One of the most popular posts on this blog is a big one I did about 4TheWord’s pricing all the way back in 2018 with tips on how to get discounted subscription time. What’s wild is that post has never really gone out of date because, in the nearly 10 years 4TheWords has been running, they have never changed their prices in all that time.

But nothing lasts forever and, on July 1st, they announced a complete overhaul of their pricing model, splitting subscriptions into three plans…

Free: $0/month
Member: $8/month paid yearly or $10/month paid monthly
Pro: $12/month paid yearly or $14/month paid monthly
And a limited time Lifetime offer where for a one time payment of $599, you never have to think about your subscription again

They’re also changing from the old system– where you would purchase crystals and exchange those for subscription time (which was always a big convoluted) to just having users pay for subscription time directly and shifting crystals to be only for in-game extras like maps and wardrobe items.

Here’s 4TheWord’s own graphic breaking down what you get with each plan:

They also published an extensive FAQ with more information about the plans and why they are making these changes here and here if you want to get it straight from the source that I’ll include at the end of this post.

New 4TheWords Pricing Structure explained

The short version is that the plan that has the most in common with the unlimited experience you’re currently getting for $4 a month is the Pro plan which is nearly $10 more a month if you’re paying month to month. For a more limited experience, you can get the Basic plan but it remains to be seen what kind of limitations it will have in terms of special events. And while Lifetime is a big financial commitment upfront, it would pay for itself in about four years so it may mean savings in the long run if you plan on sticking with the site.

It’s also important to note that both the new Basic and Pro mark significant upgrades in terms of battle queue, questbook, wardrobe and map slots and even crystals and other extras size over what we have now so we’re not really looking at a one to one exchange.

Is it a steep increase? Yes, and I fully understand people getting sticker shock. But, if I may editorialize, it game has become an essential part of my writing routine and I rely on it to motivate me to write so it’s well worth it. On top of that, yes, it’s a steep increase over what they were charging before but considering it’s their first price increase in 10 years and these prices are in line with what other writing services are charging, I see it more as them playing catch up from the years they were charging too little than getting greedy. The site (and membership base!) have grown a ton in that decade and it makes sense that it requires more funds to keep it running.

Free plan? Free plan! Wooo!

But in the uproar about the new prices, I think a lot of people are missing the really exciting part about these new prices: There’s a free plan now! Previously, if you didn’t have a current paid membership, you were completely locked out of your projects and unable to participate in the gameplay elements of the site at all (completing quests, battling monsters, keeping a streak or moving forward in the main quest). But now, even without paying a dime, you can still use these functions of the site! And, sure, it’s limited but it’s also FREE.

People who would benefit from the new free plan…

People who want to kick the tires and really test out the gameplay long term but aren’t ready to commit to paying right away. The Free plan is like an extension of 4TheWords’ already generous free trial… but this time it never expires!
Binge writers. I have a lot of writing friends that only really write during the big writing events and take the other months off. Previously, you would have had to still pay for the entire year, even if you were only using it for select months. But the free plan lets you downgrade to free during your lower word count months, and only upgrade again when there’s a special event or you’re otherwise having a big writing month.
Casual writers rejoice! Let’s face it, not everyone is built for keeping a daily streak. Not everyone needs to do 1000 battles a day. The free plan is ideal for casual writers who are just looking to write a bit more but aren’t worried about being 100% completionist about every element of the game.

On that last note, my youngest enjoys fighting monsters on 4TheWords occasionally but she’s too little to really use most of the features or use it often enough to justify paying for an account for her. But the free account is absolutely perfect for her. She can log in when she feels like it, fight a couple of monsters here and there, forget about it for weeks and I’m not paying for something she’s not using. Love it!

Limited Free Plan > No Free Plan at all

I have seen a lot of people saying, especially in the 4TheWords forums, that the new free plan is bad because it gives less than what you get with the current paid plan but that is absolute nonsense. You can’t directly compare because there currently IS no Free plan whatsoever, unless you mean the thing where you’re entirely locked out as soon as your time runs out. Being able to still play the game and write onsite without having to pay– even in a limited capacity– when previously you were entirely locked out is unquestionably an improvement. Obviously the Free plan is not going to compare to a paid plan! Having the Free plan provide the same value as a paid plan would make no sense from a business standpoint!

