Best Ways to Earn Gil in Final Fantasy XIV

There are many currencies that people can earn in Final Fantasy XIV, but Gil is by far the most important. It can simplify a player’s life in numerous ways and is necessary to achieve several goals. In a game of FFXIV’s size, there are naturally many ways of earning Gil. Yet, some routes are much more efficient than others. Read this guide to learn about the best methods of earning Gil in this MMORPG!

What Is Gil Good For?

Just like with real money, the true value of Gil compared to other currencies lies in its versatility. That means players can spend it on many different things. Here are just some examples of items and services Gil can buy:

• Equipment. Buying gear from vendors or other players is usually not the most cost-effective approach, but it can be of great help while leveling up. It can certainly make leveling secondary jobs go more smoothly by giving the character the equipment they need to thrive right away;
• Consumables. There are many such items in the MMORPG, from healing potions to much more esoteric buff sources. Stocking up on them is an important part of preparing for instance runs and other dangerous activities, and their utility can sometimes help buyers earn more than they spend;
• Materials. Disciples of the Hand constantly require materials to craft items, and in many cases it is simply more efficient to buy them in bulk;
• Collectibles. FFXIV has many cosmetic items for players to collect, with Mounts and Glamours being only the most obvious examples. However, many have challenging unlock requirements, and purchasing desirable items from other players can save a lot of time;
• Housing. Houses are the ultimate purchase that requires the most Gil. Furthermore, after buying the house, new homeowners will want to decorate it with items that can also be purchased using Gil;
• Gear Repairs. Equipment in FFXIV can degrade due to utilization or damage. Mender NPCs can repair it for a cost;
• Teleportation. The Aetheryte Network is essential for getting around the game world in a reasonable timeframe, but under most circumstances it requires Gil.

There are many other uses for Gil as well, but even those should be sufficient to prove its importance. With that in mind, how can players earn enough to keep up with these expenses?

Gil Earning Basics

Before moving on to specific in-game activities that allow players to make Gil, it is important to examine several basic considerations that influence most or all of them.

Saving Gil and Time

The saying “a penny saved is a penny earned” is just as valid in this game as in real life. Potential savings may often appear trivial, but they add up, providing great value in the long run. They can be especially important when starting out, since the best ways to make Gil can require an initial investment. Gil is not the only important resource to consider, though. All Gil-making activities require time, and using it economically will let players earn much more in the same amount of hours. By playing efficiently, people can save themselves both Gil and playtime. Here are some tips to help with that:

• Rather than pay Menders, repair gear yourself whenever practical. That would require mastering all relevant crafting professions, but that will be useful in the long run anyway;
• On that note, master as many non-combat jobs as possible. Many veteran players get all professions, so that is a viable goal. Supplying your own materials, consumables, and so on will not always be practical even then, but it would still cut down on expenses, particularly from your other jobs;
• Use the Aetheryte Network efficiently. Fast travel saves a lot of time, so neglecting is ill-advised, but it is rather pricy. Figure out optimal, cost-effective routes for your purposes, and do not be afraid to chain together multiple teleportations. Assign your home destination, (discounted) favored destinations, and the free destination available with Two-Factor Authentication based on where your character goes most often, like your Grand Company HQ;
• Do your questing, farming, and other outdoors activities in clusters. By researching in advance, it is possible to identify profitable clusters of pursuits that take place in the same location. Many otherwise inefficient activities, like FATEs, become useful sidelines when part of a cluster. That should also be factored into fast travel planning;
• Learn how to use macros for trading, travel, and crafting. They may take some figuring out, but they can save players a lot of time and energy over the long term.

Selling Items

Trading with other players through the Market Board is technically the most lucrative activity in FFXIV. From the Gil-making perspective, most other activities matter insofar as they give traders something to sell. However, some research and planning is needed to use this method properly. The demand for different items can vary from one World to another and fluctuates over time. Some types of goods are always pretty rewarding to sell, however:

• Various crafting materials (while not as profitable as they used to be due to bots, are still a reliable source of income);
• Distinctive and hard-to-get Glamour items, such as Relic Weapon replicas or boss weapons from older content;
• Mounts and Minions (pets), especially ones from tough sources like the Eden raid or tied to tedious grinds;
• Materia item enhancements. As a bonus, since Materia is generated by using enhanced equipment, acquiring it is easy to combine with other farming activities;
• Consumables for taking on challenging content;
• Items needed for popular quests, such as class quests;
• Current top-level gear. As of this writing, that would be items acquired through the Pandaemonium Savage Raid.

Currency Conversion

A major part of trading revolves around currency conversion. Many items can only be acquired from NPCs in exchange for currencies other than Gil. Players with those currencies have a clear advantage over others. Sometimes those currencies can be sold for Gil directly through the Market Board. At other times, traders can sell the items they buy with those items. Either way, this exchange is essential for profiting from various activities. Grand Company Seals, Tomestones from raids and other instances, Beast Tribe Tokens, and Scrips are just a few examples of currencies that can be exchanged that way.

