I am one of those people who loves the physical book before me so I can let my body do the thinking for me, but I'd also like to add their content to roll up characters and look up stats. Is there a way to show that I purchased said books and be able to use their content here?
D&D Beyond is run by Curse, which is owned by Fandom, and is a licencor of the content for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. D&D Beyond is its own marketplace that is not connected to your purchase of a physical book from your preferred local or online retailer.
D&D Beyond provides all of the content Wizards of the Coast offers for free including the Basic Rules, SRD, and Elemental Evil player's companion. In order to access content that Wizards of the Coast has released in their source books and adventure modules, you would need to purchase that title in the D&D Beyond marketplace.
You can also choose to purchase items piecemeal. If you're just looking for Eldritch knight, for example, you could purchase just that subclass. Doing that would also decrease the cost of the book itself.
You are also welcome to use the built in homebrew tools to enter in content based on physical books you own -- just do not publish content you did not originate.
This website is not owned by the same company that publishes D&D. This website is more like an online bookstore that only sells digital D&D books. And they made all of these additional tools like the character builder for us to use for free with the materials we purchase.
Think of the paper books as like X-Box copies of video games, and the digital books as like PlayStation versions of the same games. This website is like Amazon, and wherever you bought your books is like GameStop. If you buy an X-Box version of a game from GameStop, would you expect Amazon to give you a free PlayStation copy of the same game?
Not to mention, the company that runs this website has to follow a specific contract with the company that publishes the game, Wizards of the Coast. They have no choice. And they worked like heck to build this website, so they deserve to get paid too.
Honestly, my first reaction to this was one of disgust. But you do make a good point. It isn’t necessarily the case that the people running the website have a work around that wouldn’t risk them losing the website and all income from it. I’d still love to see a way to get my physical books transferred, but I really only use a few of the resources in most of them, so I could, as Mellie said, just buy a particular resource, it’s only a couple bucks
This website is not owned by the same company that publishes D&D. This website is more like an online bookstore that only sells digital D&D books. And they made all of these additional tools like the character builder for us to use for free with the materials we purchase.
They limit the character builder based on subscriptions, and if Wizards of the Coast wanted to they could put a unique code on each book to let the physical copy be accessed on the website.
Think of the paper books as like X-Box copies of video games, and the digital books as like PlayStation versions of the same games. This website is like Amazon, and wherever you bought your books is like GameStop. If you buy an X-Box version of a game from GameStop, would you expect Amazon to give you a free PlayStation copy of the same game?
This is an appeal to history fallacy. I would like a digital copy that works across all platforms so the platforms compete off of their unique features instead of game exclusivity, which can make me rebuy games on a different platform. This makes sense because I've already payed the people who made the game, why should I have to pay twice with my money going to two middlemen?
Similarly, I'd like if I only had to buy sourcebooks once and for the sellers to compete off of convenience, not exclusivity.
Not to mention, the company that runs this website has to follow a specific contract with the company that publishes the game, Wizards of the Coast. They have no choice. And they worked like heck to build this website, so they deserve to get paid too.
They should get payed by improving the service, not by providing it in a different place. I totally support the subscriptions they have and I have a DM subscription right now. I'm fine with them putting the encounter builder behind a paywall. I'm not fine with them restricting access to sourcebooks for those who already bought it because they don't improve them.
This website is not owned by the same company that publishes D&D. This website is more like an online bookstore that only sells digital D&D books. And they made all of these additional tools like the character builder for us to use for free with the materials we purchase.
They limit the character builder based on subscriptions, and if Wizards of the Coast wanted to they could put a unique code on each book to let the physical copy be accessed on the website.
Think of the paper books as like X-Box copies of video games, and the digital books as like PlayStation versions of the same games. This website is like Amazon, and wherever you bought your books is like GameStop. If you buy an X-Box version of a game from GameStop, would you expect Amazon to give you a free PlayStation copy of the same game?
This is an appeal to history fallacy. I would like a digital copy that works across all platforms so the platforms compete off of their unique features instead of game exclusivity, which can make me rebuy games on a different platform. This makes sense because I've already payed the people who made the game, why should I have to pay twice with my money going to two middlemen?
Similarly, I'd like if I only had to buy sourcebooks once and for the sellers to compete off of convenience, not exclusivity.
Not to mention, the company that runs this website has to follow a specific contract with the company that publishes the game, Wizards of the Coast. They have no choice. And they worked like heck to build this website, so they deserve to get paid too.
