 | Individual membership 1 user $19.99 $1.67/mo Plus sales tax where applicable Source · Checked | Family membership up to 8 users $34.99 $2.92/mo Plus sales tax where applicable Source · Checked | Individual + Expansion Pack 1 user $49.99 $4.17/mo Plus sales tax where applicable Source · Checked | Family + Expansion Pack up to 8 users $79.99 $6.67/mo Plus sales tax where applicable Source · Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choose a membership | Choose a membership | Choose a membership | Choose a membership | |
Billed once for the full year, up front. | Billed once for the full year, up front. | Billed once for the full year, up front. | Billed once for the full year, up front. |
$1.67/mo
Plus sales tax where applicable
Gaming in the US
Nintendo Switch Online and Expansion Pack compared
Nintendo Switch Online lets you play compatible games online, stores your saves in the cloud and includes classic NES, Super NES and Game Boy games. The Expansion Pack adds Nintendo 64, GameCube, Game Boy Advance and SEGA Genesis classics plus select Switch 2 upgrade packs and DLC. Both come as Individual or Family memberships for up to 8 Nintendo Accounts, sold by the year.
- Online play. In compatible games, with friends and family.
- Cloud saves. Save data from compatible games is stored online automatically.
- Nintendo Classics. NES, Super NES and Game Boy — more with the Expansion Pack.
- Family for 8. Up to 8 Nintendo Accounts, each with all the benefits.
- 7-day free trial. Try it before you pay.
Most important before you pay
Tomas StankevičiusUpdated 2026-10-15Facts from nintendo.com, with dates
At a glance
- Memberships
- Individual, Family (+ Expansion Pack)
- Family
- Up to 8 Nintendo Accounts
- Billing
- Individual: 1, 3 or 12 months; Family: yearly
- Classics
- NES, SNES, Game Boy (+ N64, GameCube, GBA, Genesis)
- Free trial
- 7 days
- Renewal
- Automatic unless canceled
Memberships and libraries change — check the provider’s own page before you pay.
Prices with dates
Every price has a source and the date it was checked.
From nintendo.com
Memberships, classics and renewal terms as Nintendo publishes them for the US.
Affiliate links are labeled
If a link is an affiliate link, we say so right next to it.
Short summary
If you play online on Switch, you need it — and the Family membership is one of the cheapest per-person subscriptions anywhere. The Expansion Pack is worth it for N64 and GameCube fans or for its Switch 2 upgrade packs; otherwise the base membership is enough.
Family for 8
Each account gets all the benefits.
Trial auto-renews
Into a 1-month membership unless you turn it off.
- We recommend first:
- Switch players who play online, and families with several Nintendo Accounts.
- With caveats:
- Offline-only players who don’t care about classic games.
Who Nintendo Switch Online is for, and who it isn’t
Base membership or Expansion Pack?
A good choice
For online players
Online play in compatible games.
For families
Up to 8 Nintendo Accounts on one membership.
For retro fans
NES, SNES, Game Boy — and N64, GameCube with the Expansion Pack.
A weaker choice
If you only play offline
You may not need it.
If you want monthly billing for a family
Family memberships are sold by the year.
If you want DLC without the game
The full game is required.
Memberships
Prices are in the block above.
| Membership | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Individual | What it means in practiceOne Nintendo Account: online play, cloud saves, NES, SNES and Game Boy classics. |
| Family | What it means in practiceUp to 8 Nintendo Accounts, each with all the benefits. |
| Individual + Expansion Pack | What it means in practiceAdds N64, GameCube, Game Boy Advance and SEGA Genesis classics, and select upgrade packs and DLC. |
| Family + Expansion Pack | What it means in practiceThe Expansion Pack for up to 8 Nintendo Accounts. |
Alone → Individual; household → Family; retro or Switch 2 upgrades → add the Expansion Pack.
Our score and what it’s made of
This is our own assessment based on checked facts. It isn’t an average of user reviews or the provider’s claim. Below — every criterion with its weight and source.
3,3
out of 5 · average of 4 plans · 5 of 6 criteria checked
The score is calculated from the criteria you see below: each criterion shows its weight, what exactly we found and where. Where we have the provider’s page, there’s a link with a check date; where the number comes from our catalog, we say so. “Not checked” means we don’t have the data and the criterion isn’t counted. “Provider doesn’t say” means we went through the provider’s pages but the information isn’t there; that criterion isn’t counted either. If you disagree with the weights — in the methodology you’ll see all the parts and can weigh them your own way. We don’t put app store ratings into structured data: they were collected on other websites, so they stay as visible text.
