If you’re thinking about jumping into The Elder Scrolls Online for the first time, there’s a good chance you already have questions: which version of ESO should you buy?

Between the Standard Edition, the Premium Edition, optional subscriptions, chapters becoming part of the base game, and brand-new systems being added retroactively, it’s not exactly obvious where a new player should begin.

That’s why I put this guide together.

This post breaks down the differences between the Standard and Premium editions of ESO, the perks and unlocks of ESO+, and I’ll share my recommendations. This guide is designed to stand on its own, but if you’d prefer to listen rather than ready, you can also watch the full video version here:

TLDR – What Version Should You Buy?

If you just want the short answer, here it is:

• Brand new player? Start with the Standard Edition.
• Planning to play long-term and okay with a sub? Standard Edition with ESO+.
• Hate subscriptions and want permanent access up front? Pick up the Premium Edition, ideally on sale.

The rest of this guide explains why those are my recommendations for ESO in 2026. Of course, if you can get the Premium Edition on sale for $20, I’d just buy that without hesitation. This is really a guide when there isn’t some insane sale happening.

Which Version of ESO Is Right for You?

If you’re reading this, you probably fall into one of three groups.

1. You’re Curious and Just Want to Test the Waters

If you’re interested in ESO but not ready to fully commit, the Standard Edition is the right choice.

This is the ~$20 version of the game (often discounted to around $12) and it includes:

• The Base Game
• The Morrowind chapter
• Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, Orsinium & Imperial City coming soon
• Also includes all future content from here on

This is an enormous amount of content for the price. You don’t need the Premium Edition, you don’t need ESO+, and you definitely don’t need to spend money in the Crown Store on day one.

2. You Expect to Stick Around and Don’t Mind a Subscription

If you suspect ESO is going to be your next long-term MMO and you’re open to subscribing, then the best option is still the Standard Edition, paired with ESO+ once you’re ready to take advantage of the perks.

ESO+ unlocks access to nearly all additional content while you’re subscribed, dramatically improves inventory management, and gives you a monthly Crown stipend. For many players, this ends up being the most flexible and cost-effective way to experience the full game.

3. You Want Everything, But You Don’t Want a Subscription

If you already know you’re diving in and you’d rather avoid subscriptions altogether, the Premium Edition is worth considering especially when it’s on sale.

This version typically costs around $80 and grants permanent access to all major Chapters not included in the Standard Edition, along with the systems and classes they introduced. Think of it less as a requirement and more as an early-access pass to content that may eventually become part of the base game.

Chapters, DLC, and Major Systems at a Glance

Below is a graphic I put together that shows the major features, systems, and classes added with each Chapter and DLC over the years. This is the same graphic featured in the video, but I thought it was a shame to put so much work into something that will only appear for 10 seconds or so in YouTube video.

Not every system or Chapter is relevant to every player, but this overview helps illustrate which key features and sets were added in each piece of content. Some may matter more than others depending on how you play. Outside of Greymoor & Summerset, you could probably get by just fine without the rest unless there’s a piece of gear you really want.

What’s Included in the Standard Edition?

If you’re brand new to ESO, this is the version I recommend without hesitation.

The Standard Edition includes:

• The home territories of all three alliances:
  • Daggerfall Covenant
  • Ebonheart Pact
  • Aldmeri Dominion
• Five full zones per alliance, plus associated mini-zones
• Coldharbour and the Craglorn adventure zone

Altogether, that’s easily 100+ hours of fully voiced story and questing before you even touch group content.

On top of that, the Standard Edition also includes the Morrowind chapter, one of ESO’s strongest expansions, which lets you revisit iconic locations from The Elder Scrolls III.

You’ll also have access to:

• Dozens of 4-player dungeons
• Three 12-player trials
• PvP Battlegrounds
• Cyrodiil open-world PvP
• Player housing

And several major recent system additions:

• Scribing (custom skill crafting)
• Subclassing (custom class combinations)
• The Infinite Archive (ESO’s take on a roguelike)

Because of ESO’s horizontal progression design, all of this content remains relevant today, and you can tackle it in almost any order you like.

