OSRS gear planning: compare bonuses and find upgrades
A weapon comparison is only useful when it includes the equipment that must change with it. A two-handed sword replaces the shield as well as the weapon; a defensive body can also reduce the attack bonus for another combat style. Start with the outfit you intend to wear, then change one choice at a time in the gear builder.
How does a two-handed weapon change the setup?
An 
Abyssal whip leaves the shield slot available. A 
Dragon 2h sword occupies both hands, so a shield cannot remain worn with it. The builder applies that restriction when you equip the weapon or choose a shield afterward.
Compare the two setups below. The figures include every item named in the setup, rather than silently comparing the sword with a whip that has an empty off-hand slot.
| Worn bonuses | Whip and shield | Two-handed sword | Change with sword |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slash attack | +82 | +92 | +10 |
| Melee strength | +82 | +93 | +11 |
| Stab defence | +7 | 0 | -7 |
| Slash defence | +9 | 0 | -9 |
| Magic defence | +2 | 0 | -2 |
| Weapon attack speed (ticks) | 4 | 7 | 3 more ticks |
Only these equipped items are included. Attack speed and bonuses do not, on their own, calculate damage against a creature.
The sword's different bonuses come with a different attack speed and the loss of the shield. These figures do not decide which setup is best for every creature. Your levels, selected attack style, prayers and the target's defences also matter to combat; the equipment comparison does not turn those unselected assumptions into a damage forecast.
Which bonus should I compare?
Read the attack bonus for the style you will use, then the corresponding strength or damage bonus. Defence bonuses answer a different question. Increasing defence does not necessarily improve your ability to hit, and a penalty elsewhere in the outfit can offset the piece you just added.
For example, open the 
rune platebody and inspect its magic attack penalty before placing it in a magic-oriented setup. Looking only at its melee defence would miss that trade-off. The builder's totals include penalties as well as positive bonuses.
Keep the other slots unchanged for the first comparison. Then account for any second change the new item requires, such as replacing a shield or using different ammunition. This makes it easier to see which choice caused the difference instead of attributing the entire outfit's change to one item.
Where does the next upgrade come from?
Follow the equipped item's page to its sources before planning a trip. The whip leads to Abyssal demons. A source for the Dragon 2h sword is the Kalphite Queen. The item page is the starting point for comparing the available sources, not a promise that a particular kill will award it.
Open the creature's drops and location, then consider what you need to reach and survive that encounter. A source link and an equipment bonus answer different parts of the preparation. The drop-odds guide explains how to interpret a long hunt without treating an average rate as a deadline.
Prices are another comparison, not proof that an offer will fill. Check the available item quotes and the cost of the other pieces the setup needs. A missing price is not evidence that an untradeable reward is free or effortless to obtain.
How do I preserve the exact comparison?
The builder address names the equipment in each selected slot. Share that link to reopen the same setup rather than sending a list that another player must reconstruct. After changing a piece, use the updated address for the new comparison.
Keep the creature page alongside the setup when preparing for a task. Target context does not automatically equip a recommended loadout: choose the items yourself and inspect the resulting bonuses. That keeps the comparison tied to the gear you actually plan to use.