ESX
Best ESX Scripts for FiveM Servers
Updated July 2026 | by the Var FiveM team
ESX (es_extended) is the most widely used roleplay framework on FiveM, and the scripts you run on top of it define how your server actually plays. This guide covers how to evaluate ESX scripts before buying, then walks through proven ESX-compatible resources by category: economy, jobs, crime, appearance and minigames.
What is ESX?
ESX is the open source framework behind most FiveM roleplay servers, built around the es_extended core resource. It provides the foundations every roleplay server needs: player accounts and money (cash, bank, black money), jobs with grades, society accounts for businesses, inventory and a shared event system that scripts hook into. Because ESX has been the dominant framework for years, it has the largest ecosystem of compatible scripts, and ESX Legacy, the maintained branch of es_extended, is what modern resources target. Most scripts listed below also support QBCore, and many auto-detect which framework your server runs at startup.
How to choose ESX scripts
Judge an ESX script on four things before price: performance, code access, support and update history. Performance first: check the resmon footprint, since a script that idles at 0.3 ms sounds harmless until you run forty of them. Code access second: escrow protection is fine as long as the framework bridge and config files stay open, but if you expect to rewrite logic, pick a partially open or open source variant. Support third: an active Discord where the developer actually answers saves hours during installation and framework updates. Updates last: FiveM artifacts, es_extended and inventory systems all move, so a script that has not been touched in a year will eventually break. A public test server where you can play the script before paying is a strong signal on all four counts.
Economy scripts for ESX
Economy scripts are the backbone of an ESX server, and banking is the place to start. Var-Bank gives every player a personal account with an auto-generated IBAN, transfers between players, a beneficiaries list, 7-day income and outcome analytics and society accounts for businesses, across 8 bank locations plus ATM support. For player-run businesses, Supermarket Simulator lets players buy and operate their own store: build the interior with a 3D editor and 143 props, stock 92 products, set retail prices and serve NPC customers at a scanning checkout. Var-Property is a dedicated ESX housing system with 23 ready-to-use interiors, instanced garages in 6 sizes, tiered in-house safes and a realtor job that sells properties in-game.
Rounding out the economy layer: Var-Coins-Shop turns Tebex top-ups into an in-game premium store with vehicles, weapons, packs, subscriptions and loyalty tiers, a clean way to monetize without pay-to-win chaos. Var-Shop covers the 24/7 convenience stores with 19 map locations and a basket checkout, Var-Bill handles player-to-player and society invoices with accept or refuse flows, and Var-AFK pays configurable passive income to idle players, with a VIP multiplier hook.
Job scripts for ESX
Job scripts keep players busy between roleplay scenes, and ESX servers need both legal grinds and management tools. Var-AutoCarDealer runs a full dealership: players browse a catalog loaded live from SQL, test-drive in a private instance and buy straight into owned_vehicles. For entry-level grinds, Var-GardenerJob sends players harvesting 100+ bush spots across 5 map zones with a work truck and anti-abuse payout caps, while Var-PosterJob has them placing posters around the city, including custom image posters rendered live on walls via DUI.
On the management side, Var-SocietyManage is an ESX-only boss panel for hiring, firing, per-grade salaries, the society bank and invoicing from one menu. Var-Crew lets players create their own crews with unlimited custom ranks and granular per-rank permissions, and Var-JobAlert gives police, EMS and mechanics a dispatch system with job-targeted alerts, accept or refuse keybinds and automatic GPS routing to the scene.
Crime scripts for ESX
Crime scripts create the risk side of an ESX economy, and drug systems are usually the biggest draw. Var-Drugs is a player-owned laboratory system with 3 full labs (Meth, Cannabis, Cocaine), custom interiors, paid upgrades, module maintenance, NPC dealer missions and street dealing with a per-zone trust system that raises sell prices over time. For robberies, Var-HeistAtm adds an ATM drilling heist with a Fleeca-style scaleform minigame, configurable rewards, per-player and per-ATM cooldowns, a minimum cops-on-duty requirement and police alerts, plus a placeable ATM item with a ghost-preview placement mode.
Appearance scripts for ESX
Appearance scripts shape a player's first minutes on your server, so they are worth getting right. Var-Creator handles character creation with full face customization plus an identity form saved to the database, and Var-MultiChar adds multi-character slots presented on a native GTA mugshot-board scaleform. For day-to-day customization, Var-ClothesShop V2 is a visual clothing shop where every item shows as a generated image, with per-store pricing and saved outfits, Var-TattooShop offers 693 tattoos across 6 body zones with live preview before buying, and Var-BarberShop covers hair, beard, eyebrows and makeup with an animated in-chair experience. All of them support esx_skin alongside qb-clothing, fivem-appearance and illenium-appearance.
Minigame scripts for ESX
Minigames give players something to do with the money your economy scripts generate. Var-Casino brings the Diamond Casino to life with 5 games (slots, blackjack, roulette, three-card poker and horse racing), a chip economy, a lucky wheel and a progressive jackpot, plus an anti-addiction system with loss caps. Var-PaintBall runs instanced arena matches in 4 modes (Team Deathmatch, Free-For-All, Elimination, Gun Game) with player-created lobbies, money wagering and a persistent SQL leaderboard. And Var-Chess puts a fully playable 3D chess board in the world, with PvP or AI opponents and optional money wagering through the ESX economy.
Escrow, Partially Open or Open Source
Every Var FiveM script ships in three variants, and the right one depends on how much you plan to modify. Escrow is the protected build at the lowest price, with the framework bridge and config files left open, so you can still change prices, locations, keybinds and framework hooks. Partially Open unlocks the gameplay code for servers that want to edit logic directly. Open Source gives you the full, unobfuscated source including the UI, the choice for teams that fork and maintain their own builds. All three deliver instantly through Tebex and receive the same updates, so you can start on escrow and upgrade later if your needs change.
Frequently asked questions
Are free ESX scripts good enough, or should I buy premium?
Free ESX scripts are fine for prototyping, but most abandoned repos on GitHub lack updates, support and optimization. Premium scripts usually come with active maintenance, Discord support, escrow or open source options and features tested on live servers. A common approach is to run free basics and pay for the systems your economy depends on, like banking, housing or player-owned businesses.
Do these scripts work with ESX Legacy?
Yes. ESX Legacy is the actively maintained version of es_extended, and modern premium scripts target it. Most Var FiveM scripts also auto-detect whether your server runs ESX or QBCore at startup, so there is no framework flag to configure by hand.
How do I install an ESX script?
Extract the resource into your server's resources folder, add an ensure line for it in server.cfg after es_extended and its dependencies (usually oxmysql), import the included SQL file if the script ships one, then adjust the config file for prices, locations and keybinds. Escrow scripts install the same way, since framework and config files stay editable.
What is a good resmon value for an ESX script?
A well-optimized script should sit near 0.00 ms in resmon while idle and only spike briefly during active use, for example while a menu is open. Anything idling above roughly 0.1 ms across many resources adds up and costs server FPS, so check resmon values on a test server before putting a script into production.
Do ESX scripts also run on QBCore servers?
Many do. Most scripts in this guide support both ESX and QBCore, often with automatic framework detection, so the same purchase covers a future framework switch. The exceptions here are Var-Property and Var-SocietyManage, which are ESX only because they build on esx_addonaccount and ESX society systems.
Browse ESX-ready scripts
Every script in the Var FiveM shop supports ESX, ships in Escrow, Partially Open and Open Source variants and delivers instantly through Tebex. Test any of them on the public server before you buy.