Key Takeaway
Along with purchasing the game itself, Final Fantasy XIV players must also purchase a subscription to access the entire game and all of its features. The title does have a very extensive free trial including both the Heavensward and Stormblood expansions. It has no limit on playtime.
Depending on the tier you’d like, a subscription costs between $12.99 and $14.99 a month. You can pay for your subscription using a credit card, 60-day Game Time Cards, or Square Enix Crysta. Steam players can also use their Steam Wallet.
Final Fantasy XIV requires a monthly subscription to play, but with different tiers and payment methods to consider, signing up can be confusing. If you’ve fallen in love with Eorzea after spending time in the expansive free trial, it’s time to get the most out of your adventure!
Table Of Contents
About the Famous Final Fantasy XIV Free Trial
If you spent time online over the past few years, you’ve probably seen the popular Final Fantasy XIV free trial meme while scrolling social media. Whereas many popular games offer brief demos to give players just enough time to form an opinion, XIV‘s free trial is laughably huge. Some people have reportedly spent over 1,000 hours in the free trial alone!
Currently, the Final Fantasy XIV free trial includes the base game, known as A Realm Reborn, as well as the first two expansions—Heavensward and Stormblood. That’s over 500 quests in the main story alone, and when accounting for side quests and other content like crafting and fishing, it’s easy to see how someone could enjoy the game for months without spending a dime.
Players can reach level 70 and there is no cap on playtime. (Currently, the max level in the game is 90. This will be boosted to 100 when the Dawntrail expansion is released on July 2.) All classes are available except for those unlockable after reaching level 70—this includes Gunbreaker, Dancer, Reaper, and Sage.
Limitations of the Final Fantasy XIV Free Trial
The free trial is locked to the platform that you begin playing on. If you start on Steam, you won’t be able to use that account on PlayStation and vice versa.
While the free trial includes a ton of content, there are some restrictions. Some things are only open to paid subscribers. Keep the following in mind when creating a free trial account:
- Free trial players can only have up to 300,000 gil.
- Players on the free trial cannot use the “shout,” “yell,” or “tell” in-game chat options. This means that you won’t be able to private message anyone or cause a scene in the town square.
- On the free trial, you can’t access the in-game market board. You can, however, buy things from NPC vendors or craft items yourself.
- Friend requests can’t be sent using a free trial account. You also can’t trade with anyone.
- You cannot join a Free Company on the free trial. (This is the equivalent of a guild or clan.)
- While you can join a party, you cannot create one yourself.
- PvP and Ultimate Raids can’t be accessed.
- You can’t hire a retainer, meaning that you can’t sell anything on the market.
Additionally, certain items from the Online Store can’t be purchased on a free trial, including the following:
- Level skips for characters
- Home world transfers
- Weddings
- Housing furniture
- Main scenario skips
However, you can buy cosmetics, mounts, minions, weapons, and tools.
Despite certain useful features being inaccessible, this is a generous way to gauge your interest in the game before forking over money each month to play.
Subscription Tiers in Final Fantasy XIV
There are two subscription tiers—Entry and Standard. Those on the Entry tier can only create 8 characters per Physical Data Center as compared to 40 with a Standard membership. Both tiers can create 8 characters per Server.
Entry-tier memberships can only be renewed every 30 days and cost $12.99 a month. Those with a Standard tier membership will pay $14.99 a month, but they also have the option to save money by subscribing for 90 days for $13.99 a month or 180 days for $12.99 a month.
NoteAlong with your subscription, you’ll need to actually purchase the game. Currently, you can purchase the complete game, which includes the base game and all available expansions, for $59.99. However, our recommendation is to purchase the Starter Edition for $19.99 and preorder the upcoming Dawntrail expansion for $39.99, as it comes paired with both the Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions.
Deluxe editions of the game are also available for an additional cost and come with unique in-game items.
Ways to Pay for a Final Fantasy XIV Subscription
There are many ways to pay for your subscription. Using a credit card and setting up auto-pay is the easiest way, while Steam players can use their Steam Wallet. 60-day Game Time Cards can also be purchased from the Square Enix store, Amazon, or select local retailers.
Note
Square Enix Crysta can be purchased using a debit or credit card and used to pay for items on the Mog Station or to pay for your subscription. $1.00 is equivalent to 100 Square Enix Crysta.
How to Cancel a Final Fantasy XIV Subscription
If you discover that Final Fantasy XIV isn’t for you, canceling your sub is quick and easy.
First, log into the Mog Station with the Square Enix account you used to play the game. Select ‘Service Account Status’ from the menu on the left and click ‘Cancel Subscription.’
You’ll still be able to play for the remainder of the time left on the account, and if you want to come back in the future, return to this page and select ‘Renew Your Subscription’ to come back to Eorzea.
If you want to stick with Final Fantasy XIV for the long haul, you’ll need to resign yourself to buying a subscription. Don’t be worried about getting your money’s worth—when accounting for the main story (and one of the best stories in gaming period), side quests, crafting quests, fishing, island cultivation, and PvP content, you’re looking at tens of thousands of hours of adventuring.
