Can you play Animal Crossing: New Horizons Online for free?

There's no doubt about how enjoyable Animal Crossing can be, no matter what your favorite aspects of this video game are! But you might have heard that the online features come with a fee, and you may be wondering if you really have to pay. Or perhaps you don’t own a Switch and are curious whether you can play Animal Crossing on a browser. Since we all know it’s easier to earn Bells (the in-game currency) than real money, we've gathered answers to common questions about whether you can play Animal Crossing online for free!

No, but most gameplay features are available without a fee. If you want to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) with friends or family from afar, share your designs with other players, or explore their dream islands, you'll need to subscribe to the paid Nintendo Switch Online service. However, you won’t need to pay if you only wish to play the game or install updates.

Yes, you can play multiplayer if you're nearby. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, there are two multiplayer modes available for players who don’t subscribe to the paid Nintendo Switch Online service: Party Play and Local Multiplayer. Neither of these modes requires the Nintendo Switch Online subscription (which is a paid feature) and both support up to four players at once.

• Party Play is for those who want to play Animal Crossing on the same Switch console. You'll need individual controllers, but can play together on the same screen. (This mode is perfect for family members).
• Local Multiplayer is for players who each own their own Animal Crossing game on their Switch. You’ll need to be in the same room to play together, but you don't need to share controllers or the screen.

The subscription fee ranges from $4 to $13 USD (92,000 to 299,000 VND) per month. Nintendo Switch Online allows you to play several online games, including Animal Crossing—but it requires a paid subscription. The monthly fee is $3.99 or 92,000 VND (which totals $47.88 or 1.1 million VND for a year); the three-month plan is $7.99 or 184,000 VND each month (which totals $95.88 or 2.2 million VND for a year); and the yearly fee is $19.99 or 460,000 VND.

• If left by default, your subscription will automatically renew. If you don’t want auto-renewal, you need to cancel it through your Nintendo eShop account.
• If you use the Switch often and play online games frequently, the annual subscription is the most cost-effective option. However, if you don’t play for several weeks or months, the one or three-month plan (with no auto-renewal) may be a better choice.
• You can also try the service for free for one week, but only once.

No; there is no official version of Animal Crossing for PCs. Unfortunately, Animal Crossing does not have an official version for computers or browsers. Some third-party developers have created emulators, but there is no guarantee that they will run the game properly or be free from viruses.

Yes! Don’t worry if you can’t afford the paid Nintendo Switch Online subscription. The mobile version of Animal Crossing, called Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, can be played online for free as long as you have an internet connection. If your friends also have the game on their phones, you can add them and play together.