Subscription Changes FAQ

Ed

Last Update hace 4 meses

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 [email protected] 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.

Was this article helpful?

5 out of 5 liked this article

Still need help? Message Us