Scores for individual plans: Family membership 3,3 · Individual + Expansion Pack 3,3 · Individual membership 3,3 · Family + Expansion Pack 3,3
The same for all “Nintendo Switch Online” plans
| Criterion | What we found | Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised price is the final price(10 %) | sales tax is added at checkout | 3,0 | our catalog |
| Free way to try it(10 %) | provider doesn’t say | — | source |
| Newest games(25 %) | no — older titles only | 2,0 | our catalog |
| Playing online with others(25 %) | you can play with others | 5,0 | our catalog |
| Where it works(20 %) | console only | 2,0 | our catalog |
Depends on plan
| Criterion | Family membership | Individual + Expansion Pack | Individual membership | Family + Expansion Pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price compared with others(10 %) | 2,92 USD/mo · when paying for 12 months5,0 | 4,17 USD/mo · when paying for 12 months5,0 | 1,67 USD/mo · when paying for 12 months5,0 | 6,67 USD/mo · when paying for 12 months5,0 |
Availability in the US
The final price in the US is clear
You pay in dollars, and the price is the one the provider lists — sales tax, where your state charges it, is added at checkout.
- price in dollars
- tax terms are known
- price list tailored to the country
Nintendo Switch Online or + Expansion Pack
Every benefit of the base membership is included in the Expansion Pack.
| Switch Online | + Expansion Pack | |
|---|---|---|
| Online play in compatible games | Yes | Yes |
| GameChat and voice chatGameChat is on Switch 2; app voice chat is 13+. | Yes | Yes |
| Save Data Cloud backup | Yes | Yes |
| NES, Super NES and Game Boy classics | Yes | Yes |
| Nintendo Music app | Yes | Yes |
| Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance and SEGA Genesis | No | Yes |
| Nintendo GameCube classicsNintendo Switch 2 only. | No | Yes |
| Select DLC and Switch 2 upgrade packsYou need the full game. | No | Yes |
Online play in compatible games
- Switch Online
- Yes
- + Expansion Pack
- Yes
GameChat and voice chat
GameChat is on Switch 2; app voice chat is 13+.
- Switch Online
- Yes
- + Expansion Pack
- Yes
Save Data Cloud backup
- Switch Online
- Yes
- + Expansion Pack
- Yes
NES, Super NES and Game Boy classics
- Switch Online
- Yes
- + Expansion Pack
- Yes
Nintendo Music app
- Switch Online
- Yes
- + Expansion Pack
- Yes
Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance and SEGA Genesis
- Switch Online
- No
- + Expansion Pack
- Yes
Nintendo GameCube classics
Nintendo Switch 2 only.
- Switch Online
- No
- + Expansion Pack
- Yes
Select DLC and Switch 2 upgrade packs
You need the full game.
- Switch Online
- No
- + Expansion Pack
- Yes
Fortnite doesn’t need it
Content
What you actually get to watch: catalog, languages, sports and events.
What’s included
Online play, cloud saves, classic games and member offers.
Nintendo Classics
NES, Super NES and Game Boy on every membership.
Expansion Pack classics
Nintendo 64, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, SEGA Genesis.
Game Trials and offers
Limited-time trials and member offers.
What US App Store reviewers say about the Nintendo Switch App
The Nintendo Switch App has 3.1 out of 5 stars from 12,700 ratings on the US App Store. We also read the 50 most recent US reviews — 17 of them gave one or two stars. Recent reviews skew toward people with a problem, so read them as a list of what can go wrong, not as a verdict.
What the app is
A companion app for game extras and voice chat — the membership itself runs on the console.
Complaints
Reviewers report the app locking up, not working on some iPads, and requiring iOS 16 or later.
The model
Some longtime fans dislike that classic games now come through a subscription instead of being bought.
The membership is separate from the app’s rating — check whether the companion app supports your device if you need it.
Consoles and devices
Where it works and what you need to play.
Where it works
| Group | Examples | Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Consoles | ExamplesNintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch Lite | CaveatManage your membership from the Nintendo Switch Online icon on the system. |
| Phones and tablets | ExamplesNintendo Music app | CaveatListen to Nintendo game music. |
Account and terms
Sharing, access to games after you cancel, and refund rules.
Family membership
- Share with up to 7 others — 8 Nintendo Accounts in total.
- Each member gets online play, classics and special offers.
- With the Expansion Pack, every member gets its classics and add-ons.
Per-person price
Trial and renewal
| Condition | How it works |
|---|---|
| Free trial | How it works7 days |
| After the trial | How it works1-month auto-renewing membership, unless renewal is off |
| After the term | How it worksAuto-renews at the then-current price unless canceled |
Renewal and canceling
Memberships auto-renew after the initial term at the then-current price unless canceled. Manage your membership from the Nintendo Switch Online icon on your Switch or Switch 2.
