Top game subscriptions compared

Our top picks

1. 1. Humble Bundle

   Humble Bundle closes this ranking as the console-inclusive monthly library. Its plan runs €12.99 a month through Humble Bundle, Inc., founded in 2010 and based in the United States, and it lists 50 games on PC and Nintendo Switch. Markets are 7 countries including Australia, Canada and China, and support runs through email, help centre and community. Two things separate it from the entries above: it reaches a handheld console as well as a computer, and its monthly figure is quoted in euros rather than the dollars used by most of this list, so it cannot be set beside the others without converting first. Against Piknik it is a deeper catalogue on a wider set of devices; against Garena it sells a library rather than online play. A reader who wants a recurring library and plays on a Switch will want to read this one too.

   • Buyer protection: Yes
   • Instant delivery: Yes
   • Loyalty scheme: Yes

   Pros

   • Buyer protection sits in the terms: a product that will not download or activate in the time allowed gets a replacement, store credit or a refund.
   • Delivery is instant, and a purchase counts as complete the moment you first receive what you need to start downloading.
   • Humble Choice is a loyalty membership too, handing you a monthly mix of PC games to keep plus perks and bonuses, with early access to the rotating picks.
   • The company behind the keys, Humble Bundle, Inc., has been running since 2010 as a Delaware corporation.

   Cons

   • Regional pricing covers 7 countries including Australia, Canada and China, so the Humble Choice monthly figure is set per region rather than being the same figure for everyone.
   • Checkout runs on card, PayPal and local wallets, which leaves shoppers who prefer a bank transfer without that route.
   • The DRM-free Vault lists 50 games titles of indie and experimental picks, so that shelf is short next to the paid catalogue.

2. 7. Minecraft

   Minecraft belongs in this ranking as the low-cost way to hold a server for one game. Its plan runs $3.99 a month, with a free trial of 30 days, and it is sold by Mojang AB. The plan reaches PC, PlayStation, Xbox and more, which is broad reach for a single game, and what it buys is online multiplayer rather than a library to browse. Xbox, placed below, adds a library and streaming around a similar multiplayer promise, so Minecraft is the pick for a reader who plays one game with friends.

   • Plan price per month: $3.99
   • Free trial length: 30 days
   • Legal entity: Mojang AB

   Pros

   • Realms costs $3.99 a month, a small recurring sum for a world a whole group can use.
   • First-time users get a free trial of 30 days, so you can look around before you pay.
   • The world stays online between sessions, so you and your friends return to the same place instead of starting fresh.
   • Help comes from Mojang AB through a help centre and community spaces, so the studio behind the game also stands behind the support.

   Cons

   • The $3.99 rate is recurring, so a world you keep for a year goes on billing every month.
   • The free trial of 30 days is for first-time users, so you cannot come back and test Realms later without paying.
   • Realms is built around a shared online world, so a player who wants to play the base game on their own gets little from it.

3. X8. Xbox

   Xbox sits high in this ranking because it bundles a library, cloud streaming and online multiplayer into a single subscription. Its plan runs $9.99 a month under Microsoft Corporation, with 50 to 500 games listed, a free trial of 14 days, and a plan that delivers game library, cloud gaming and online multiplayer. It is also sold across a wide set of markets, 35 countries including Argentina, Australia and Austria, and support runs on email, phone and help centre, phone included. Minecraft, ranked above, charges less and covers a single game; Xbox charges more and covers a library, a cloud stream and sessions with other players. Final Fantasy XIV, placed below, is one game at a higher monthly rate with no streaming, so Xbox is the entry for a reader buying a subscription rather than a world.

   • Plan price per month: $9.99
   • Free trial length: 14 days
   • Games in the library (games): 50 to 500

   Pros

   • The Essential plan costs $9.99 a month once the 14 trial ends, so the recurring figure is easy to predict
   • The library covers 50 to 500 games, with new titles added each month
   • Cloud streaming reaches a PC, a console or a browser, so a game can follow you away from the machine under your television
   • Digital gift cards are delivered by email, so you can top up an account or send one as a present
   • Support reaches you by email, a published phone number or a help centre, so an account or billing question can get an answer

   Cons

   • The plan is a recurring charge at $9.99 a month, so the cost comes back even in months you do not play
   • The library size of 50 to 500 games depends on the tier you pick, so the figure you read varies by plan

4. 9. Final Fantasy XIV

   Final Fantasy XIV is in this ranking as the premium single-title subscription, holding several device families under one monthly rate. Its plan runs $12.99 to $14.99 a month, sold by Square Enix Limited, a company founded in 1975 and based in Japan. It runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and more, and what the plan buys is online multiplayer, so the higher monthly rate goes into one online world rather than a browsing library. Help comes through email, chat, help centre and more, chat among them.

   • Price model: Subscription
   • Plan price per month: $12.99 to $14.99
   • Markets: AS, AI, AG, and 50 more

Top game subscriptions compared by country

• Australia
• Brazil
• Canada
• France
• Germany
• India
• Italy
• Mexico
• Poland
• Spain
• United Kingdom
• United States

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV