Welcome back to yet another guide to help you navigate the intricacies of making OSRS gold, specifically for free-to-play (F2P) players. This time, we’re delving deep into money-making methods in combat and other moneymaking techniques, with a few tips on how to manage your goals more effectively. Whether you’re just starting your RuneScape journey or you’re a seasoned player looking to optimize your gameplay, this guide will be helpful.

F2P Money-Making: Combat vs Non-Combat Methods

I recently went over my analytics to figure out what my audience is searching for, and to my surprise, one of the top results was F2P combat-based money-making methods. It’s a popular topic, but here’s the thing: if you’re trying to make money while training combat in F2P, you’re wasting your time.

It may seem counterintuitive, but hear me out. Combat training and money-making are two different objectives, and combining them—especially in F2P—is not an efficient strategy. Most players will end up wasting both time and potential profit trying to mix the two.

The Reality of F2P Combat Money-Making

Let’s break it down: in F2P, combat is usually not the optimal path for making money. Combat in F2P, while essential for building experience, tends to offer low-value drops, requiring significant grind for little payout. This is especially true when compared to non-combat skilling methods, or even passive income strategies like flipping items at the Grand Exchange.

A PSA: Don’t Try to Mix Combat and Money-Making

Here’s the gist: focus on training combat when you want experience, and focus on making money when you need gold. The top-tier combat-based money-making methods in F2P tend to be inefficient and can sometimes even lose you money due to costs like food, equipment, and long travel times.

Case Study: Cow Killing and the Inefficiency of Low-Level Combat Methods

One of the most infamous examples of inefficient combat money-making is cow killing. While cows drop hides, which can be sold for a small profit, killing them for cash in large quantities—especially across multiple accounts—ends up being highly inefficient. You end up spending far more time banking and managing your loot than you do training combat. This means you’re losing valuable XP while gaining only a modest amount of gold. Even worse, it becomes monotonous quickly, reducing the fun factor of the game.

Top Money-Making Methods for F2P (Without Combat)

Here’s the list of non-combat methods that can make you decent money in F2P:

1. Flipping (Grand Exchange)

• Requirements: Basic knowledge of market prices.
• Profit per Hour: Varies but can easily go up to 200-300k GP/hr if done correctly.
• Flipping is the best money-making method across the board for F2P. Buy low, sell high. Learn about market trends, margins, and how to optimize your flips. The key here is that flipping requires little active gameplay, allowing you to combine it with other activities.

2. Mining Iron or Rune Essence

• Requirements: Mining level 1 for Rune Essence, level 15 for Iron.
• Profit per Hour: 30k to 100k GP/hr.
• Mining is a staple of OSRS money-making for F2P. Iron mining in particular can bring in steady profits while simultaneously training your mining level. For beginners, Rune Essence mining is accessible right from the start.

3. Smithing Steel Bars

• Requirements: 30 Smithing.
• Profit per Hour: 100-150k GP/hr.
• Smelting steel bars is a straightforward method. Buy iron ore and coal, smelt them into steel bars, and sell for a profit. This method allows you to earn money while gaining valuable Smithing XP.

4. Fishing Lobsters

• Requirements: 40 Fishing.
• Profit per Hour: 20-100k GP/hr, depending on competition and market prices.
• Fishing lobsters in Karamja is another go-to method for F2P players looking to earn some cash. The downside is the time spent traveling back and forth to the bank, which limits overall efficiency.

5. Crafting Gold Jewelry

• Requirements: 40 Crafting.
• Profit per Hour: 50-120k GP/hr.
• If you’ve managed to get your hands on gold bars and molds, crafting gold jewelry can be profitable. It’s slower than some other methods, but you gain crafting XP alongside your gold.

6. Collecting Feathers

• Requirements: None.
• Profit per Hour: 20-50k GP/hr.
• Feathers, used for fishing and fletching, can be bought in bulk from stores and sold on the Grand Exchange for a profit. This is a low-effort, low-reward method that works well for beginners.

Why Combat-Based Money-Making Falls Short

The common belief is that killing monsters is the best way to earn money in F2P, but that’s far from true. Let’s take a look at some of the “better” combat methods and why they aren’t as good as they seem.

1. Killing Moss Giants (Mossy Keys)

• Requirements: 50+ Combat.
• Profit per Hour: Up to 180k GP/hr (with Mossy Keys).
• This method involves farming Moss Giants for Mossy Keys, which are used to fight the Briar Fight in F2P. While it can be profitable, the drop rate of Mossy Keys is abysmally low, and you need to spend time traveling and risking PvP attacks in the Wilderness.

2. Killing Hill Giants

• Requirements: 30+ Combat.
• Profit per Hour: 50-70k GP/hr.
• Hill Giants drop Big Bones, which can be sold for a small profit. However, banking Big Bones and traveling back to your training spot will drastically reduce both your XP rate and your overall profit.

3. Killing Lesser Demons

• Requirements: 60+ Combat.
• Profit per Hour: 30-60k GP/hr.
• Lesser Demons are one of the more iconic free-to-play enemies, but they offer little in terms of worthwhile drops. You’re better off training elsewhere and making money through other methods.

4. Killing Ogress Warriors

• Requirements: 60+ Combat and completion of Dragon Slayer.
• Profit per Hour: 120-150k GP/hr.
• Ogress Warriors offer somewhat decent profits, but the high requirements make them inaccessible for most beginner players. Moreover, they don’t hold up well against other money-making methods that don’t require combat.

The Conclusion: Focus Your Efforts Efficiently

After reviewing these methods, it’s clear: that combat is not the way to make money in F2P OSRS. Your time is better spent training combat solely for the experience or focusing on non-combat methods to make money. Ideally, if you want to make serious money, you should become a member and access far more lucrative options.

Until then, use your time in F2P to build up your skills, especially Mining, Smithing, or Crafting, and learn how to flip items at the Grand Exchange. With these skills, you’ll be far more prepared to dive into members’ content when you finally make the switch.

To better play Old School RuneScape, RSorder provides all Old School RuneScape players with more guidance and cheap RuneScape gold services. I wish you a happy game.