1, 3 or 12 months
Individual comes in all three lengths; Family is yearly. Auto-renews unless canceled.
Free trial
Converts to a 1-month auto-renewing membership unless automatic renewal is turned off.
Expansion Pack add-ons
Membership rules worth knowing
From Nintendo’s Switch Online FAQ for the Americas.
| Feature | Limit | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Individual terms | Limit1, 3 or 12 months | What it depends onFamily memberships: 12 months only |
| Stacking memberships | LimitUp to 3 years (1,095 days) | What it depends onSame type only; family and individual time can’t be combined |
| Pausing | LimitNot possible | What it depends onTime is extended if your console is sent to Nintendo for repair |
| Changing plan or length | LimitAt least 48 hours before auto-renewal | What it depends onCheck auto-renewal after any change |
| Cloud saves after it ends | LimitKept if you resubscribe within 180 days | What it depends onNo local save backups on Switch or Switch 2 |
| Upgrading to Expansion Pack | LimitDiscount for remaining days | What it depends onYou can’t switch back down until the term ends |
Auto-renewal is a one-way switch
Plans and terms
Who each plan is for and what terms it requires.
Family membership: how it works
A family membership covers everyone in the buyer’s Nintendo Account family group — up to eight accounts — for as long as they stay in the group. It’s tied to accounts, not a console, so members can play on their own systems anywhere.
- Size
- Up to 8 Nintendo Accounts
- Term
- 12 months only
- Household
- Not required — members can use any console
- Admin
- One admin adds or removes members and assigns parent/guardian roles
- Children
- Child accounts up to 17 join as supervised accounts
- Expansion Pack
- The whole family upgrades, not one member
If the buyer deletes their account
Trial, codes and points
Nintendo Switch Online is sold in Nintendo eShop, through the Nintendo Store and as download codes at retailers.
- Free trial
- 7 days; doesn’t include Expansion Pack content
- After the trial
- Becomes a 1-month auto-renewing membership unless you turn renewal off
- My Nintendo Gold Points
- Usable when buying in eShop, not for auto-renewal
- Already in a family membership
- Can’t buy or redeem an individual membership
- Individual → family
- Discounted family membership in eShop, where available
- Requirements
- Switch system menu 6.0 or later; Nintendo Switch App 1.4.0+ for voice chat
What we don’t claim
Common claims about Nintendo Switch Online, next to what nintendo.com says.
The free trial ends by itself.
It converts to a 1-month auto-renewing membership unless you turn off renewal.
DLC in the Expansion Pack works without the game.
The full version of the game is required.
Family shares one account.
Up to 8 separate Nintendo Accounts, each with all benefits.
If there’s no price on the page, the service isn’t available in the US.
Not necessarily. More often it means the provider doesn’t publish a fixed price or shows it only at checkout. Availability and a published price are two different things.
An annual plan always works out cheaper.
Cheaper than the monthly plan only if you use the whole period. You pay for the whole year up front, and when you cancel you usually don’t get the unused part back — so it’s a saving for people who already know they’ll stay all year.
Deleting the app cancels the subscription.
No. Deleting the app doesn’t stop the payments — only canceling in the account where you bought the subscription does. The app disappears, the bill stays.
Every plan looks the same in every country.
No. The list of plans, the features in the same plan and the available languages can differ. That’s why we don’t carry data from another country over to the US page.
The price on the pricing page is exactly what you’ll be charged.
Not always. US providers list prices before sales tax, and whether tax is added at checkout — and how much — depends on your state. On one VPN order page we saw a 6.25% sales tax added on top of the listed monthly price.
This list isn’t an accusation against the service. If you find something on our page that doesn’t match the official source, write to us.
When Nintendo Switch Online is a good choice
Online play
Individual.
Compromise: Expansion Pack classics not included.
Families
Family, up to 8.
Compromise: Everyone needs a Nintendo Account.
Retro games
Expansion Pack.
Compromise: Some titles Switch 2 only.
Pros and cons
Pros
Cheap per person
On Family.
Classics included
NES, SNES, Game Boy.
Cloud saves
For compatible games.
Cons
Trial auto-converts
Into a monthly membership.
Family is yearly only
Individual also comes as 1 or 3 months.
DLC needs the game
And an active membership.
