OSRS Membership Guide 2025: Prices, Where to Buy & Is It Worth It?

Old School RuneScape splits its world into two tiers: the free version that anyone can access, and membership that unlocks roughly 90% of the rest of the game. Most players hit F2P’s content ceiling within a few weeks, then face the question of whether paying for membership is worth it.

This guide breaks down what OSRS membership includes, how much it costs, where to buy it, and whether the investment makes sense for your playstyle.

What is OSRS membership?

OSRS membership unlocks the full version of Old School RuneScape. 

The free version lets you explore basics, but membership gives access to 8 additional skills, over 170 quests, the entire map, member-only areas, and exclusive items.

The game has evolved massively since 2013, with most updates focused on member content. Think of free-to-play as a demo that shows you the core gameplay loop, while membership opens up the actual game.

Where to buy OSRS membership safely

Besides the obvious way of purchasing OSRS membership directly through Jagex’s official website at oldschool.runescape.com, you can also check:

• Steam users can purchase through the Steam store, which bills to your Steam wallet.
• Marketplaces for game items offer OSRS membership gift cards. Here, you can sometimes find a lower price than on the official sites.

How much does OSRS membership cost?

A one-month OSRS membership costs around $13.99 USD on the official website, though prices vary by region and currency. 

• 6 months: $71.94 
• 12 months: $99.48

NOTE: The annual option works out to $8.29 monthly, offering the best value if you plan to play long-term.

Regional pricing varies significantly. Players in some countries pay less due to purchasing power adjustments, while others pay more due to currency exchange rates and local taxes. 

Using Bonds

Bonds cost in-game gold and provide 14 days of OSRS membership when redeemed. Bonds typically cost between 10 and 14 million gold depending on market fluctuations. That means you’d need roughly 20-28 million gold monthly to sustain OSRS membership without paying real money.

Bond prices fluctuate based on player demand and gold inflation, sometimes spiking during popular updates or seasonal events.

Pros of using Bonds:

• No real money required if you have gold
• Can be traded or gifted to other players
• Provides flexibility for irregular play schedules

Cons of using Bonds:

• Requires substantial gold farming time
• Price volatility creates uncertainty
• Can turn the game into a grind rather than fun
• Not viable for new or low-level players

If you do use Bonds, buy them during price dips and stockpile a few months’ worth when possible. This protects you from sudden price increases and reduces the pressure to constantly grind gold.

Can you sustain OSRS membership with gold?

For new or low-level players, sustaining membership through Bonds isn’t realistic. Earning 20-28 million gold monthly requires efficient money-making methods, high combat stats, or access to endgame content. All the things you won’t have starting out.

Even mid-level players often find that grinding OSRS gold for Bonds makes the game feel like work rather than fun.

Veteran players with established accounts can sustain Bonds more easily through bossing, high-level Slayer, or flipping items on the Grand Exchange. 

Defeating Vorkath, Zulrah, or Corrupted Gauntlet can generate several million gold per hour with proper gear and stats.

Killing Vorkath

What do you get with an OSRS membership?

OSRS membership expands the map to about five times the size of the free area. You get access to places like Morytania (gothic horror zone), Tirannwn with the elven city of Prifddinas, and the desert regions, including Sophanem and the Kharidian Desert.

Unlock the full world: new areas & exploration

Without OSRS membership, you’re stuck in a tiny F2P corner of what Gielinor actually offers.

Each region contains unique NPCs, shops, training spots, dozens of dungeons, minigames, fast travel networks, and entire storylines you can’t touch otherwise. Fairy rings and spirit trees become available, significantly cutting down walking time.

Members-only skills

These OSRS skills sit completely behind the OSRS membership wall:

1. Agility
2. Construction
3. Farming
4. Herblore
5. Hunter
6. Fletching
7. Slayer
8. Thieving

Each skill opens different gameplay loops that fundamentally change how you interact with the game.

Without access to member skills, you’re missing core mechanics that define how OSRS actually plays at higher levels.

Exclusive quests, storylines & bosses

Free players get 18 quests. Members get over 170. Quests in OSRS aren’t just side content either. They unlock new areas, training methods, equipment, and sometimes entire skill sets. 

Many of the game’s best weapons and armor require quest completion, making them essential for progression rather than optional activities.

Boss content is almost entirely member-locked, too. Vorkath, Zulrah, the God Wars Dungeon bosses, and endgame raids like Chambers of Xeric and Theatre of Blood provide challenging PvM content with valuable drops.

The Great Olm in the Chambers of Xeric

Minigames, activities, and player-owned houses

OSRS membership includes over 20 minigames, from competitive PvP arenas like Castle Wars to cooperative group activities like Pest Control and Barbarian Assault.

Player-owned houses deserve special mention. You can create custom training rooms, build teleport hubs that save time on daily activities, and design social spaces for hanging with friends. High-level Construction turns your house into one of the most useful tools in the game.

Is OSRS membership worth it?

Free-to-play OSRS offers a solid introduction, but it’s deliberately limited to encourage membership.

Cost-benefit analysis for new and returning players

OSRS membership costs roughly the same as other subscription games or a couple of coffees.

The math is straightforward: if you play OSRS for more than a few hours each week, membership is worth it.

Consider your gaming habits. If you’re the type to binge a game for a month, then move on, maybe stick with F2P, or buy one month to test the waters.

Should you finish all F2P content first?

Many experienced players recommend completing most free content before upgrading. This typically means finishing all F2P quests, getting combat stats to at least 40-50, and earning some starting gold through activities like mining or killing Hill Giants.

NOTE: Member areas often have better resource spots with less competition.

Community consensus on OSRS membership

Reddit discussions and Steam reviews overwhelmingly recommend Old School RuneScape membership for anyone who enjoys the base game. The common sentiment on r/2007scape is that F2P works fine for nostalgia trips or deciding if you like the gameplay loop, but membership is where the “real game” begins.

One frequent comment from the community: “F2P is a demo, OSRS membership is the actual game.” The content difference is so substantial that many players struggle to return to F2P after experiencing membership.

OSRS items on Eldorado.gg

For OSRS membership, gold, or Bonds, Eldorado.gg provides proper buyer protections (TradeShield) and connects buyers with verified sellers.

Escrow systems hold payments until you confirm receipt of the goods, preventing sellers from taking the money and disappearing. 24/7 dispute resolution processes help prevent or recover from fraudulent transactions.

Trading OSRS gold on Eldorado.gg for Bonds

On Eldorado.gg, you can get 1 million OSRS gold for around $0.16. To get a one-month OSRS membership with gold-bought Bonds, you would have to spend roughly between $4 and $5, including purchase fees. Still a bit cheaper than an annual membership, costing roughly $8.29 a month.