I’ve played Final Fantasy XIV long enough to know the free trial gives you a huge taste of the game, but it also puts strict limits in place. Here I’ll explain what the trial actually lets you do, why the limits exist, and how you can make the most of it (in my experience, small choices early save headaches later).
Surprisingly generous, yes. Frustrating at times, also true. Want the short version? You get A Realm Reborn and Heavensward up to level 60, plenty of dungeons and story, but you lose access to markets, retainers, housing, and later expansions. Why those limits? To stop abuse and protect the game’s economy—and because Square Enix wants real subscribers.
🎮 What the trial includes
The free trial covers the base game and Heavensward content up to Level 60 (Heavensward originally launched June 23, 2015). You can play most main story quests, run dungeons at level, and try many jobs and classes included in those expansions. No time limit. You can play indefinitely until you hit the caps.
📊 Hard caps and content limits
Level cap for trial players: 60. That’s the real boundary—after that, you’ll need to buy expansions and subscribe to continue. This applies across combat jobs, crafting, and gathering. Some later patches added content for level 60 that trial accounts can’t access; there are exceptions (depends on the patch).
| Available | Restricted |
|---|---|
| A Realm Reborn MSQ | Stormblood and beyond |
| Heavensward MSQ | Level 61+ dungeons |
| ARR/HW dungeons & Alexander | New jobs (e.g., Red Mage, Samurai) |
Want specifics? Ask me which jobs you can try right now.
💰 Money and economy
There’s a 300,000 gil cap. Earn more and the excess disappears. Honestly, that feels stingy when you find valuable loot. Market Board is closed to you. Trading and attached mail are disabled. Those rules stop gold-farming, but they also make some decisions annoying.
- Gil cap: 300,000
- Market Board: no access
- Player trading: disabled
Controversial take: I think the gil cap punishes curious players more than it stops bots. Others will disagree—but watch this: the cap forces players to learn NPC buying and crafting basics, which isn’t all bad.
👥 Social features
You can receive private messages, but you can’t send them to others. You can be invited to a Free Company or linkshell, but you can’t create them. You also can’t add friends (you can accept invites), and party-creation tools are limited. These rules reduce scams, but they also make finding groups harder. Frustrating? Yes. Necessary? Maybe.
Rhetorical question: how do you meet people if you can’t reach out? Use public chat and respond when someone whispers you. Use /say, /party, or join community recruitment hubs.
“Join a friendly FC that welcomes trial players. You’ll learn quicker and feel less isolated.” — practical advice from my own runs.
🏠 Housing, retainers, storage
Housing is off-limits: no buying, no owning, no full access to estates. Retainers are disabled, so you only have your character’s inventory and armory chest. That means frequent management and tough choices about what to keep.
| Storage | Trial | Subscriber |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory | Yes | Yes |
| Armory chest | Yes | Yes |
| Retainer storage | No | Yes |
| FC chest | No | Yes |
Storage tip: sell junk to NPCs, keep only the gear you use, and clear crafting mats after a session. (This won’t always work if you hoard.)
⚔️ Endgame and special content
No Ultimate raids for trial players. Some Savage and late-expansion raids are blocked. Palace of the Dead is available, but Heaven-on-High and similar deep dungeons from later expansions aren’t. Island Sanctuary and recent lifestyle systems are off-limits too.
Counterintuitive insight: being barred from high-end raids can actually let you learn fundamentals without pressure. You practice rotations, get comfortable with encounter mechanics, and then—when you subscribe—you’re more prepared to join serious groups.
Workarounds and quick tips
- Use public areas and /say to ask for help.
- Join an FC that recruits trial players.
- Plan inventory and crafting carefully because you can’t use retainers.
- Play story quests to their end—if the story hooks you, that’s the best sign to subscribe.
Code tip (chat macro):
/p Hi, I'm a trial player looking for a casual group. Thanks!Here’s the funny part: some players prefer the slow, capped experience at first. It forces a focus on story and learning. But others hate the restrictions and vow never to return. Both reactions are valid.
Final note (yes, final—sorry): if you hit the trial’s walls and want more, that’s a good sign. It means the game grabbed you. If you stay, your account upgrades permanently when you buy the expansion and subscribe, so be sure before you invest.
— Elena 😊
