#17.9Free-to-play check · 2026
Is Star Wars: The Old Republic free to play?
Partly freeFree tier / trial
Partly — and it's one of the most generous "partly" answers in the genre. Star Wars: The Old Republic lets you play all eight fully-voiced class stories for free, from level one to the cap. The free tier has real restrictions, but the storytelling that made SWTOR famous costs nothing.
Think of SWTOR less as a free-to-play MMO and more as eight free BioWare RPGs that happen to share a galaxy. Every class — Jedi Knight, Sith Warrior, Bounty Hunter and the rest — has its own fully-voiced campaign with light-side and dark-side choices, and you can play all of them from level one without paying a cent. For a lot of people that's the whole reason to be here, and it's completely free.
What the free tier does is pile on quality-of-life restrictions rather than lock you out of content: tighter credit and inventory limits, fewer crew skills, and gated access to the big group content. Spend even a little and you jump to "Preferred" status, which loosens most of it; subscribe and the restrictions essentially vanish. Here's exactly how the tiers compare, and whether it's worth paying.
What's free in Star Wars: The Old Republic?
What you get without paying — and what costs extra.
Free
- All eight fully-voiced class stories, to max level
- The base-game planets and expansions' main stories
- Light-side / dark-side choices throughout
Costs money
- A subscription (~$14.99/mo) to lift the restrictions
- Cartel Market cosmetics and one-off unlocks
- Full access to operations (raids) and conveniences
What you actually get for free
This is the part that surprises people. The free account isn't a stingy trial — it's the entire main story of the game. All eight class campaigns, the base planets, and the core of the big expansions are playable to the level cap without paying. If you're here for a single-player-style Star Wars RPG with co-op options, you can have dozens of hours of it for nothing.
What the free tier restricts
The limits are about convenience and endgame, not story. Here's roughly how the three tiers compare (Broadsword has loosened these over the years, so treat it as the shape rather than exact figures):
| Free | Preferred | Subscriber | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class stories | Full | Full | Full |
| Credit cap | Capped | Higher | Unlimited |
| Inventory & cargo | Limited | More | Full |
| Operations (raids) | Locked | Limited | Full |
| XP rate | Standard | Standard | Boosted |
| Newest expansion | Delayed | Delayed | Day one |
Free vs Preferred vs Subscriber
The jump most people miss is "Preferred." You don't have to subscribe to escape the strictest limits — spending any money at all, even a small one-time Cartel Coins purchase, upgrades your account to Preferred status permanently, which raises the caps and unlocks a lot of the friction points. Subscribing on top of that is the smooth, no-restrictions way to play and includes the newest expansion at launch.
Is it worth subscribing?
If SWTOR clicks and you want to raid, chase the latest expansion day-one, or just play without bumping into credit and inventory caps, yes — the subscription is the intended way to experience it and it's reasonably priced. If you mainly want to play through the class stories once, the free (or Preferred) tier genuinely covers that. And if you'd rather not deal with tiers at all, a couple of fully-free MMORPGs tell their stories without the asterisks.
Free story-driven games like SWTOR
SWTOR's pull is story and choice. If you want more of that without a subscription tier to manage, these free MMORPGs lead with narrative and group play — all free to start.
Free alternatives to Star Wars: The Old Republic
Genuinely free to play — start any of these right now, no subscription.
| Game | Best for | Platforms | Browser | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Wars: The Old Republic | Story, Sci-Fi | PC | — | 7.9 |
| Neverwinter | Action, Dungeons | PC, PlayStation, Xbox | — | 7.7 |
| Guild Wars 2 | No subscription, WvW | PC | — | 8.8 |
#17.9
#27.7
#38.8How we check this
We base this on Star Wars: The Old Republic's official pricing model (as of 2026), separating what's permanently free from trials and paid expansions. We only recommend alternatives that genuinely start free — with no paid placements.
Last checked: October 2026
FAQ
Can you play all SWTOR class stories for free?
Yes. All eight fully-voiced class stories are playable free to the level cap, along with the base planets and the main story of the expansions. The free tier restricts convenience and endgame, not the campaigns.
What's the difference between Free, Preferred and Subscriber in SWTOR?
Free has the tightest credit, inventory and endgame limits. Spending any money once upgrades you to Preferred permanently, which raises most caps. Subscribing removes the restrictions and includes the newest expansion at launch.
Is SWTOR on Xbox or PlayStation?
No. Star Wars: The Old Republic is PC-only (Windows); there's no console version. You can play the free tier on any capable PC.
Is SWTOR pay-to-win?
No. It's PvE-focused, and the Cartel Market sells cosmetics, convenience and unlocks rather than power. A subscription improves quality of life, not your character's strength relative to others.
What are the best free alternatives to Star Wars: The Old Republic?
Great free-to-play alternatives include Star Wars: The Old Republic, Neverwinter, Guild Wars 2 — all free to start with no subscription required.