Xbox Game Pass vs Nintendo Switch Online: price, plans, and which to keep
Current US prices, price history, trial terms, and cancellation friction side by side, built from our service guides. Last reviewed August 26, 2026.
The short answer
These are not substitutes, but if you own both consoles they compete for the same budget, and the gap is enormous. Nintendo Switch Online is $19.99 a year, $34.99 for a family of up to eight, or $49.99 with the Expansion Pack, and it has never raised its US price since 2018. Game Pass Ultimate is $22.99 a month, $275.88 a year, after briefly costing $29.99 in late 2025; the $9.99 Essential tier alone costs six times NSO's base plan. Game Pass buys a rotating library; NSO mostly buys online play and retro catalogues.
Nintendo Switch Online is cheaper by $99.89 a year on its entry plan.
At a glance
| Xbox Game Pass | Nintendo Switch Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest standard plan | Essential (formerly Core): $9.99/mo | Individual (annual): $19.99/yr |
| Cheapest plan per year | $119.88 | $19.99 |
| Most expensive plan | Ultimate: $22.99/mo | Expansion Pack (annual, individual): $49.99/yr |
| Price changes since 2023 | 4 | 0 |
| Latest price change | April 2026 | October 2021 |
| Free trial | Occasional $1 first-month promos for new members; no standing free trial. | 7-day free trial for new members; occasional trial weeks for lapsed members. |
| Cancellation | 4 steps | 4 steps |
Cheapest and most expensive plans exclude add-ons, student, bundle, and per-seat plans. Price changes are counted from January 2023. US list prices, last reviewed August 26, 2026.
Which one should you pick?
Choose Xbox Game Pass if…
Pick Game Pass if you play several new releases a year on Xbox or PC; Ultimate's day-one titles are the whole value. If you do not, Premium at $14.99 saves $96 a year, and saves stay in the cloud if you lapse.
Choose Nintendo Switch Online if…
Pick Nintendo Switch Online if you mainly need online play for Nintendo titles. The Family plan at $34.99 split across up to eight accounts, friends included, is about $4.37 per person per year.
Every current plan
Xbox Game Pass plans
| Plan | Current price |
|---|---|
| Essential (formerly Core) | $9.99/mo |
| Premium (formerly Standard) | $14.99/mo |
| Ultimate | $22.99/mo |
Nintendo Switch Online plans
| Plan | Current price |
|---|---|
| Individual (monthly) | $3.99/mo |
| Individual (annual) | $19.99/yr |
| Family (annual, up to 8 accounts) | $34.99/yr |
| Expansion Pack (annual, individual) | $49.99/yr |
US list prices; taxes, promotions, and app-store billing may differ. Last reviewed August 26, 2026.
Price history, both services
April 2026 · Xbox Game Pass
Ultimate dropped from $29.99 to $22.99; PC Game Pass dropped from $16.49 to $13.99.
October 2025 · Xbox Game Pass
Ultimate rose $19.99 → $29.99 (+50%) as tiers were renamed Essential/Premium/Ultimate.
July 2024 · Xbox Game Pass
Ultimate went from $16.99 to $19.99; Standard tier introduced.
July 2023 · Xbox Game Pass
First Ultimate increase: $14.99 → $16.99.
October 2021 · Nintendo Switch Online
Expansion Pack launched at $49.99/year for individuals and $79.99/year for families.
September 2018 · Nintendo Switch Online
The base service launched at $3.99/month, $19.99/year for individuals, and $34.99/year for families.
How to run both without paying for both
Keep NSO annual all year; it costs less than two months of Ultimate. Treat Game Pass as a seasonal subscription: subscribe for the months with releases you want, then cancel, and check the Manage page for a refund if you cancel right after a charge.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Xbox Game Pass or Nintendo Switch Online?
Nintendo Switch Online. Its cheapest standard plan works out to $1.67 a month ($19.99 a year) versus $9.99 a month ($119.88 a year) for Xbox Game Pass, a difference of $99.89 a year. Bundles, promotions, and app-store billing can change the final price.
How much more does Game Pass cost than Nintendo Switch Online?
Game Pass Ultimate is $275.88 a year at $22.99 a month; NSO Individual is $19.99 a year and the Expansion Pack tier is $49.99. Even Game Pass Essential, $119.88 a year, costs six times NSO's base plan.
Do I lose my games if either subscription lapses?
With Game Pass you lose access to the library but keep cloud saves and anything you bought outright. With NSO you lose online play and the retro catalogues; cloud-save availability afterwards varies by title, so check before cancelling.
Full guides
Xbox Game Pass price & cancellation guide
Ultimate dropped to $22.99 in April 2026 after briefly costing $29.99, while Essential and Premium remain $9.99 and $14.99.
View guideNintendo Switch Online price & cancellation guide
Nintendo's base US membership still costs $19.99 per year, with no price increase since the service launched in 2018.
View guideMore comparisons
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