OSRS Money Making Guide: Best Ways to Make GP at Every Level
Gold pieces (GP) pay for every upgrade in Old School RuneScape, from training supplies to boss gear. Exact profits move with the Grand Exchange, but the methods below have stayed reliable for years. Check current prices on the Grand Exchange or the OSRS Wiki before committing to one.
Last updated: Farming guide · Oct 18, 2026 · 2 min read
Free-to-play money makers
On a free account, simple gathering pays surprisingly well while you train:
- Collecting cowhides at Lumbridge and tanning or selling them.
- Mining iron or coal and selling the ore, or smelting it into bars for higher value.
- Killing Hill Giants or Moss Giants for big bones, limpwurt roots and runes.
- Picking flax or wines of Zamorak (with a low magic level and Telekinetic Grab).
Low-effort routines for members
Two routines give the best profit for the time they take and fit around anything else you do. Herb runs: plant ranarr, snapdragon or toadflax seeds in every herb patch you have unlocked, return when they've grown, and sell the herbs or turn them into potions. Birdhouse runs on Fossil Island: a few minutes every hour or so for bird nests and Hunter experience.
Together with farming contracts and daily activities such as buying runes or battlestaves from shops, these runs fund most of a new member's spending without dedicated grinding.
Skilling money makers
Skilling is slower than combat but calm and low-risk:
- Fishing sharks, monkfish or anglerfish (higher levels) and cooking them for sale.
- Runecrafting nature, blood or soul runes — consistently profitable at higher levels.
- Wintertodt and Tempoross: minigames that train skills and drop supply crates worth selling.
- Woodcutting magic or yew logs, or redwoods at high level, for a relaxed income.
Combat and bossing
Combat is where the big money is. Barrows is a classic mid-level method: its armour sets and runes add up over many chests. Slayer gives steady drops on the way to high-value monsters such as Abyssal demons, Kraken or Gargoyles. Once you have strong gear, bosses like Vorkath, Zulrah and the Gauntlet are among the best GP per hour in the game, but they need practice and a good gear setup first.
Always bring a little more food than you think you need and protect your valuable items with the right prayers: a death in the wrong place can cost more than an hour of profit.
Flipping on the Grand Exchange
Flipping means buying items below their current price and selling them a little higher. It needs starting capital and patience, and buy limits apply, but it can run in the background while you play. Stick to items with high trade volume and avoid items that are being manipulated.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best money maker for a new OSRS member?
Herb runs and birdhouse runs. They take a few minutes, need low levels and keep paying while you train other skills.
How do I make money in free-to-play OSRS?
Collect cowhides, mine and smelt ore, or kill Hill and Moss Giants for bones and drops. Flax picking and wine grabbing also work at low levels.
Is buying OSRS gold safe?
Jagex forbids real-world trading, so buying gold carries a ban risk. If you buy, use escrow, never share your login and receive the gold through a normal trade.