They should get payed by improving the service, not by providing it in a different place. I totally support the subscriptions they have and I have a DM subscription right now. I'm fine with them putting the encounter builder behind a paywall. I'm not fine with them restricting access to sourcebooks for those who already bought it because they don't improve them.
I disagree with your claim that they “don’t improve” the sourcebooks. They add hyper linking, they “massage” the content into databases for spells, monsters, magic items, etc., they code the mechanics for character options. Plus, they have to pay licensing fees for the content back to WOTC.
More than once in these forums I’ve asked folks who object to paying for content here this question: if you bought the books from Store A, would you expect to go to store B and get Gale Force 9s spell, monster, and item cards plus their DM screens for free? If not, why do you expect it here? DDB does the same kind of thing digitally. So far, no one has answered that question.
This website is not owned by the same company that publishes D&D. This website is more like an online bookstore that only sells digital D&D books. And they made all of these additional tools like the character builder for us to use for free with the materials we purchase.
They limit the character builder based on subscriptions, and if Wizards of the Coast wanted to they could put a unique code on each book to let the physical copy be accessed on the website.
Think of the paper books as like X-Box copies of video games, and the digital books as like PlayStation versions of the same games. This website is like Amazon, and wherever you bought your books is like GameStop. If you buy an X-Box version of a game from GameStop, would you expect Amazon to give you a free PlayStation copy of the same game?
This is an appeal to history fallacy. I would like a digital copy that works across all platforms so the platforms compete off of their unique features instead of game exclusivity, which can make me rebuy games on a different platform. This makes sense because I've already payed the people who made the game, why should I have to pay twice with my money going to two middlemen?
Similarly, I'd like if I only had to buy sourcebooks once and for the sellers to compete off of convenience, not exclusivity.
Not to mention, the company that runs this website has to follow a specific contract with the company that publishes the game, Wizards of the Coast. They have no choice. And they worked like heck to build this website, so they deserve to get paid too.
They should get payed by improving the service, not by providing it in a different place. I totally support the subscriptions they have and I have a DM subscription right now. I'm fine with them putting the encounter builder behind a paywall. I'm not fine with them restricting access to sourcebooks for those who already bought it because they don't improve them.
This website is a bookstore. They sell books. Get over it.
I'm not fine with them restricting access to sourcebooks for those who already bought it because they don't improve them.
I normally stay out of these threads, but I have to mention that it's pretty hurtful to be told that my job amounts to nothing and is worthless. 😥
I'm really proud of what the game content team achieve with the digital compendiums, especially with the improvements we've made over the last 3 years.
If you have feedback on how you feel we can improve, we'll gladly listen - we always wish to improve!
This website is not owned by the same company that publishes D&D. This website is more like an online bookstore that only sells digital D&D books. And they made all of these additional tools like the character builder for us to use for free with the materials we purchase.
They limit the character builder based on subscriptions, and if Wizards of the Coast wanted to they could put a unique code on each book to let the physical copy be accessed on the website.
Think of the paper books as like X-Box copies of video games, and the digital books as like PlayStation versions of the same games. This website is like Amazon, and wherever you bought your books is like GameStop. If you buy an X-Box version of a game from GameStop, would you expect Amazon to give you a free PlayStation copy of the same game?
This is an appeal to history fallacy. I would like a digital copy that works across all platforms so the platforms compete off of their unique features instead of game exclusivity, which can make me rebuy games on a different platform. This makes sense because I've already payed the people who made the game, why should I have to pay twice with my money going to two middlemen?
Similarly, I'd like if I only had to buy sourcebooks once and for the sellers to compete off of convenience, not exclusivity.
Not to mention, the company that runs this website has to follow a specific contract with the company that publishes the game, Wizards of the Coast. They have no choice. And they worked like heck to build this website, so they deserve to get paid too.
They should get payed by improving the service, not by providing it in a different place. I totally support the subscriptions they have and I have a DM subscription right now. I'm fine with them putting the encounter builder behind a paywall. I'm not fine with them restricting access to sourcebooks for those who already bought it because they don't improve them.
