Quick answer: what should you do with gil on the FFXIV Free Trial?
The FFXIV Free Trial caps every character at 300,000 gil, and in Patch 7.57 there is still no market board, no retainers and no player trading on a trial account (Square Enix Free Trial Terms, last updated April 27, 2026). Gil you earn while sitting at the cap is simply not kept. So on the trial, the best "gil strategy" is spending it on things that still matter after you upgrade:
- Crafter or gatherer at level 80? Buy extra Skysteel prototype tools at 80,000 gil each. They are relic tools you keep forever.
- Collector? Rank up an allied society and buy its mount: 120,000 gil for the Ixali Direwolf, 200,000 gil for the Moogles' Cloud Mallow.
- Glamour fan? The Vermilion Paper Parasol (Kugane) and Prim Dot Parasol (Il Mheg) cost 100,000 gil each and unlock permanently for that character as fashion accessories.
- Everyone: stock up on consumables you will burn anyway: Gysahl Greens at 36 gil, Grade 8 Dark Matter at 280 gil, Phoenix Down at 1,000 gil.
- Do not try to "flip" vendor items. With no market board, there is no one to sell them to.
The cap lifts once your account is upgraded to the full game (Square Enix upgrade FAQ). Until then, gil you can't hold is gil you lose, so keep spending below the cap.
What is the FFXIV Free Trial gil cap?
The cap is 300,000 gil per character. Square Enix's own terms put it plainly:
"Free Trial account characters can possess a maximum of 300,000 gil (in-game currency)." (Square Enix, FINAL FANTASY XIV Free Trial Terms)
Since Patch 7.5 (April 28, 2026), the Free Trial covers A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, Stormblood and Shadowbringers, up to level 80 (Patch 7.5 notes, finalfantasyxiv.com). That is hundreds of hours of content, and the main story alone pays well past 300,000 gil in quest rewards, dungeon drops and vendor sales. Most trial players hit the cap somewhere in the main story, long before they run out of things to do.
The same terms list the restrictions that make the cap bite:
| Restriction | What it means for your gil |
|---|---|
| 300,000 gil maximum | Anything above the cap is not added to your wallet |
| No market board | You cannot buy from or sell to other players |
| No trading | Nobody can hand you gil or items, and you cannot hand them out |
| No retainers | No ventures, no extra storage, no selling slots |
| No moogle mail | No sending items to your other characters |
| No Free Company | No FC chest, no FC credits, no FC housing |
Source: Square Enix Free Trial Terms. The one money tool you keep is the NPC vendor, both for buying and for selling items back.
Can you make gil on the FFXIV Free Trial?
You can earn it, but you cannot really make it in the usual sense. Normal FFXIV gil-making runs through the market board: gather or craft something players need, list it on a retainer, collect the gil. Every step of that loop is blocked on a trial account.
What's left is the gil the game pays you anyway:
- Main Scenario and side quests. A major source on any new character.
- Levequests for combat, crafting and gathering classes.
- Dungeon and FATE drops sold to an NPC vendor.
- Desynthesis and vendor-selling unwanted gear.
None of that needs optimising, because you will hit the cap anyway. A player in a recent r/ffxiv thread (October 2026) asked exactly this: was there anything a trial character could buy from an NPC and resell for a profit? The replies agreed there wasn't. Anything an NPC sells, every other player can buy at the same price, so at best you "lose less". Their advice was to tick off collection goals instead of hunting for a flip.
That is the core idea of this guide. On the trial, the waste is gil you earn while already at the cap. Keep a small reserve for teleports and repairs, and spend the rest on things you keep.
What should Free Trial players spend gil on? (ranked)
We ranked every sizable gil purchase open to a level 80 trial character by one question: does it still have value after you upgrade to the full game? Prices are NPC vendor costs, checked against the FFXIV Online Wiki item pages in Patch 7.57. Vendor prices do not change between patches the way market board prices do.
