Two mods, one game
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has two long-running online mods: Multi Theft Auto (MTA:SA) and San Andreas Multiplayer (SA-MP). They look similar from the outside, since both let you join a community server in San Andreas, but they are separate projects with different code, languages and upkeep. If you want to play on MTA, start from the Multi Theft Auto server list.
The comparison is also changing, because a third name, open.mp, now sits alongside SA-MP. The short version of the current picture is captured in one recent overview, and the sections below unpack each part of it with sources and plain-language notes on what each difference means for players.
“SA-MP froze a decade ago, open.mp picked it up, and MTA:SA never stopped.”
Side-by-side comparison
| MTA:SA | SA-MP | open.mp | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scripting language | Lua | Pawn | Pawn |
| Project status | Actively maintained; stable release 1.6.0 dated 16 June 2023 on Wikipedia | Client frozen; last official release 0.3.7 | Ongoing development; RC1 in January 2023 |
| Licence and origin | GPLv3 since 21 November 2008, source on GitHub | Built by Kalcor and the SA-MP team, who stepped back from development | Independent open-source rewrite on GitHub |
| Typical strength | Racing, freeroam and custom gamemodes | Mostly roleplay servers | Runs existing SA-MP servers and scripts |
| Server listing | Its own master server | SA-MP master server | Launcher with built-in browser |
Note that the status and focus rows come from an overview article and Wikipedia rather than from the projects themselves, so treat them as a summary of the scene, not a promise about the future. MTA's own site lists roleplay, racing, deathmatch and zombie modes among its features.
Scripting: Lua versus Pawn
The language matters mostly to server owners, but it shapes what players see. MTA scripts are written in Lua and packaged as resources that can contain scripts, models, textures and collision files. Resources can run on the server, the client or both, and the client downloads them when you connect.
SA-MP and open.mp use Pawn instead. open.mp is described as fully backwards compatible with SA-MP, so existing Pawn gamemodes and AMX scripts are meant to run on it without modification. That is the main reason it is pitched as a continuation rather than a competitor.
What you need to play
Both mods extend your own copy of the single-player game. MTA's client manual asks for a clean installation of GTA: San Andreas version 1.0, American or European, with no modifications, installed before MTA. GTA Intel reports that none of the three projects work with the 2021 Definitive Edition and that new players mostly cannot buy version 1.0 through official channels, since Rockstar delisted the originals in October 2021.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Game version | All three need the original version 1.0 executable, not the Definitive Edition |
| Clean install | MTA asks for an unmodified GTA: San Andreas before the client is installed |
| Install folder | Install MTA outside the game folder and outside cloud-synced folders such as OneDrive |
| Source of the client | Download only from the project's own site, not from mirrors |
Our safety guide covers the download and donation checks that apply to both ecosystems.
Key dates
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 22 January 2006 | The San Andreas version debuts as Race, with a networked racing mode and map editor | Wikipedia |
| 2 January 2008 | First Deathmatch Developer Preview | Wikipedia |
| 21 November 2008 | MTA goes open source under GPLv3 | Wikipedia |
| October 2021 | Rockstar delists the original GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas | GTA Intel |
| January 2022 | open.mp semi-public beta | GTA Intel |
| January 2023 | open.mp Release Candidate 1 | GTA Intel |
| 16 June 2023 | MTA 1.6.0, the latest stable release listed | Wikipedia |
- San Andreas servers (2016 figure)
- 3,000 to 4,000
- Monthly players (2016 figure)
- 600,000+
- Busiest servers (2016 figure)
- 200 to 1,000
cited by Wikipedia from Rock Paper Shotgun, may be outdated
same source, likely out of date
average players online
Treat the player numbers as a historical snapshot. GTA Intel puts current MTA numbers in the low thousands across a smaller set of long-running servers, and lists a few hundred active SA-MP servers on third-party trackers, so exact populations are hard to pin down.
Server styles in each scene
MTA is not only a roleplay platform. Our directory splits its servers into roleplay, racing and minigames and DayZ-style survival categories. Examples include a Turkish voice roleplay server, a Polish RPG community, a long-running street racing gamemode and a DayZ-style zombie mode with its own installer.
| Server | Style | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Janti Roleplay | Roleplay with crime and police careers | Turkish |
| ProjectRPG | RPG gamemode with forum and Mumble voice server | Polish |
| SAES:RPG | Cops and robbers | English |
| Need For Speed: San Andreas | Street racing and tuning | English |
| TOP-GTA DayZ | DayZ-style survival | English and Russian regions |
One practical note: some projects, such as the DayZ-style mode above, ship their own installer or launcher. Only run installers from the project's own domain and scan them first, because MTA itself does not require a server-specific download to join most servers. For a list of every verified option see Multi Theft Auto: San Andreas servers. If you are looking at GTA V instead of San Andreas, the equivalent scene is FiveM.
Getting started on MTA
- 1
Install a clean GTA: San Andreas 1.0
The client manual asks for the American or European version 1.0 with no modifications.
- 2
Download MTA:SA from multitheftauto.com
Run the installer and accept the GPLv3 licence. The Game Client component is enough for multiplayer.
- 3
Choose an install folder
Pick one outside your San Andreas directory and outside cloud-synced folders such as OneDrive, then point the installer at your game folder.
- 4
Launch and browse servers
Open Browse Servers, refresh, select a server and click Connect. The server's address can be reused later through Quick Connect.
A step-by-step version of this process is in the how to join a private server guide, and the server rates and wipes explainer helps decode terms such as slots and premium perks.
Which should you choose?
A practical decision
Choose MTA:SA if
- You want racing, freeroam, DayZ-style or custom gamemodes
- You want a project that is still actively maintained
- You are happy to join servers in other languages
- You want Lua resources to download automatically
Choose SA-MP or open.mp if
- You are following a specific Pawn-based roleplay community
- You want your existing SA-MP scripts to keep running
- You want a launcher with a built-in browser (open.mp)
- Your community already lives there
GTA Intel recommends open.mp for new setups that need compatibility with SA-MP servers, and MTA:SA for racing, freeroam or content-driven play. Whichever you pick, community is the real deciding factor, and it is worth joining the Discord or forum for a few days before committing to a donation shop or a long character story: a server with active staff and players beats any technical advantage. The guide to choosing a private server walks through the checks, and the glossary covers terms such as gamemode and resource.
Where to go next
Keep exploring