Playing the Market

Making the most of market opportunities in FFXIV can be its own game, and it is definitely not for everyone. That said, we have some advanced tips for those who do want to play this game:

• Trade is conducted using a retainer. Recalling this retainer to check on the goods temporarily removes your offer from the market. Using the Wish List feature on the Market Board lets you check on your goods easily without recalling the retainer;
• Keep an eye on market prices in other Worlds on your Data Center. You can visit them and buy items at lower costs (selling items on other Worlds comes with an extra fee, so it is less profitable, but buying has no fee). Universalis is useful for checking baseline prices on any Worlds;
• Sell items individually or in smaller stacks. In most cases, people wish to buy one item, not several identical items. Materials and consumables may be a different story, but smaller stacks are still likelier to be purchased;
• Timing is important. There are more players during evenings, on weekends, and before the weekly reset (8 AM GMT each Tuesday). That means more buyers, but also more competition, requiring greater attention as you put up and update your offers. Major updates like Buried Memory also bring in a greater stir and produce more demand for items like consumables as players take on new content; 
• When competing with the same items, undercut other sellers’ prices by one Gil. It is generally safer, less frowned-upon, and easier than trying to figure out optimal prices that are much lower than those of your competitors;
• Pay attention to changing demand and price trends. Updates can affect what items are in demand by altering the meta and introducing new content, but Glamour fashion trends and other organic developments could likewise affect what sells and what does not.

Best Gil Earning Activities

Many FFXIV activities tie into the player-driven economy, but some are much more reliably lucrative than others. Main Story Quests and non-repeatable sidequests are an important source of early income, but they will inevitably run out, while looting random enemies is not very efficient. To earn Gil consistently, it is better to focus on a few particularly rewarding pursuits.

Gathering

Disciples of the Land (such as Botanist or Miner) provide materials for crafting. As such, they suffer from the decline in material prices, but they still turn in a dependable profit. They are perhaps more valuable as a means of saving money for people planning to use crafting. Harvesting resources in the open world may be combined with other farming activities. Gathering professions can obtain Scrips, which may be exchanged for professional equipment or converted to Gil. Updating gear is recommended, but leftover Scrips could be sold profitably. Levequests are repeatable and so provide another reliable source of income, as do weekly turn-ins.

Treasure Hunting

Timeworn Maps are another benefit from gathering, as only Disciples of the Land (whether Botanist, Miner, or Fisher) can obtain those items. They can drop once in 18 real hours. Each Map can be deciphered to reveal a treasure protected by some monsters. The exact contents of this treasure vary, but it always contains Gil and items that can be sold for Gil. There is always a chance to strike gold using this method, although it does require finding a party to deal with the monsters and some travel. Players who would rather not gamble or lack the free time to hunt for treasures can just sell undeciphered Maps on the market.

Crafting

Disciples of the Hand produce all kinds of desirable goods, from Blacksmith metal weapons to Carpenter housing decor items. They have their own versions of Scrips, Levequests, and weekly turn-ins that work just like the ones enjoyed by Disciples of the Land. Unlocking these jobs’ full potential is somewhat harder due to need to acquire Master Recipes on top of their somewhat complicated leveling processes. All of these professions can access several important market niches. That said, training as an Alchemist or Culinarian might be especially rewarding since there is a persistent demand for consumables.

Hunts

FFXIV’s Grand Companies includes an assortment of weekly and daily Hunts to members of Second Lieutenant rank or higher. These tasks might not be very individually rewarding, but they do not require much effort and can be combined with other profitable open world activities. Furthermore, there are many hunts at any time, so their rewards add up. Those prizes include Gil, Hunt currencies of different types, and Grand Company Seals. The currencies can be sold for Gil directly or exchanged for various exclusive items that might be sold at a higher rate.

Challenge Log

The weekly Challenge Log rewards players with Gil for all kinds of activities, from running old dungeons and completing specific types of quests to competing in PvP modes like Crystalline Conflict. It serves as an added incentive for many other pursuits mentioned in this guide, as well for exploring incidental opportunities like FATEs. Over the week, players can use it to earn tens of thousands of Gil, a nice supplemental income in addition to the prizes from the activities in question.

Duty Roulette

Individual instances are generally inefficient from a Gil perspective. Cutting-edge gear or older Glamour items and cosmetics might sell, but seldom at costs that would justify the effort. The Duty Roulette system creates an added incentive by giving Gil rewards and other prizes for taking part in random raids, dungeons, trials, or other such pursuits. Those incentives are increased for players who fill the “In Need” role (usually Tank). Combined with aforementioned exclusive items and duty-specific currencies, this bonus makes the activities worthwhile.

Clearing Deep Dungeons

While absent from the Duty Roulette, the roguelike Deep Dungeons are an exception to the rule of instances being unprofitable by themselves. While they do require a considerable time investment, they also offer significant rewards, including Gil and many highly-prized exclusive items. They are highly recommended for players seeking to level up their jobs quickly, allowing people to combine leveling and earning Gil. Since players can progress within the dungeons, they will find it easier to farm them after the first several runs.

Retainer Ventures

In addition to letting their adventurers trade, Retainers can be sent out on Ventures that play out in real time while players occupy themselves with other tasks. Those Ventures can focus on fishing, mining, botany, or hunting (for players who only have their combat job and no gathering professions). Either way, they deliver low-level items in bulk. Since they can do so within every hour or less, this is a stable passive income, albeit one that requires regularly sending them out again. It also costs Venture Coins, which may be purchased with Grand Company Seals along with other, less efficient methods.

Other Gil Earning Opportunities

There are a few other methods worth mentioning in passing:

• Beast Tribe Quests are somewhat clunky and time-consuming, but offer decent rewards including Gil, exclusive item access, and Venture Coins;
• There are numerous Gil-making opportunities in Eureka Anemos, including Minions, Eureka Weapons, and random FATE rewards. This content is a little tough to unlock, but that increases demand for its exclusive items;
• Blue Mage adventurers gain access to an exclusive event, the Masked Carnivale, which offers several currency rewards every week;
• The Doman Enclave Reconstruction questline unlocks the ability to donate junk items for (eventually) double their vendor price, providing a neat side income every week;
• After playing through the Heavensward main storyline, heroes gain access to Wondrous Tails, a system that provides random rewards for running certain instances. It is a gamble, but some of the prizes are definitely worthwhile.