Anyway, I have seen this argument multiple times since the pricing news dropped that somehow the Free plan not offering as much as the paid plan is bad and I just want to go on record as saying: that is absolute moon logic. The Free plan is a huge boon to users, especially casual writers, and will ultimately make the site cost LESS in the long term for them.

Now keep in mind: 4TheWords has always maintained a community pool, where anyone who cannot afford a subscription can opt in and receive subscription time gifted by the devs or other members and they have made it clear that is not going away, though the program may still be retooled. Considering this is a feature most paid writing programs don’t offer at all, I’ve always loved the generosity of the team that they offer this and plan to continue it into the future!

And beyond everything else, yes the new plans are more than the old prices but we’re also getting significantly MORE than we were getting at the old price, including upgraded Wardrobe and Map slots, a allotment of crystals and stempos every month and other extras. 4TheWords used to do a big bundle sale at the end of every year where the rewards were similar for a cost that was markedly higher than normal subscription time, so this is actually a better deal than some of those bundles were.

Does this mean they will be doing away with bundles entirely? Will Lifetime and Pro users suddenly find themselves microtransactioned to death with additional extras not covered by the standard plans? Is 4TheWords only offering this deal because they are planning on going bankrupt tomorrow??? These are the kinds of questions people are asking and, frankly, we don’t know the answers. I do think it’s reasonable to assume the site will continue to be around for a long while yet but I also understand if people are reluctant to sink the cash into a Lifetime membership just in case they aren’t because many things in this world are uncertain. The timing of this does speak to the company being somewhat desperate for funds, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have enough to keep the lights on for years yet, especially since more cash will be coming in from now on.

I will say, as someone who has used the site for half a dozen years now, the staff is very small and great people and as much as we say never trust a corporation around here, they have never done anything that would make me distrust their motives or think that they would do anything deliberately malicious, and I know them more closely than most users because I help out with site moderation. And, at the end of the day, no one likes to pay more but the people behind the site have families to feed and expenses of their own and I don’t begrudge them the need to earn more profit from their product after an entire decade, particularly if it means it gives them extra funds to improve and grow the site over time. Especially since we’re getting a boat load of extras and a shiny new free plan along with it!

How do I Lock in the old Prices before the increase?

If you’re on the fence about what plan to get or whether to go for the lifetime, a big thing I want to highlight is that 4TheWords has said that, starting August 1st, 2024, any existing subscription time you already have in your account will be automatically converted to Pro, the highest subscription time. So not only is this a great reason to make sure you cash in all your existing crystals for subscription time, it’s not a bad idea to quickly purchase some more to lock in the old prices.

Just to throw a little math at you, under the new plan, a year of pro would cost you $144 dollars. At the moment I write this, there is a crystal bundle in the store that costs $150 for 2250 crystals. At the current rate of exchange, that’s 51 months and change. So that’s just about four and a quarter years.

Let me say that again. Right now, you can lock in 4+ years for the price of a single year at Pro.

Why wouldn’t you want to take that deal? Come August, you’d be paying the same amount anyway but then it will only get you one year instead of over 4.

I’ll do you one better. There’s another crystal pack for $200 that gives you 3350 or 76 months. Only $56 more than a single year at the new plan and it gives you Pro for over SIX YEARS. That’s 1/3 of the cost of the lifetime plan and six years is a long time!

Or just want to dip your toe in? Enough crystals to cover the entire next year at pro will run you just $40 right now.

The only catch to all these great deals is you have to exchange the crystals for subscription time before August 1st when the new subscription model takes over.

So you do you but if you’re already member or thinking about getting the pro plan, it’s absolutely worth it to not only make sure you cash all your crystals in now but also consider purchasing more to lock in the old prices for multiple years for what a single year is about to cost you.

Is 4TheWords worth it?

Should I add a review portion to this? Yeah, sure, I guess why not? We’re already here.

4TheWords has come a very long way. I used it went it was brand new and it was an absolute hot mess of a beta site that I couldn’t believe they were charging for when it barely worked. I came back years later and have been with them through two site redesigns now and more changes than I can count and my own person assessment is, for me, yes, it’s absolutely worth it.