| Rank | Purchase | Cost | Carries over after upgrade? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skysteel prototype tool (extra) | 80,000 each | Yes, permanent relic tool | Crafters and gatherers at 80 |
| 2 | Allied society mount (ARR) | 120,000 | Yes, permanent mount | Collectors |
| 3 | Allied society mount (Heavensward) | 200,000 | Yes, permanent mount | Collectors |
| 4 | Vermilion / Prim Dot Parasol | 100,000 each | Yes, fashion accessory | Glamour players |
| 5 | Zodiac relic catalysts (e.g. Bronze Lake Crystal) | 100,000 each | Yes, part of a relic weapon | Combat relic grinders |
| 6 | Crafting materials for leveling | Varies | Indirect (levels stay) | Anyone leveling crafters |
| 7 | Consumables (greens, dark matter, Phoenix Downs) | 36 to 1,000 each | Yes, you'll use them | Everyone |
| 8 | Aesthetician changes | 2,000 per session | Cosmetic | Character tweakers |
1. Skysteel tools: the best spend for crafters and gatherers
If you have a Disciple of the Hand or Land at level 80, this is the strongest use of capped gil in the game. After the prerequisite quest "Towards the Firmament", the quest "Mislaid Plans" in Ishgard's Foundation (Skysteel Engineer, X:14.2, Y:12.5) gives you your first Skysteel prototype tool for free. Each additional prototype costs 80,000 gil from Denys in the Skysteel Manufactory (X:8.0, Y:10.0), per the FFXIV Online Wiki Skysteel Tools page.
There are 11 Skysteel tools, one for each crafter plus Miner, Botanist and Fisher. Each upgrades to item level 510 (Skybuilders' Tools): crafters turn in high-quality items and collectables, while gatherers collect materials or catch fish. A full set of the 10 paid prototypes costs 800,000 gil, nearly three full trial wallets. That makes it a perfect "drain the cap every time" target. Note that the later upgrade steps also need Purple Crafters' Scrips, which you earn from collectables. That is a second reason to keep crafting on the trial.
2–3. Allied society mounts: 120,000 to 200,000 gil each
The ARR and Heavensward allied societies (the old "beast tribes") sell mounts for plain gil once you reach a high enough reputation rank. Two verified examples:
- Direwolf Whistle (Direwolf mount): Ixali Vendor, North Shroud (X:24.9, Y:22.7). 120,000 gil, requires Sworn rank (wiki).
- Cloud Mallow mount: Mogmul Mogbelly, The Churning Mists (X:15.9, Y:28.5). 200,000 gil, requires Sworn rank (wiki).
Allied society quests are daily, so ranking up takes real time. That suits a capped trial wallet well: by the time you reach Sworn, you will have refilled to 300,000 more than once. Mounts are permanent, so this gil is never wasted.
4. Parasols: 100,000-gil fashion accessories
Two of the priciest pure-gil cosmetics are open to trial players because they sit in Stormblood and Shadowbringers zones:
- Vermilion Paper Parasol: Tokohana, Kugane (X:12.9, Y:12.2). 100,000 gil (wiki).
- Prim Dot Parasol: Pixie Hoarder or Ys Gyuf, Il Mheg. 100,000 gil (wiki).
Once used, a fashion accessory is a permanent unlock for that character and costs no bag space. Bag space matters on a trial account with no retainers.
5. Zodiac relic catalysts (combat players only)
If you are working on an ARR relic weapon, the Zodiac Braves step (quest "A Ponze of Flesh", level 50) needs several 100,000-gil vendor items spread across that step's quests. One example is the Bronze Lake Crystal, sold by the Junkmonger in Upper La Noscea (X:26.2, Y:26.5) (wiki). It's a huge gil sink, but only worth it if you actually want the weapon. ARR relics are long, old grinds and mostly glamour today.
6. Crafting materials
Crafting and gathering levels carry over to the full game, and so does the gil-making power they unlock later. Spending trial gil on NPC-sold crafting materials (guild suppliers, tradecraft suppliers, the Idyllshire and Rhalgr's Reach material vendors) speeds up crafting levels you'd otherwise have to gather for. If you plan to make gil by crafting once you subscribe, this is effectively an investment.
7. Consumables you will burn anyway
These are cheap per unit and add up when you buy in bulk:
| Item | Vendor cost | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gysahl Greens | 36 gil | Summon your chocobo companion |
| Grade 8 Dark Matter | 280 gil | Self-repair gear, levels 1–100 |
| Standard Spectrum Dye | 216 gil | All basic dye colors since Patch 7.5 |
| Phoenix Down | 1,000 gil | Raise a fallen party member |
Sources: wiki item pages for Gysahl Greens, Grade 8 Dark Matter, Standard Spectrum Dye, Phoenix Down. A full 999 stack of Gysahl Greens costs 35,964 gil. Grade 8 Dark Matter repairs gear from level 1 to 100 (self-repair needs the matching crafter class at a high enough level), so a stack bought now covers every job you level on the trial and after.