Nintendo Switch Online compared with PlayStation Plus and Game Pass
Based on each provider’s US pages.
| Criterion | Nintendo Switch Online | PlayStation Plus | Xbox Game Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family sharing | Up to 8 accounts | Not listed | Not listed |
| Classic games | Yes (more with Expansion Pack) | Premium | Ubisoft+ Classics on Ultimate |
| Free trial | 7 days | Game Trials (Premium) | 14 days for $1 |
| Billing | 1, 3, 12 months (Family yearly) | 1, 3, 12 months | Monthly |
- Family sharing
- Up to 8 accounts
- Classic games
- Yes (more with Expansion Pack)
- Free trial
- 7 days
- Billing
- 1, 3, 12 months (Family yearly)
- Family sharing
- Not listed
- Classic games
- Premium
- Free trial
- Game Trials (Premium)
- Billing
- 1, 3, 12 months
- Family sharing
- Not listed
- Classic games
- Ubisoft+ Classics on Ultimate
- Free trial
- 14 days for $1
- Billing
- Monthly
If you play on Switch — Nintendo Switch Online
Family for up to 8.
If you play on PlayStation — PlayStation Plus
Game Catalog on Extra.
If you play on Xbox or PC — Xbox Game Pass
Day-one games on Ultimate.
Final verdict
Nintendo Switch Online is essential for online play on Switch and excellent value as a Family membership. Add the Expansion Pack for N64, GameCube and Switch 2 upgrades — and watch the trial’s automatic renewal.
Choose it if
You play online on Switch or share with family.
Think twice if
You only want the classics — check which ones you’ll play.
Skip it if
You only play offline.
PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass are the equivalents on their platforms.
Nintendo Switch Online prices
Memberships as Nintendo lists them for the US.
Compare membershipsThe Individual membership comes as 1, 3 or 12 months; Family memberships and the Expansion Pack are sold by the year. Nintendo says a Family membership shared by eight people costs less than $5 per person a year (about $10 with the Expansion Pack).
Nintendo Switch Online deals and discounts
We have no confirmed deals or promo codes for Nintendo Switch Online right now. When the provider publishes one and we have checked it, the dates and terms will appear here — we never list made-up promo codes.
Nintendo Switch Online free trial
We found no free trial for Nintendo Switch Online on the provider’s website right now. If one appears, we will mark it here and in the free trials list.
How to pay less for Nintendo Switch Online
- “Family membership” for up to 8 people: $34.99/yr, or $4.37 per person.
- Annual billing for “Individual membership”: $19.99 for 12 months instead of $47.88 if you pay monthly — you save 58%.
- “Family + Expansion Pack” for up to 8 people: $79.99/yr, or $10.00 per person.
Compare the price with alternatives: EA Play price · PlayStation Plus price · Xbox Game Pass price
We only show the provider’s official options — no shared accounts and no region switching.
Customer support
The help center is available in English.
Contact options the provider lists:
- email or form
„Contact Nintendo Support … Select your region … Continue with topic selection"
Source: www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Support/Contact/Contact-Us-1106389.html?redirect=true
FAQ
How we work
This page is a comparison, and for every claim we say where it comes from.
The provider’s sources
The facts come from nintendo.com/us/switch/online.
We don’t write prices into the text
Prices are in the price block, in the price list’s currency, with a source and a date.
Product facts are shared, market facts aren’t
How many screens a plan allows, how many devices an account works on, how many servers a network has — that doesn’t depend on the country, and on our pages those numbers are the same in every language; a separate tool watches over that. Price, promotions, availability and app language belong to the market, and we never carry them over from another country.
The provider’s list is the same for everyone
If a service publishes a list of countries or languages, we can say whether the US is on it — that list looks the same for everyone. Checkout, however, can look different for every account, so for amounts a provider shows only at checkout we write: check before you pay.
A shorter section doesn’t mean something is missing from the product
If a section here is shorter than for another service, it’s because the provider publishes less about it. We don’t fill the gap with generic wording just to make the page look more complete.
Three different answers
We distinguish between “none”, “the provider doesn’t say” and “we didn’t find it”. They’re three different situations — mixing them up would turn our own limitation into a flaw in the product.
A price without a source isn’t shown
If an amount has no source and date, we don’t show it. An empty spot is more honest than a number that only looks right — and prices change more often than articles get updated.
Data from the US market
This page isn’t a translation of another language version. Numbers from other countries don’t end up here: markets differ, and that’s exactly why this page exists.
Affiliate links are labeled at the link
If a link is an affiliate link, we say so right next to it. The commission doesn’t affect what we write — and you know about it before you click.
We fix errors openly
If we got something wrong, we fix it and note what changed. A silent correction would mean you never find out you once relied on wrong information.
If anything on this page has gone out of date, write to us — we’ll fix it and note the date.
The order in the comparison is decided by the type of service; commission size doesn’t affect it.
Some links to providers are affiliate links: if you subscribe through them, we may earn a commission. It affects neither the price nor the placement in the comparison. Affiliate links are always labeled next to the link itself.
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