I started using it in earnest right after my youngest was born because I was really struggling to keep my writing career afloat in the face of raising a newborn and toddler at the same time and needed something to help me focus. It worked tremendously well for me and I have been using it daily for just over 6 years now. It’s become an essential part of how I motivate myself and, silly as it sounds, something like knowing if I write just a little bit more gets me a new hat for my avatar or unlocks more story really does keep going.

My oldest started using it as well just over a year and a half ago and went from just writing the occasional story to an absolutely astonishing writing output and her teachers have raved about how her writing skills are above and beyond her peers. And while there are a lot of factors that go into that, quantity and just the volume of storytelling practice is a huge factor.

Does it work for everyone? No. I have had friends who tried it and couldn’t get into it. I have had friends who tried it once, realized it was completely gamechanging, wrote a ton… and then quit cold turkey one day and never used it again. And, obviously, I have a lot of friends for which it’s become an indispensable part of their writing routine and they’d be willing to pay a lot more just to make sure the site kept running.

I will say, even if you’re not sure if you’ll like it, now is honestly the best time to try it out. The free trial will give you plenty of time to experience what the paid plans will be like and the Free plan will be available by the time your trial runs out. And if you do want to lock in the old prices as outlined above, you’ve got some time to do that before the changes go into effect.

If you do sign up, even if just to take advantage of the free account, use my referral code (AOZSY71632) and you’ll get some extra crystals. DM me once you’re on the site to let me know you came from this blog post and I’ll even send you a welcome bag of some extra game items including coins and battle gear to help get you started. Unfortunately, I can only do this if I referred you so you make sure you input it either during sign up or under My Account > Settings if you want to take advantage of this offer.

Because most of the 4TheWords news posts are under a login, I’m going to throw the text for those posts below so everyone can read them.

From the News post

Subscription Changes Coming August 1st

July 1st, 2024

Dust Warriors,

On August 1st we’re updating our pricing and subscription cost. This news post will go over why we’re making the change, what exactly the changes are, and how they affect you.

We’ve never updated our pricing before, so we want to communicate ahead of time and be as transparent as we can.

In summary:

Our subscription cost is going up, but you can lock-in current prices by buying subscription time before August 1st.
On August 1st we’re transitioning to three tiers of subscription plans: the normal “Member” plan everyone is used to, a “Pro” plan which includes extra features, and a new “Free” plan with limited capabilities.
Every Dust Warrior not on their free trial, who has active subscription time on August 1st, will be placed on the Pro plan for however long the subscription time will run for (no need to pay for a plan or enter any payment info). You’ll continue as is with an improved Pro plan. As an example, if you have subscription time until November 25th, 2025, you’ll have that exact same time on our top tier plan until November 25th, 2025.
After August 1st, Crystals will be used only for in-app purchases like Stempos, Potions, and Wardrobe items, and the like. We’re having this one month grace period so you can buy as much subscription time as you’d like with Crystals and lock-in the lower pricing we have now.

Why we’re making these changes

In the almost 10 years we’ve been building 4thewords, this is the first time we’ve ever changed our pricing. During those 10 years, most of the services we pay to keep 4thewords running have risen in price, many services more than once, and this is the best way we’ve come up with to keep 4thewords running and growing.

With costs rising and our subscription cost staying between $2-$4/month for the last decade, it’s become very hard for us to stay afloat. Unless we make this change, we won’t be able to keep up with the rising costs and demands that keeping 4thewords going involves — and that doesn’t even include also trying to grow in our personal lives.

Since 4thewords started, some of us have become parents, graduated from college, gotten married, moved out into our own apartments, and personal costs are growing while our salaries haven’t. We understand this subscription change will be hard to make, but so we can continue creating and doing what we love, it’s a change that needs to happen.

In addition, we’ve learned a lot over the years and have realized that the same plan doesn’t work for everyone. With the changes we’re making, we’re bringing the benefits of our annual bundles year-round to those in the Pro plan, and at the same time we’re offering a completely Free plan for those who don’t want to spend the extra money, or who use 4thewords occasionally, while keeping the middle-tier Member plan as what you’re used to.

When we began almost 10 years ago $2-$4 a month was possible for us. Times have changed and we aim to grow with the times while still providing the best service we can. For example, the improvements we’re looking to make after switching to this new system are increasing our server size, hiring more programmers, and working on integrations with Google Docs and other writing tools.