8. Aesthetician and teleports
The Aesthetician charges 2,000 gil per accepted change (wiki). Teleport fees used to be capped at 999 gil but have had no cap since Endwalker (wiki). Neither is a big sink, but both keep the wallet moving.
How should you split a full 300,000-gil wallet?
Here are three sample plans for a character sitting at the cap in Patch 7.57:
| Plan | Spend | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Crafter / gatherer | 3 Skysteel prototypes (240,000) + 35 Grade 8 Dark Matter (9,800) + materials for collectables (up to 50,200) | 300,000 |
| Collector | Direwolf Whistle (120,000) + Vermilion Paper Parasol (100,000) + 999 Gysahl Greens (35,964) + Phoenix Downs and dyes | ~300,000 |
| Combat / relic | Bronze Lake Crystal (100,000) + another Zodiac catalyst (100,000) + Prim Dot Parasol (100,000) | 300,000 |
Each plan clears the wallet so the next stretch of story refills it. Keep a few thousand back for teleports and repairs. This beats hovering at 299,000 and losing quest rewards.
What should you not spend Free Trial gil on?
- Leveling gear above your current needs. Vendor gear is fine for leveling, but every piece is outgrown within a few levels and eats bag space.
- "Flip" items. With no market board, an item you buy to resell can only go back to an NPC at a fraction of the price.
- Housing. Free Trial accounts cannot create or join a Free Company, so FC housing and its perks are off the table.
What happens to your gil when you upgrade?
Buying the game ends the Free Trial. Per the official terms, players who purchase any version "will no longer qualify for the Free Trial on any platform". On Windows, Steam and Mac you then register the code to upgrade the service account (Square Enix upgrade FAQ). The wiki notes the Starter Edition carries the same content but removes all trial restrictions. Once you're upgraded and subscribed, the 300,000 cap, the market board ban and the retainer ban go away. The wiki recommends the Complete Edition over the Starter Edition, since the Starter Edition adds little you don't already have. If you plan to upgrade within days, carrying up to 300,000 gil into the full game is fine. Just don't earn past the cap while you wait.
From there, normal gil-making opens up:
- Hire retainers and run ventures. See our retainer ventures gil guide.
- List on the market board. The market board flipping guide covers the basics.
- Plan a budget for mounts, glamour and housing using how much gil you actually need.
- New players should start with our beginner gil guide.
The timing matters too. Evercold (Patch 8.0) launches in January 2027 and raises the level cap to 110. Mounts, minions, glamour and gil all carry into a new expansion, while current gear stays in your bags but becomes outdated. That's another reason the permanent buys above beat gear.
Switch 2 players: a trial account linked to a console account can't easily be unlinked. In an October 2026 r/ffxiv thread, players recommended a separate Nintendo account for a trial if you already have a paid FFXIV account. Check the Square Enix support center before linking.
Upgraded to the full game and planning your first big purchases? timesaver.gg runs FFXIV services alongside these guides.
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FAQ
What is the gil cap on the FFXIV Free Trial? 300,000 gil per character. Square Enix's Free Trial Terms (last updated April 27, 2026) state that trial characters "can possess a maximum of 300,000 gil". The cap goes away once your account is upgraded to any paid edition.
What happens to gil over the 300,000 cap? It isn't added to your wallet, so quest rewards and vendor sales you earn while capped are lost. Spend down before big quest chains so you don't throw gil away.
Can Free Trial players use the market board or retainers? No. Trial accounts cannot access the market board, trade with other players, use moogle mail or hire retainers. You can still buy from and sell to NPC vendors.
What is the best thing to buy on the FFXIV Free Trial? For a level 80 crafter or gatherer, extra Skysteel prototype tools at 80,000 gil each from Denys in Ishgard. For collectors, allied society mounts: 120,000 gil for the Ixali Direwolf and 200,000 gil for the Moogles' Cloud Mallow, both at Sworn rank. Both are permanent unlocks.
Do you keep your gil when you upgrade from the Free Trial? Yes. Upgrading converts the same service account, so your characters keep their gil, items and levels, and the cap lifts. You can carry up to 300,000 into the upgrade, but anything earned above the cap before then is lost.
What level does the FFXIV Free Trial go up to in 2026? Level 80. Since Patch 7.5 (April 28, 2026), the trial includes A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, Stormblood and Shadowbringers. Endwalker and Dawntrail need a purchase.