If DnD Beyond was a service provided by Wizard of the Coast I could see them allowing the ability to sync up purchases. But they are not, they are like Amazon, and sell the product while expanding on the functionality and accessibility of the products, unlike Amazon and Bobby stores. What some of the people who ask similar questions seem to want is to buy the product once and receive a second product at a discount or for free. I mean if you bought a copy of the PHB off Amazon then went into a local hobby store should the hobby store give you another PHB for free? That hobby store isn't improving the PHB and since you already bought it you shouldn't have to buy a second one and should be given a new PHB whenever you want. I don't see why DnD Beyond should be entitled to do something no other retailer is asked to provide. Beyond is simply another means of distribution. They are providing a version, that is cheaper then MSRB because it is only digital, which can be shared with multiple people at the same time regardless of distance, therefore improving the product. Your physical book can't be in more than one place at any given time, but the compendium version on DnD Beyond can. Is that not improving the utility of the product? I mean for me it has another benefit. I no longer have to carry around multiple books. I can open my phone, tablet, or laptop and just have access to every official published book WotC has allowed DnD Beyond to provide. I don't have to worry about losing, damaging, or forgetting to bring my books. I can search the content of all the books simultaneously and don't have to thumb through each book trying to remember if it was the PHB or DMG that x was in. DnD Beyond does improve the product by improving the functionality and accessibility of each and every product. So I don't think DnD Beyond or Wizards of the Coast owes anyone a second product for free. If they wish to have coupons, discount codes, or even free books more power to them, I would enjoy any of those, but I don't feel like they are owed us. Being a digital version shouldn't mean it has any less value to be its own product.
I'm not fine with them restricting access to sourcebooks for those who already bought it because they don't improve them.
I normally stay out of these threads, but I have to mention that it's pretty hurtful to be told that my job amounts to nothing and is worthless. 😥
I'm really proud of what the game content team achieve with the digital compendiums, especially with the improvements we've made over the last 3 years.
If you have feedback on how you feel we can improve, we'll gladly listen - we always wish to improve!
And your team should be proud! I use to only buy physical books. At the start of this year, I bought a tablet, the legendary bundle, and haven't looked back. Now I only buy Alt-Art covers of the books I like. I now keep up with releases on Beyond. I appreciate everything your team does. The encounter tracker and subscription to allow content sharing are my favorite additions on top of the main reason I got DnD Beyond. I am a DM and since gaining Beyond my games have become so much easier to manage and plan. I am able to prepare sessions when I am not at home. I can share my books with players who are brand new and might not be ready to take the plunge on a $50 book for something they haven't tried. I can keep track of my player's character sheets without bugging them to send me a copy. And my players have access to all the official and UA options WotC has released. I am dumbfounded when other people think an online book store that provides extras should be taken advantage of.
Based on that assessment then the company is over charging for its digital content. It is roughly £500+ to buy all the content. If somone already owned a physical copy it's like a lick in the balls. Tbh ide be more comfterbale I'f all your books on the digital were 1/2 or 1/3 there current price
Based on that assessment then the company is over charging for its digital content. It is roughly £500+ to buy all the content. If somone already owned a physical copy it's like a lick in the balls. Tbh ide be more comfterbale I'f all your books on the digital were 1/2 or 1/3 there current price
Based on that assessment then the company is over charging for its digital content. It is roughly £500+ to buy all the content. If somone already owned a physical copy it's like a lick in the balls. Tbh ide be more comfterbale I'f all your books on the digital were 1/2 or 1/3 there current price
Or research ones purchase options before spending £500+ on various products.
Based on that assessment then the company is over charging for its digital content. It is roughly £500+ to buy all the content. If somone already owned a physical copy it's like a lick in the balls. Tbh ide be more comfterbale I'f all your books on the digital were 1/2 or 1/3 there current price
D&D Beyond is already much cheaper than the physical counterparts. Take the PHB for example: the typical cost is about £30 to £40 to get the book - which is just reading the content. To get the same thing on here (the Compendium Only version) it's £20. You can choose to pay extra for the bells and whistles - to use the content for more than just reading, such as automatically included in Character Sheet options, the encounter builder, the combat tracker, the search functions, the homebrew tools and so on.
If you have the physical books then you can already read what you want. If you need the option for the site tools, just buy it individually or make it for free using the homebrew tools.
As others have said it is your responsibility to ensure the product you're buying is what you want. You chose the physical book. It's on you if you have later decided you wanted digital instead.