What are the changes

On August 1st we’ll have three new subscription plans to choose from:

Free: $0/month
Member: $8/month paid yearly or $10/month paid monthly
Pro: $12/month paid yearly or $14/month paid monthly

If you have subscription time past August 1st, we’ll place you on the Pro Plan for however long that subscription time lasts. You don’t need to pay extra for the Pro plan, or enter any payment information. You’ll be on the Pro plan for however much subscription time you had on August 1st. Once your subscription runs out, you’ll be able to pick whichever plan you’d like to stay on going forward or move down to Free.

After August 1st, if you run out of subscription time and don’t want to stay on the Free plan, you’ll need to pay for your chosen subscription plan using Paypal or a Credit Card, not Crystals. We’re having a one month grace period so you can buy as much subscription time as you’d like with Crystals and lock-in the lower pricing we have now. After August 1st, Crystals will continue to be used for in-app purchases like Stempos, Potions, Wardrobe items, and the like.

We’ll also be updating our Crystal Packs since they will no longer need to be so closely linked with monthly subscription pricing.

How these changes affect you

Since Crystals will no longer be used for Subscription time after August 1st, this is the opportunity to buy any discounted subscription time you want before then.

If you have subscription time, you’ll automatically be placed in the Pro Plan without having to pay extra or enter any payment information. When your subscription time runs out, or if you don’t have any subscription time on August 1st, you’ll be moved to the Free plan.

We won’t have a “Read Mode” that locks your account when you run out of subscription time anymore. You can stay on the Free plan as long as you like, and will even be able to fight monsters and complete quests.

We’ll be sending out emails and putting up a countdown on the site as we get closer to August to make sure everyone is aware of the coming changes.

We’ve also added a “Subscription FAQ” page (and copied the full text below as well) where you can find more details about the subscriptions plans.

We continue to invest every dollar of revenue back into making this service the best it can be and our goal is to be here for many more years of writing adventures together.

Thank you for being on this journey with us, and best of writing!

—

Subscription Plans FAQ

On August 1st we’ll be updating our subscription plans. Please read our latest news for more general information about the changes. This page goes over questions you might have about the plans.

Will I be charged automatically for anything on August 1st?
- No.
What happens if I run out of subscription time after August 1st?
- You’ll be moved to a Free plan and you decide if and when you want to upgrade to a paid plan.
How will I be able to pay?
- Via PayPal or Credit/Debit Card.
If I pick a paid plan do I have to manually pay each time?
- No, your plan renews automatically and you can cancel at any time.

Can I use Crystals to buy subscription time after August 1st?
- No. You have until August 1st to buy Subscription Time with Crystals. After that, you can continue to use Crystals for Stempos, Potions, Wardrobe items, and other in-app purchases like those.
Will Referrals, Streak Rewards, & other parts of the site continue to give Crystals?
- Yes, you’ll still get Crystals from Referrals and other parts of the site.
Are Crystal Gift Cards disappearing?
- We’ll still have Crystal Gift Cards available (just please note that after August 1st you won’t be able to use those Crystals for Subscription). We’ll be adding a way to gift subscriptions as soon as we can.
How will the Community Pool continue to work?
- We’ll be making a Community Pool distribution on July 30th to give out all the time we’ve accumulated. We’ll then pause the Pool for a month or two so we can figure out a system that works long term. We love the Community Pool and will definitely be keeping it in some form or another.
Will there be a refund policy?
- Yes, we have a 15-day no questions asked refund policy for Yearly/Annual Plans. Monthly plans and Lifetime Memberships cannot be refunded. If you want a refund on your Yearly plan please contact us within 15 days of purchase at developer@4thewords.com and we’ll be happy to process that.
Will I be able to downgrade or cancel a subscription?
- Yes, you can downgrade or cancel your plan at any time from your subscription page (available August 1st).

