Which framework should you pick for your FiveM roleplay server? An objective look at MRI Qbox, international Qbox, QBCore and ESX, the four most used options on Brazilian servers today.
| Criterion | MRI Qbox | Qbox | QBCore | ESX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native language | Portuguese (BR) | English | English (community translations) | English (community translations) |
| License | GPL-3.0 / LGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Core dependencies | Qbox + ox_lib + oxmysql | Native ox_lib + oxmysql | ox_lib (recent) or legacy | essentialmode (legacy) or oxmysql |
| Performance (resmon) | Same as upstream Qbox | Optimized, async threading | Good, but has legacy sync callbacks | Depends heavily on the version |
| Docs in Portuguese | mriqbox.com.br/docs | English only | Scattered forum/YouTube tutorials | Old, fragmented Brazilian community |
| Actively maintained | Maintained + synced with upstream Qbox | Active Overextended team | Large community | ESX Legacy active, original ESX abandoned |
| Official plugin system | mri_Qadmin with a plugin sidebar | A convention, not a standard | ||
| Learning curve | Gentle (Portuguese + docs) | Medium (requires technical English) | Medium (legacy is less demanding) | Gentle (large Brazilian community) |
| Works with paid Tebex scripts | Runs Qbox/QBCore scripts | Largest catalog on Tebex | Largest historical catalog | |
| Official script ecosystem | MRI suite (Qadmin, Qspawn, Qmultichar, etc.) | qbx_* scripts | qb-* scripts | esx_* scripts |
MRI Qbox is literally Qbox translated into Brazilian Portuguese, kept in sync with Overextended's upstream. It isn't a diverging fork; it's an adaptation that takes every international Qbox release and translates messages, NPCs, jobs, gangs and documentation.
When to choose MRI: a Brazilian server, a team that isn't fluent in technical English, and you want docs in Portuguese plus ready-made companion scripts (admin panel, cinematic spawn, modern multichar).
When to choose international Qbox: a bilingual team, deep customization ahead, and a preference for tracking upstream in real time with no translation layer.
QBCore was the foundation of Qbox: Qbox is the modern fork of QBCore, with native ox_lib integration and performance improvements. As a result, MRI Qbox (which descends from Qbox) inherits those improvements too.
QBCore still has an active community and the largest historical catalog of paid scripts on Tebex. Many QBCore scripts run on Qbox/MRI with only small tweaks (compatibility is high), but some depend on QB-specific helpers.
Verdict: if you're starting from scratch today, MRI Qbox (or Qbox) gives you a more modern foundation. If you inherited or already bought a lot of QBCore scripts, stay on QBCore.
ESX and Qbox are frameworks from different generations. ESX comes from FiveM's early years (originally essentialmode-based), while Qbox comes from modern design (ox_lib + modular architecture).
ESX has a gigantic script catalog and a long-standing, active Brazilian community. On the other hand, its architecture is harder to maintain: many ESX scripts need manual patches with every update.
Verdict: ESX only makes sense for an existing server that has already invested in ESX scripts. For starting today, MRI Qbox/Qbox is the better technical choice.
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