At the end of the day you don't need to buy a single thing, physical or digital, to play D&D. The site tools are free and the rules for play are free and there's free digital dice, free adventures, free classes, free subclasses, free races/subraces, free monsters and free magic items. Literally everything you need is available to you completely free. The homebrew tools are also free for you to make your own stuff to expand if you wanted to add more options. You can play entirely, and completely, free.
Your purchases are entirely unnecessary options you chose to add. It's your fault, and only yours, if you chose to add the wrong versions for your play method.
Why? This website is a bookstore. You made your purchase at a different bookstore. Why should this bookstore give you free stuff because you made your purchase from their competitor?
Based on that assessment then the company is over charging for its digital content. It is roughly £500+ to buy all the content. If somone already owned a physical copy it's like a lick in the balls. Tbh ide be more comfterbale I'f all your books on the digital were 1/2 or 1/3 there current price
So that's $49.95 for the physical copy. I'm sure you can get better deals on that, but you have to compare the actual prices. To purchase all of the options for the PHB on dndbeyond you have this:(https://www.dndbeyond.com/marketplace/sourcebooks/players-handbook)
So for $29.99, or 40% off WoTC's MSRP for the physical copy, you get everything that's actually inside of the PHB and access to all of those options in dndbeyond's digital toolset for you to use.
If you don't care for dndbeyond's digital toolset (or just want to homebrew everything because you're super cheap), just get the compendium only:
For $19.99, or 60% off WoTC's MSRP for the physical copy, you get everything in the PHB to read. You just don't get the amazing toolset dndbeyond provides (unless you make everything in the PHB in your own homebrew)
All of this is before you take advantage of any of the coupon codes that dndbeyond puts out on a regular basis. Or get the Essentials Kit (https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/essentials-kit MSRP $24.99) and use the digital code in there for 50% off the PHB here at dndbeyond and you get everything in the Essentials Kit, the adventure included in there for free on dndbeyond, and the PHB for an additional $15 for a grand total of about $40 which is still cheaper than the physical copy of the PHB by itself.
Based on that assessment then the company is over charging for its digital content. It is roughly £500+ to buy all the content. If somone already owned a physical copy it's like a lick in the balls. Tbh ide be more comfterbale I'f all your books on the digital were 1/2 or 1/3 there current price
Not only, as was proven above, are the digital copies cheaper, you also get access to the character builder, the hotlinked everything so you can find stuff easier without combing through a mountain of sourcebooks, these forums and it also covers the server for hosting all these things.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I am one of those people who loves the physical book before me so I can let my body do the thinking for me, but I'd also like to add their content to roll up characters and look up stats. Is there a way to show that I purchased said books and be able to use their content here?
Hello SohmaAkiSakura!
D&D Beyond is run by Curse, which is owned by Fandom, and is a licencor of the content for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. D&D Beyond is its own marketplace that is not connected to your purchase of a physical book from your preferred local or online retailer.
You can read more about the differences here.
D&D Beyond provides all of the content Wizards of the Coast offers for free including the Basic Rules, SRD, and Elemental Evil player's companion. In order to access content that Wizards of the Coast has released in their source books and adventure modules, you would need to purchase that title in the D&D Beyond marketplace.
You can also choose to purchase items piecemeal. If you're just looking for Eldritch knight, for example, you could purchase just that subclass. Doing that would also decrease the cost of the book itself.
You are also welcome to use the built in homebrew tools to enter in content based on physical books you own -- just do not publish content you did not originate.
Hope that helps!
That sucks
This website is not owned by the same company that publishes D&D. This website is more like an online bookstore that only sells digital D&D books. And they made all of these additional tools like the character builder for us to use for free with the materials we purchase.
Think of the paper books as like X-Box copies of video games, and the digital books as like PlayStation versions of the same games. This website is like Amazon, and wherever you bought your books is like GameStop. If you buy an X-Box version of a game from GameStop, would you expect Amazon to give you a free PlayStation copy of the same game?
Not to mention, the company that runs this website has to follow a specific contract with the company that publishes the game, Wizards of the Coast. They have no choice. And they worked like heck to build this website, so they deserve to get paid too.
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Epic Boons on DDB
Honestly, my first reaction to this was one of disgust. But you do make a good point. It isn’t necessarily the case that the people running the website have a work around that wouldn’t risk them losing the website and all income from it. I’d still love to see a way to get my physical books transferred, but I really only use a few of the resources in most of them, so I could, as Mellie said, just buy a particular resource, it’s only a couple bucks
I just wish there would be a way to unlock it at a discounted rate if you owned the book already .
