How to make your first million gil in FFXIV

Your first million gil in Final Fantasy XIV feels like a lot when you're starting out — but it's very reachable without any starting capital or market-trading know-how. This is a beginner plan: low-risk methods, in a sensible order, plus the one habit that separates players who make gil from players who grind for hours and barely break even.

Mindset first: gil comes from the market board

Quests and dungeons hand out a trickle of gil, but real income comes from selling things other players want on the market board. You don't need to be a trader — you just need to make or collect things that sell, and know which ones are worth the effort on your server. That last part is where a free tool like XIV Profitability does the heavy lifting: it ranks every method by live profit for your world so you're never guessing.

The beginner ladder to 1,000,000 gil

1. Level a gatherer (Miner or Botanist)

Gathering is the best beginner earner because it has no cost — everything you collect is pure profit. Level a Miner or Botanist a bit and sell what's in demand. Check the Gathering tool to see which nodes actually pay on your world right now instead of farming something that's crashed in price.

2. Keep your retainers working

As soon as you have retainers, send them on ventures every time you log in. It's free, passive gil in the background — the only mistake is letting a timer sit idle or picking a low-value venture. The tool ranks ventures by what their haul sells for.

3. Try easy NPC flips

Some items vendors sell for a fixed price resell for much more on the board. No crafting or gathering required — just buy and relist. The NPC to Market Flips tool finds the ones worth flipping today. It's the closest thing to free gil for a new player with a little starting cash.

4. Pick up a crafter when you're ready

Crafting scales the highest, but it's the most involved. Once you've built a small cushion, level a crafter and use the Crafting tool to find recipes whose materials cost less than the finished item sells for. Start with cheap, fast-selling items and reinvest the profit.

Beginner mistakes to avoid

• Vendoring everything. Many items sell for far more to players than to NPCs — check the board first.
• Following old guides. A "best item to farm" from last year may be worthless now. Use live prices.
• Dumping a full stack at once. Listing 99 of one thing tanks the price. Sell in smaller batches.
• Ignoring retainers. Idle retainers are free gil you're throwing away every day.

From your first million to your next

Once you hit a million, the same methods scale — you just have more capital to flip and craft with. When you're ready to go deeper, read how to make gil in FFXIV (every method, ranked) and the focused guides on crafting, gathering, and flipping.

Find your fastest gil on your world → Every method, ranked →

XIV Profitability is a free, fan-made tool. Not affiliated with Square Enix. Prices via Universalis. FINAL FANTASY XIV © SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.