If you‘re an avid Among Us fan wondering if the wildly popular online multiplayer game is still available for freeplay in 2024, I‘ve got you covered.
As a fellow gaming addict and Among Us expert, I‘ll provide the full scoop on whether Among Us remains free across platforms, what‘s costs to download where it‘s not, plus tips to score discounts or even sneak it for free on PC and consoles!
Let‘s dig in…
Is Among Us Free to Download on Mobile?
The quick answer is yes, Among Us is still 100% free to download and enjoy on both Android and iOS mobile devices as we head into 2023.
On smartphones and tablets, Among Us monetizes through optional in-app purchases and showing some ads between games. But the core gameplay experience remains gratis.
This allows the game‘s indie developer InnerSloth to keep supporting free content updates like new maps and features for the huge mobile player base.
It‘s a successful model – Among Us consistently ranks among the top free game downloads on both the App Store and Google Play.
So if you game on an iPhone, iPad, or Android phone, you can grab Among Us from the source with zero upfront cost. Time to start tossing crewmates into the abyss for free!
What‘s the Download Price on PC and Consoles?
Here‘s where things get slightly trickier. Unlike mobile, Among Us isn‘t free upfront on platforms like PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
Let‘s break it down by platform:
- PC (Windows, Mac) – $4.99 on Steam
- Nintendo Switch – $4.99 on Nintendo eShop
- Xbox One – $4.99 on Microsoft Store
- PlayStation 4 – $4.99 on PlayStation Store
So while not literally free, it only costs five bucks to download Among Us on PC and consoles. I‘d call that pretty dang cheap for the incredible entertainment value you get!
Once purchased, you own the game permanently with no added in-app purchases or ads. And all future content updates are included at no additional cost.
Charging a small one-time fee allows tiny indie studio InnerSloth to fund ongoing development and server infrastructure that a free game may struggle to support.
And paying customers deserve a pristine gameplay experience without "pay to win" monetization skewing the fun. It‘s a worthwhile tradeoff!
Has Among Us Ever Been Temporarily Free?
While Among Us normally costs a fiver on PC and consoles, there have been a few temporary promotions allowing free downloads:
Epic Games Store: During one week in May 2021, Among Us was free on the Epic Games Store for PC players.
Xbox Game Pass for PC: Among Us was available for free from Dec 2021 to May 2022 for Xbox Game Pass members playing on PC.
PlayStation Plus: For one month in Nov 2021, Among Us was included as a free PlayStation Plus game for PS4/PS5 owners.
So if you managed to grab it during one of these deals, well done! You scored Among Us 100% gratis on platforms that now charge.
Unfortunately, these were limited-time offers that have expired…for now. But with any luck, similar freebies may pop up again!
Shouldn‘t Among Us Just Be 100% Free?
Given how many hit online multiplayer games like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone have gone completely free in recent years, you may wonder – why doesn‘t Among Us simply ditch upfront costs too?
It‘s a fair question! But the decision likely comes down to Among Us having a tiny indie development team without the massive resources of an Activision or Epic Games.
Developing and maintaining free-to-play live service games requires huge staffs and marketing budgets to create in-game purchases that fund ongoing development and server costs.
As a skeleton crew, InnerSloth would have greater difficulty scaling Among Us as a purely free-to-play experience. So for long-term sustainability, charging a small one-time fee makes sense.
And it reduces the temptation for predatory monetization practices to creep in when relying heavily on in-app spending revenue.
So while not an indefinite freebie, the few bucks to download Among Us seems reasonable to keep our favorite betrayal-on-a-spaceship game thriving on PC and consoles!
How Can I Score Among Us for Free or Cheap Now?
For gaming bargain hunters, are there any current opportunities to grab Among Us without paying full price? Potentially!
Here are a few legit ways you may luck into a cheap or even free download in 2024:
Wait for temporary free promos – As we‘ve seen, occasional free giveaways do happen on certain platforms for a limited time. Follow gaming news to jump on the next one!
Watch for discounts/bundles – Steam and console stores run seasonal sales on Among Us at up to 75% off or more. The cost can drop from $4.99 to $1.99 or lower.
Redeem gifted gaming credits – If you receive a gaming gift card for your platform, you could essentially buy Among Us for ‘free‘ using the gifted credit.
Access a shared game library – On PC/consoles, a family member who already owns Among Us may share their library and installers with you.
Keep an eye out for mobile giveaways – Though rare, some limited promotions offer free in-app content or discounts for Among Us mobile players.
Of course, you could always sail the high seas of piracy. But pirated downloads only rob the wonderful solo developers at InnerSloth who‘ve created this passion project game we all enjoy.
If possible, it‘s best to compensate InnerSloth fairly for the endless hours of betrayal and laughter Among Us provides!
With a little patience and deal hunting, even budget-minded gamers have legitimate ways to grab Among Us for cheap or free right now on whichever platforms they prefer.
Will Among Us Eventually Just Go 100% Free?
Among Us first launched in 2018. Is there a chance it transitions to a permanently free-to-play model down the road? There are compelling reasons why it might:
Maintain relevance as new games arise: Going permanently free could help Among Us stay relevant as fresh multiplayer hits grab attention.
Encourage purchases of cosmetics/pets: A F2P structure centered around decorative in-app purchases would incentivize spending while keeping core gameplay fair.
Streamline crossplay capabilities: Removing platform download costs would enable smoother crossplay between PC, consoles, and mobile.
Follow other major multiplayer successes: Nearly all recent social gaming phenomena like Fortnite have ultimately gone free-to-play.
But these shifts aren‘t easy, especially for a small team without corporate resources. InnerSloth would need to smoothly implement major changes to in-game monetization, scaling, moderation and more.
The developers may be playing it cautiously by retaining upfront pricing for now. But down the road, a permanent free-to-play transition could make sense if done carefully. We‘ll have to wait and see!
Where Can I Download Among Us Right Now?
For readers itching to dive in, here‘s an overview of where to download Among Us across platforms:
Mobile
- iOS devices – Download free from Apple App Store
- Android devices – Download free from Google Play Store
PC
- Windows PC – $4.99 on Steam or Epic Games Store
- Mac PC – $4.99 on Steam
Consoles
- Nintendo Switch – $4.99 on Nintendo eShop
- Xbox One – $4.99 on Microsoft Store
- PlayStation 4 – $4.99 on PlayStation Store
And the good news is Among Us supports online crossplay between ALL platforms. Phone, PC and console players can all play together in one matchmaking pool!
Let‘s Cut to the Chase…
Is Among Us still free in 2024? On mobile, 100% yes – it remains free on iOS and Android with optional in-app purchases.
But on PC and consoles, you need to pay a one-time $4.99 purchase fee.
For a wildly popular party game that will provide endless hours of enjoyment, I‘d argue that‘s money well spent. And you own it forever with no crept-in pay-to-win nastiness.
Occasional free promos do crop up, so keep your eyes peeled! And Among Us may eventually follow its multiplayer peers into the free-to-play promised land.
But for now, the couple bucks to download is worthwhile investment for an evergreen social gaming classic that will keep us shrieking and giggling indefinitely.
Let‘s eject some more imposters into the cold abyss of space! Among Us forever!