This website is not owned by the same company that publishes D&D. This website is more like an online bookstore that only sells digital D&D books. And they made all of these additional tools like the character builder for us to use for free with the materials we purchase.
They limit the character builder based on subscriptions, and if Wizards of the Coast wanted to they could put a unique code on each book to let the physical copy be accessed on the website.
This is an appeal to history fallacy. I would like a digital copy that works across all platforms so the platforms compete off of their unique features instead of game exclusivity, which can make me rebuy games on a different platform. This makes sense because I've already payed the people who made the game, why should I have to pay twice with my money going to two middlemen?
Similarly, I'd like if I only had to buy sourcebooks once and for the sellers to compete off of convenience, not exclusivity.
They should get payed by improving the service, not by providing it in a different place. I totally support the subscriptions they have and I have a DM subscription right now. I'm fine with them putting the encounter builder behind a paywall. I'm not fine with them restricting access to sourcebooks for those who already bought it because they don't improve them.
I disagree with your claim that they “don’t improve” the sourcebooks. They add hyper linking, they “massage” the content into databases for spells, monsters, magic items, etc., they code the mechanics for character options. Plus, they have to pay licensing fees for the content back to WOTC.
More than once in these forums I’ve asked folks who object to paying for content here this question: if you bought the books from Store A, would you expect to go to store B and get Gale Force 9s spell, monster, and item cards plus their DM screens for free? If not, why do you expect it here? DDB does the same kind of thing digitally. So far, no one has answered that question.
Trying to Decide if DDB is for you? A few helpful threads: A Buyer's Guide to DDB; What I/We Bought and Why; How some DMs use DDB; A Newer Thread on Using DDB to Play
Helpful threads on other topics: Homebrew FAQ by IamSposta; Accessing Content by ConalTheGreat;
Check your entitlements here. | Support Ticket LInk
This website is a bookstore. They sell books. Get over it.
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Epic Boons on DDB
I normally stay out of these threads, but I have to mention that it's pretty hurtful to be told that my job amounts to nothing and is worthless. 😥
I'm really proud of what the game content team achieve with the digital compendiums, especially with the improvements we've made over the last 3 years.
If you have feedback on how you feel we can improve, we'll gladly listen - we always wish to improve!
Pun-loving nerd | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
If DnD Beyond was a service provided by Wizard of the Coast I could see them allowing the ability to sync up purchases. But they are not, they are like Amazon, and sell the product while expanding on the functionality and accessibility of the products, unlike Amazon and Bobby stores. What some of the people who ask similar questions seem to want is to buy the product once and receive a second product at a discount or for free. I mean if you bought a copy of the PHB off Amazon then went into a local hobby store should the hobby store give you another PHB for free? That hobby store isn't improving the PHB and since you already bought it you shouldn't have to buy a second one and should be given a new PHB whenever you want. I don't see why DnD Beyond should be entitled to do something no other retailer is asked to provide. Beyond is simply another means of distribution. They are providing a version, that is cheaper then MSRB because it is only digital, which can be shared with multiple people at the same time regardless of distance, therefore improving the product. Your physical book can't be in more than one place at any given time, but the compendium version on DnD Beyond can. Is that not improving the utility of the product? I mean for me it has another benefit. I no longer have to carry around multiple books. I can open my phone, tablet, or laptop and just have access to every official published book WotC has allowed DnD Beyond to provide. I don't have to worry about losing, damaging, or forgetting to bring my books. I can search the content of all the books simultaneously and don't have to thumb through each book trying to remember if it was the PHB or DMG that x was in. DnD Beyond does improve the product by improving the functionality and accessibility of each and every product. So I don't think DnD Beyond or Wizards of the Coast owes anyone a second product for free. If they wish to have coupons, discount codes, or even free books more power to them, I would enjoy any of those, but I don't feel like they are owed us. Being a digital version shouldn't mean it has any less value to be its own product.
And your team should be proud! I use to only buy physical books. At the start of this year, I bought a tablet, the legendary bundle, and haven't looked back. Now I only buy Alt-Art covers of the books I like. I now keep up with releases on Beyond. I appreciate everything your team does. The encounter tracker and subscription to allow content sharing are my favorite additions on top of the main reason I got DnD Beyond. I am a DM and since gaining Beyond my games have become so much easier to manage and plan. I am able to prepare sessions when I am not at home. I can share my books with players who are brand new and might not be ready to take the plunge on a $50 book for something they haven't tried. I can keep track of my player's character sheets without bugging them to send me a copy. And my players have access to all the official and UA options WotC has released. I am dumbfounded when other people think an online book store that provides extras should be taken advantage of.