The Standard Edition Is Getting Even Bigger in 2025

One of the biggest reasons the Standard Edition is such a good value in 2026 is that it’s expanding, and all future ESO content will be added to the base game for free.

On March 9, the following DLC will be added to the base game for free:

• Thieves Guild – Hew’s Bane and the Maw of Lorkhaj trial
• Dark Brotherhood – The Gold Coast zone
• Orsinium – The Wrothgar zone and Maelstrom Arena
• Imperial City – A large PvPvE zone and two 4-player dungeons

While Imperial City can already be claimed for free, it will officially become part of the base game at that time.

You can use the map below to see which parts of Tamriel are included with the base game today vs. later this year. This map was created by Bengamey and is used with permission. Check out Bengamey’s creations on Reddit!

Later this year, the Greymoor chapter will ALSO be added to the base game, bringing:

• Western Skyrim
• Blackreach
• The Kyne’s Aegis trial
• The Antiquities system and Mythic items

This further closes the power gap between base-game-only players and those with unrestricted access to Tamriel.

What Does ESO+ Actually Give You?

ESO+ is the game’s optional subscription, and despite what you may hear, it truly is optional.

You don’t need it on day one, and you can absolutely enjoy ESO without it. I personally played for several months before subscribing.

That said, ESO+ does provide some meaningful quality-of-life upgrades:

• Access to all Chapters and DLC while subscribed
• All content from the 2025 Content Pass (starting March 9)
• A bottomless crafting bag
• Doubled bank and home storage
• A 500-slot furnishing vault
• Monthly Crown stipend
• Increased XP and currency gains

If you buy the Standard Edition and subscribe to ESO+, the only major things you’ll still be missing are the Necromancer and Arcanist classes, which can be purchased separately using the crowns from your monthly stipend.

Inventory management is one of the biggest complaints about ESO. Without ESO+, you’ll need to be diligent, and players choose to subscribe to alleviate that pain point.

Which Chapters and DLC Actually Matter?

Eventually, most endgame-focused players will want access to most Chapters for specific systems or item sets, but that doesn’t mean you need everything immediately.

If you’re avoiding a subscription, your best options are:

• Picking up the Premium Edition during a sale
• Buying individual DLC from the Crown Store based on your play style
• Using free ESO+ trial periods to unlock what you need

If I had to prioritize:

• Greymoor is the most important for Antiquities and Mythics
• Summerset is essential for Jewelry Crafting

You can still reach endgame, participate in trials, decorate homes, and create strong builds without full access though.

Tamriel Tomes and the Crown Store

Finally, a quick word on Tomes & the Crown Store.

Tamriel Tomes are a new cosmetic and consumable reward track, similar to a pseudo-Battle Pass. The free track offers plenty of rewards, and nothing in the premium track is necessary for success.

The Crown Store similarly offers:

• Cosmetics
• Convenience items
• Assistants and account upgrades

None of it is necessary for progression. If you want a fancy mount or a cool hat, great, but you can safely ignore the store entirely if you choose.

Final Recommendation

If you’re thinking about trying ESO for the first time, my advice is simple:

Start with the Standard Edition.

Wait… everything’s actually on sale right now. As I was wrapping up this blog post and preparing the video to go live, a sale kicked off. The Premium Edition of ESO is on sale for $20 and the Standard is going for $5 on the official Zenimax shop. That is an absolute steal! If you’ve gotten this far, you may as well get the Premium Edition for $20, even if you plan to subscribe. I don’t get any commission or anything like that, but this is literally hundreds of hours of questing for the price of like… one drink at a nice bar.

Play the game, explore Tamriel, and see if it sticks. If you fall in love with it, ESO+ or the Premium upgrade can be used to gain access to the rest of the key features.

If you have questions, feel free to leave a comment, check out my other beginner-friendly ESO guides on YouTube, or join the community Discord linked below. If you want the full visual breakdown with timelines, maps, and commentary, be sure to watch the video version of this guide linked above!

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in Tamriel.