What Nintendo Switch Online costs

Nintendo Switch Online has two paid tiers. The basic plan costs $20 per year or $4.99 per month. The Expansion Pack costs $50 per year or $9.99 per month. Both renew automatically unless you turn off auto-renewal in your account settings.

Nintendo also offers a free tier with no payment required, though it includes almost nothing — you can play online multiplayer in some games and access cloud saves, but that is it. Most people choose one of the paid plans.

Prices are the same whether you buy on the Nintendo eShop (the digital store on your Switch) or through Nintendo's website. You can switch between monthly and yearly billing at any time, and the change takes effect when your current subscription ends.

Key Takeaways

  • The basic Nintendo Switch Online plan costs $20 per year and includes online multiplayer and cloud saves for most games.
  • The Expansion Pack costs $50 per year and adds access to classic NES and SNES games, Game Boy games, and Nintendo 64 games.
  • Monthly billing ($4.99 or $9.99) costs more per month than yearly billing but lets you cancel anytime without losing money.
  • One family plan membership covers up to eight accounts on the same Switch console, so multiple people in your household can use it.
  • You can turn off auto-renewal in your account settings to prevent charges after your subscription ends.

Basic plan versus Expansion Pack

The basic plan ($20 per year) covers online multiplayer for games that support it — titles like Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 3, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It also includes cloud saves, which backs up your game progress to Nintendo's servers so you do not lose it if your Switch breaks or gets lost.

The Expansion Pack ($50 per year) includes everything in the basic plan plus access to three libraries of older games. You get NES and SNES games (around 100 titles), Game Boy games (around 40 titles), and Nintendo 64 games (around 50 titles). These are emulated versions — they run through software that mimics the original hardware — and you can play them online with other subscribers.

The Expansion Pack also includes DLC (downloadable content) for Mario Kart 8 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The Mario Kart DLC adds 48 new courses; the Animal Crossing DLC adds furniture, clothing, and decorations. If you plan to buy either of these separately, the Expansion Pack becomes the cheaper option.

Family plans and multiple accounts

Nintendo offers a family plan for both the basic tier and the Expansion Pack. A family plan covers up to eight accounts on the same console and costs $50 per year for the basic plan or $80 per year for the Expansion Pack.

This means if you have a Switch in your home and multiple people use it — children, a partner, roommates — you only pay once and everyone gets the membership. Each person keeps their own save files and progress. The family plan does not cover multiple consoles in different locations; if you have a Switch in your bedroom and another in the living room, you need separate memberships.

To set up a family plan, go to your Nintendo Account settings, select "Family Group," and add the other accounts. The person who starts the family group pays for the membership.

Monthly versus yearly billing

Monthly billing costs $4.99 per month for the basic plan or $9.99 per month for the Expansion Pack. Yearly billing costs $20 per year or $50 per year. The yearly option saves you money — monthly billing for a year costs $59.88 for basic or $119.88 for Expansion Pack, compared to $20 or $50 yearly.

Monthly billing makes sense if you want to try the service for a short time or if you are not sure you will keep your Switch. You can cancel anytime without losing money. Yearly billing is better if you know you will use it all year and want to save roughly 65 percent.

Where to buy and how to manage your subscription

You can buy Nintendo Switch Online on the eShop (the digital store built into your Switch) or on Nintendo's website. On the Switch, go to the eShop, select your profile icon, and choose "Manage Subscription." On the website, sign in to your Nintendo Account, go to "Account Settings," and select "Subscriptions."

Both places let you see when your subscription renews, change your billing method, switch between monthly and yearly, or cancel. If you cancel, your membership stays active until the renewal date, so you do not lose access when ready.

If you buy a Nintendo Switch gift card, you can use it to pay for Switch Online instead of a credit card. This is useful if you want to avoid automatic charges or if you prefer not to link a card to your account.

What happens if you do not have Switch Online

Without a paid subscription, you can still play single-player games, access the eShop, and read free-to-play games like Fortnite and Pokémon Unite. You cannot play online multiplayer in most games, and you cannot use cloud saves.

Some games have limited online features without a subscription. For example, you can play the single-player campaign in Splatoon 3, but you cannot join online matches. In Mario Kart 8, you can race against the computer but not against other players online.

If your subscription expires, you lose access to the classic game libraries (NES, SNES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64) when ready. Your cloud saves stay on Nintendo's servers for six months, so if you resubscribe within that time, your progress is still there.

Comparing Switch Online to PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass

Nintendo Switch Online is cheaper than competing services. PlayStation Plus Essential costs $60 per year (or $9.99 per month), and Xbox Game Pass for console costs $70 per year (or $11.99 per month). However, those services include a library of newer games you can read and play, while Switch Online's game library is limited to older titles.

If you want to play new games without buying them individually, Xbox Game Pass offers better value — it includes hundreds of games. If you mainly want online multiplayer and cloud saves, Switch Online is the most affordable option. If you want classic games, Switch Online's Expansion Pack is the only way to play those titles on a Switch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share a Switch Online subscription with someone on a different console?

No. A family plan covers up to eight accounts on the same console only. If you have two Switch consoles in different rooms or houses, each one needs its own subscription. You can use the same Nintendo Account on both consoles, but only one console at a time can use the subscription.

Do I lose my save files if my subscription expires?

No. Your save files stay on your Switch console. Cloud saves (the backup copies stored on Nintendo's servers) are deleted after six months of no subscription, but the saves on your console itself never disappear. If you resubscribe within six months, your cloud saves come back.

What games require Switch Online to play online?

Most multiplayer games require it — Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 3, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Pokémon Sword and Shield all need a subscription for online play. Free-to-play games like Fortnite and Pokémon Unite do not require it. Check the game's description on the eShop to see if online play needs a subscription.

Can I get a refund if I change my mind?

Nintendo does not refund subscriptions, but you can cancel anytime and your membership stays active until the renewal date. If you bought yearly billing and want to stop, cancel before the renewal date and you will not be charged again.

Is the Expansion Pack worth it if I only want online multiplayer?

Probably not, unless you plan to buy the Mario Kart or Animal Crossing DLC. The basic plan covers all online multiplayer. The Expansion Pack is worth it only if you want to play the classic games or if the DLC cost would exceed the $30 difference between the two plans.