Based on that assessment then the company is over charging for its digital content. It is roughly £500+ to buy all the content. If somone already owned a physical copy it's like a lick in the balls. Tbh ide be more comfterbale I'f all your books on the digital were 1/2 or 1/3 there current price
Then wait for sales or coupons.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
Or research ones purchase options before spending £500+ on various products.
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Epic Boons on DDB
That doesn't sound so bad... >.>
D&D Beyond is already much cheaper than the physical counterparts. Take the PHB for example: the typical cost is about £30 to £40 to get the book - which is just reading the content. To get the same thing on here (the Compendium Only version) it's £20. You can choose to pay extra for the bells and whistles - to use the content for more than just reading, such as automatically included in Character Sheet options, the encounter builder, the combat tracker, the search functions, the homebrew tools and so on.
If you have the physical books then you can already read what you want. If you need the option for the site tools, just buy it individually or make it for free using the homebrew tools.
As others have said it is your responsibility to ensure the product you're buying is what you want. You chose the physical book. It's on you if you have later decided you wanted digital instead.
At the end of the day you don't need to buy a single thing, physical or digital, to play D&D. The site tools are free and the rules for play are free and there's free digital dice, free adventures, free classes, free subclasses, free races/subraces, free monsters and free magic items. Literally everything you need is available to you completely free. The homebrew tools are also free for you to make your own stuff to expand if you wanted to add more options. You can play entirely, and completely, free.
Your purchases are entirely unnecessary options you chose to add. It's your fault, and only yours, if you chose to add the wrong versions for your play method.
My Homebrew: Races | Subclasses | Backgrounds | Spells | Magic Items | Feats
Need help with Homebrew? Check out this FAQ/Guide thread by IamSposta
See My Youtube Videos for Tips & Tricks using D&D Beyond
I feel ripped off
Why? This website is a bookstore. You made your purchase at a different bookstore. Why should this bookstore give you free stuff because you made your purchase from their competitor?
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Epic Boons on DDB
The compendium content only on dndbeyond is already near 50% cheaper than the MSRP for a physical physical copy. Here's a screenshot from the WoTC website for the PHB (https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/rpg_playershandbook):
So that's $49.95 for the physical copy. I'm sure you can get better deals on that, but you have to compare the actual prices. To purchase all of the options for the PHB on dndbeyond you have this:(https://www.dndbeyond.com/marketplace/sourcebooks/players-handbook)
So for $29.99, or 40% off WoTC's MSRP for the physical copy, you get everything that's actually inside of the PHB and access to all of those options in dndbeyond's digital toolset for you to use.
If you don't care for dndbeyond's digital toolset (or just want to homebrew everything because you're super cheap), just get the compendium only:
For $19.99, or 60% off WoTC's MSRP for the physical copy, you get everything in the PHB to read. You just don't get the amazing toolset dndbeyond provides (unless you make everything in the PHB in your own homebrew)
All of this is before you take advantage of any of the coupon codes that dndbeyond puts out on a regular basis. Or get the Essentials Kit (https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/essentials-kit MSRP $24.99) and use the digital code in there for 50% off the PHB here at dndbeyond and you get everything in the Essentials Kit, the adventure included in there for free on dndbeyond, and the PHB for an additional $15 for a grand total of about $40 which is still cheaper than the physical copy of the PHB by itself.
How to: Replace DEX in your AC | Jump & Suffocation stats | Build a (Spell & class effect buff system | Wild Shape effect system) | Tool Proficiencies as Custom Skills | Spells at higher levels explained | Superior Fighting/Martial Adept Fix | Snippet Codes Explored - Subclasses | Snippet Math Theory | Homebrew Weapons Explained
Check out my: FEATS | MAGIC ITEMS | MONSTERS | SUBCLASSES Artificer Specialist: Weaveblade
Dndbeyond images not loading A PERMANENT WORKAROUND!!! (thank you Jay_Lane)
Not only, as was proven above, are the digital copies cheaper, you also get access to the character builder, the hotlinked everything so you can find stuff easier without combing through a mountain of sourcebooks, these forums and it also covers the server for hosting all these things.