts entering Public instances for the first time and anyone sensitive to flashing effects.
Key Mechanic	Udon world scripting
Recommended Build	Avatar creator

How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.

Best builds using Safety Shield settings: Pairs naturally with Avatar creator thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

The avatar side radial menu built with Avatars 3.0 parameters, toggling outfits, props, gestures and effects. A well built expression menu is what separates a polished avatar from a static model.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	A
Best For	Avatar creators adding costume swaps, emotes and toggles without needing separate uploads.
Key Mechanic	Trust Rank system
Recommended Build	World builder

How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.

Best builds using Expression Menu: Pairs naturally with World builder thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

B-Tier: Avatar Cloning

If a creator enables it, other players can clone their public avatar directly from the nameplate. It is the fastest way to get a good avatar without touching Unity.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	B
Best For	New users who want to leave the default robot avatar in their first session.
Key Mechanic	Instance types
Recommended Build	Club regular

How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.

Best builds using Avatar Cloning: Pairs naturally with Club regular thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

B-Tier: VRChat Creator Companion

The official tool that manages Unity project setup, SDK versions and package updates for avatar and world projects. It replaced manual SDK imports and prevents most version mismatch errors.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	B
Best For	Anyone starting an avatar or world project and wanting the correct Unity and SDK versions from the start.
Key Mechanic	Full body tracking and IK
Recommended Build	Desktop social user

How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.

Best builds using VRChat Creator Companion: Pairs naturally with Desktop social user thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

Equipment Progression Path

The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:

Starting gear → Enough to clear VRChat Home
Safety Shield settings → Your first real upgrade, available early
Expression Menu → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
Quick Menu → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous

Equipment Tips

Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
Configure your Safety Shields before your first Public instance. Setting Visitors and New Users to a restricted shield while allowing Known and Trusted Users through blocks most flashing particle and loud audio avatars without cutting you off from everyone.
Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.

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