OSRS F2P Money Making Guide
Best free-to-play methods to earn GP — from 50k/hr starter grinds to 500k/hr advanced flips
Updated September 2026
Making GP in free-to-play is harder than members — you have fewer skills, fewer items, and no access to most bosses. But you can still earn a bond (currently ~13M GP) without ever touching a members world. This guide covers every viable method, from your first 100k to maintaining a bond through consistent play.
All methods are tested and verified with current Grand Exchange prices. Pick a few that match your stats and playstyle, then use our skill calculators to plan your training alongside your money-making goals.
Beginner Methods (50k-150k GP/hr)
No requirements or very low skill levels. Perfect for brand-new accounts.
| Method | GP/hr | Requirements | AFK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowhides (Lumbridge) | 50k-70k | None | Medium |
| Iron ore mining | 60k-80k | 15 Mining | Low |
| Trout/Salmon fishing | 40k-60k | 20 Fishing | High |
| Clay mining (Varrock SW) | 80k-100k | 1 Mining | Medium |
| Fletching arrow shafts | 50k-70k | 1 Fletching | High |
| Fill jugs with water | 60k-80k | None | Low |
Mid-Level Methods (150k-300k GP/hr)
Require moderate skill levels. Good for accounts working toward their first bond.
| Method | GP/hr | Requirements | AFK |
|---|---|---|---|
| High alching (profitable items) | 100k-150k | 55 Magic, cash stack | High |
| Ogress Warriors | 100k-150k | 40+ Range/Magic, Corsair Curse | Medium |
| Gold ore (Crafting Guild) | 120k-160k | 40 Mining, 40 Crafting | Medium |
| Anchovy pizza making | 150k-200k | 55 Cooking | Medium |
| Sapphire ring crafting | 130k-180k | 20 Crafting, gold bars | Medium |
| Yew longbow fletching | 100k-140k | 70 Fletching | High |
Advanced Methods (300k-500k+ GP/hr)
Require high skill levels or significant starting capital. Methods that can sustain a bond.
| Method | GP/hr | Requirements | AFK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rune 2h sword smithing | 300k-400k | 99 Smithing, rune bars | Low |
| Diamond necklace crafting | 250k-350k | 56 Crafting, gold bars | Medium |
| Moss giant keys (Bryophyta) | 200k-500k | 50+ Combat, 10k+ moss giant kills | Medium |
| Obor (Hill Giant boss) | 300k-500k+ (with luck) | 60+ Combat, giant keys | Low |
| F2P merchanting (flipping) | 200k-500k+ | 5M+ starting capital | High |
F2P Merchanting & Flipping
Flipping is the highest GP/hr money-maker in F2P — but it requires starting capital, patience, and market knowledge. Every flip is a pair of GE offers: a low buy order and a high sell order, capturing the spread between them.
Best F2P Flip Items
- Rune items (scimitars, 2h swords, platebodies)
- Ores and bars (coal, gold, mithril, adamant)
- Nature and law runes
- Dragonhide sets (green, blue)
- Raw/cooked lobsters and swordfish
- Yew and magic logs
- Gold jewelry (amethyst, diamond, dragonstone)
Flipping Tips
- Start with 1-slot items under 1k GP to learn margins.
- Use the OSRS GE website to check prices before buying.
- Never flip with more than 70% of your cash stack.
- Check buy limits — you can only buy X of each item every 4 hours.
- Avoid flipping right after game updates — prices are volatile.
- The best margins are on weekdays; weekends are more competitive.
Progression Path: From Zero to Bond
- 0 to 500k GP — Cowhides in Lumbridge or clay mining in Varrock. ~5-8 hours of casual play.
- 500k to 2M GP — Add gold ore mining at the Crafting Guild (40 Crafting + 40 Mining) and ogress warriors. ~10-15 hours.
- 2M to 5M GP — Start high alching profitable items while training Magic. Combine with diamond necklace crafting. ~12-18 hours.
- 5M to 13M (bond) — Shift to merchanting with half your stack. 200k-500k/hr passive income. Buy your bond and unlock members world money-makers.
Tools to Track Your Progress
Earn Your First Bond Faster
Track your GP/hr with the alchemy calculator and plan your route to members with the bond calculator.
Sources & methodology
XP rates, requirements, and drop data in this guide are cross-checked against the OSRS Wiki and verified against in-game behaviour. Grand Exchange prices move daily, so treat GP/hr figures as estimates and confirm current prices with the OSRS Wiki price tracker before committing to a method.
Darren started playing the original RuneScape 2 back in the day and came back when Old School RuneScape launched. He's played on and off over the years and built OSRSToolkit to give players a single place to find reliable tools, calculators, and guides — all informed by real in-game experience.