CS:GO Prime vs Free-to-Play: Which Option is Better for You?

Back in the day, you had to buy CS:GO to play it. Now it’s free for everyone but with a Prime upgrade as an optional purchase. If you are new to the game, the benefits of Prime may not be that obvious so let us help you decide if CS:GO Prime is worth it for you.

What is CS:GO Prime?

CS:GO Prime was created as a separate queue for players with a higher trust factor. You used to have to link your phone number and play until Rank 21 to unlock Prime Status but now it’s just a separate purchase in the store.

Players with Prime Status will only play with other Prime members making it sort of like an exclusive CS:GO club. That helps lower the chance of getting a cheater in your games and offers access to some exclusive features.

To become a Prime user you have to buy a CS:GO Prime Status Upgrade for $15 on Steam. With it you will get all the benefits of a premium CS:GO experience.

Benefits of CS:GO Prime

Every Prime user gets access to the following features: Prime Matchmaking, Rank system, drops, levels, and Service Medals.

Prime Matchmaking

CS:GO Prime queue

The main benefit of Prime Status is Prime Matchmaking. With Prime, you will only be matched with other Prime Status players which will get rid of many cheaters and griefers. And since the game is free-to-play, Non-Prime games can be filled with players that just created an extra Steam account to have some fun.

Prime Matchmaking affects all the core game modes but that doesn’t mean that you won’t encounter a cheater at all. There are still players who will cheat even in Prime queues but the chance of that happening is much lower.

Rank System and Ranked Game Modes

CS:GO Ranked game modes

What CS:GO players play the most is the 5v5 Competitive mode to get a rank and then rank up. Just like in any competitive game. If you don’t have Prime you can’t play competitive game modes like Competitive, Wingman, and Danger Zone and get a rank.

Instead, you can play unranked versions of them. Quite recently, Valve introduced unranked versions of those game modes. They have the same gameplay and use skill-based matchmaking but do not affect your rank and do not have Skill Group party restrictions.

As a Prime member, you will be able to play both Ranked and Unranked versions of those game modes. But Unranked matches are made from both Prime and Non-Prime users so be prepared for that.

Drops

Graffiti drop

After each match, you have a chance to get an item drop like a cheap skin, a case, or graffiti. Each player is limited to 2 drops per week. Except for Non-Prime users who can’t get drops at all. It is a small but nice feature that will add up to your whole experience if you decide to buy CS:GO Prime.

Levels, XP, and Service Medals

Levels, XP, and Service Medals

For each game played, whether it is Competitive, Deathmatch, or War Games, you will get some XP. That XP will contribute to your CS:GO account level which is a nice way of showing how dedicated you are to the game.

If you manage to hit level 40 during a year you will receive that year’s Service Medal that you can pin to your profile. And did we mention that you get a drop every time you level up?

All those things will not be available for a free-to-play user. You won’t be able to get XP, level up, and claim medals to use on your profile. So if it’s the progression you seek, Prime will definitely be worth it.

Is CS:GO Prime Worth It?

If you like CS:GO and want to play it consistently, we highly recommend buying Prime. It will make your gaming experience much smoother and you will be able to use in-game progression features. Ranks, levels, drops, and XP, are all core parts of how you can progress and show off in CS:GO.

More than that, if you plan to learn and improve at the game, the best way to do it is by playing Competitive and ranking up. You will see what skill level you are currently in which will give you an idea of things to work on to get better. And as you remember, ranks are locked behind CS:GO Prime.

However, if you play CS:GO casually every once in a few months, CS:GO Prime may not really be worth it for you unless you really want to get access to levels and maybe drops.

Can Prime and Non-Prime Players Play Together?

A Prime and Non-Prime players can queue up together for a game but you will not be able to bypass the Non-Prime limitations.

The group will not be able to queue up for a ranked game mode since Non-Prime players don’t have access to ranks. And your lobby will be seen as a Non-Prime lobby which means you will be sent to the regular queue that can have a lot of cheaters.