Can you explain what each table line item means in more detail:

What happens when I get to the File or Project limit on my plan?
- You won’t be able to add new ones.
What happens to Files or Projects I already have if I move down a plan, but have more than the allowed limit?
- Files & Projects over a plan’s allowed limit will still be accessible but you won’t be able to edit them or create new ones. We’ll never force delete Files or Projects. As always, we do recommend having your files stored in more than one place.
What happens when I reach the number of max battles a day?
- You won’t be able to start the next battle (loop or auto-start will pause)
Do Multiplayer & Endurance battles count toward my battle count?
- Yes.
Why have a max battle count for the Member plan?
- This is more of a server health and security precaution than a limit you’ll likely reach. 1,000 battles in a day is around 42 battles an hour, or 1 per minute, every minute for 24 hours. Even if you’re fighting 50 word monsters with a high attack, it’ll be hard to reach this limit, and the limit is not likely to affect you.
When do battles start counting for my daily limit?
- Whenever the timezone you’ve picked for your account crosses from midnight to the next day.
Will Time-Warped Monsters count toward the Battle List capacity?
- No.
Will Frozen Monsters count toward the Battle List capacity?
- Yes, they’ll continue to count.

What happens to my existing Wardrobe or Map Slots if I’m over my plan’s limit?
- They’ll be locked from changes, but you can still delete them to return house items to your inventory.
I’ve purchased additional Wardrobe & Map slots, am I losing those?
- No, any additional Wardrobe & Map slots you have will always be accessible, regardless of your plan’s limit.
Will the Main Quest count toward Questbook capacity?
- No.
What are the limitations for Streak Saving on the Free Plan?
- You won’t be able to use Stempos to save your streak on the Free Plan (this includes not being able to save today for free)
What is the Cosmetics Welcome Pack?
- It’s a set of items (Wardrobe, House, Badge, etc.) that you’ll get when you subscribe to a paid plan for the first time. We’ll have previews of each pack in the next few weeks.
Do I lose my Cosmetics Welcome Pack if I downgrade my plan?
- No.

Monthly Refills

When will “Monthly Refills” be distributed?
- On the renewal date of your plan. If you purchased a yearly plan on May 4th, you’ll get your refill on the 4th of each month.
What Reactions are included in the monthly refill?
- All of the Reactions we have in the game (100+) except for Upvote and a few reactions that were part of special challenges. New reactions we release will be included in the following month’s distribution.
What consumables are included in the monthly refill?
- All of the consumables we’ve released. When we release new consumables we’ll add them to the following month’s distribution.
Wait? Am I really getting Crystals each month?
- Yes, Pro plan members will receive free Crystals each month to spend or save as they like.

Special Event Packs

Do I get these benefits every Special Event?
- Yes.
What counts as a special event?
- All of our Festivals (Love, Pride, TeaCo, Winter), Halloween Party, new area release celebrations, and our large April & November Events. In 2024 we have 8 special events (almost 1 per month) and 2025 will be similar.
What does Limited Event Access mean for the Free plan?
- It means you’ll be able to access some, but not all, of the special event. A limited number of monsters, quests, token rewards and other content will be always available though, and what exactly that is will change depending on the size and length of the event.
Will I lose some access to special events if I downgrade to a Free plan during an event?
- Yes.
What does 1 Premium Item per event mean?
- We’ll create one premium Wardrobe or House item (like our backgrounds or frames) for each event that Pro members will get for free.
What are “Extra Days” at an event?
- Once an event ends, Pro members will be able to stay at the event for that extra time.
What is “Early Access” for an event?
- You’ll be able to sneak in and start an event before the official start date. Exactly how early will change from a few hours to a few days, depending on the size and length of an event.
If I upgrade to a Pro Plan during an event will I still get the benefits?
- Yes, you’ll get the Tokens, Premium Item and Extra days. (Since this would happen after an event’s start date, please understand that it will be impossible to give Early Access).

Lifetime Pro Membership

Will I get additional benefits that are added to the Pro plan in the future?
- Yes, you’ll always get the most up to date features and all of the benefits included in the Pro plan.
When will I get monthly refills if I buy the Lifetime Pro membership?
- You’ll get them on the date you purchased the Lifetime membership. If you bought it on August 4th you’ll get the refills on the 4th of each month.
Can I refund the membership?
- No. Lifetime memberships are non-refundable.
Can I transfer my Lifetime membership?
- No. Lifetime memberships are purchased by the account and cannot be transferred or sold to another account.
Can I gift or be gifted a Lifetime membership?
- Yes. We’ll have a way to gift Lifetime memberships.