TL;DR: Roblox is technically free, but the "Premium" subscription ($4.99–$19.99/month) is the gatekeeper to the game's social status and internal economy. It’s a solid budgeting tool if you want to end the "Can I have $5 for Robux?" cycle, but it also opens the door to item trading—which can feel more like a high-stakes Wall Street floor than a playground.
Quick Links for Context:
If you’ve spent more than five minutes around a grade-schooler lately, you’ve probably heard about Roblox. You’ve also probably been asked for "just five dollars" to buy a digital hat or a neon-colored pet in Adopt Me!.
Roblox is the ultimate "freemium" beast. The platform itself costs nothing to download, and the millions of games inside it—from the chaotic Skibidi Toilet clones to the surprisingly complex Blox Fruits—are free to enter. But eventually, every kid hits the "noob" wall. In Roblox culture, a "noob" isn't just someone who is bad at the game; it’s someone who wears the default, free skin.
Enter Roblox Premium. It’s the recurring subscription that promises to turn your kid from a "noob" into a "pro" (or at least someone with a cooler hat). But before you hand over your credit card for another monthly bill, let’s look at what you’re actually buying.
Roblox Premium is a tiered monthly subscription service. It replaced the old "Builders Club" years ago. There are usually three levels:
- $4.99/month: Gives 450 Robux per month.
- $9.99/month: Gives 1,000 Robux per month.
- $19.99/month: Gives 2,200 Robux per month.
Beyond the monthly "allowance" of Robux, Premium members get a 10% bonus when buying extra Robux, access to Premium-only levels or items within specific games, and—most importantly to older kids—the ability to trade items with other players.
To us, it’s a $5 charge on the Amex. To a 10-year-old, it’s a social passport.
The Status Symbol
In the world of Roblox, your avatar is your identity. If your kid is hanging out in Brookhaven, they want the cool house and the fast car. Having Premium gives them a steady stream of currency to keep their "drip" (style) current. Without it, they’re stuck with the basic blocky character that screams, "My parents don't let me buy Robux." It sounds silly, but in a digital-first social world, it’s the equivalent of wearing off-brand sneakers to middle school in 1998.
The Trading Economy
Once kids hit ages 11 or 12, they stop just playing games and start trading. Roblox has a secondary market for "Limited" items. These are virtual goods that have a fixed supply. To participate in this economy—to trade a "Super Happy Face" for a "Dominus" hat—you must have a Premium subscription.
Access to "Pro" Features
Some developers offer "Premium Benefits" within their games. For example, in a simulator game, a Premium member might get 2x speed or a special daily chest. It’s a classic "pay-to-win" or "pay-to-skip-the-grind" mechanic.
You’ll often hear parents (and Roblox’s marketing) say that the platform teaches kids about business, coding, and economics.
The Reality: If your kid is actually using Roblox Studio to build games and earn Robux from players, then yes, they are learning game design and monetization. That’s legit.
However, for 95% of kids, "entrepreneurship" in Roblox just means "trading items." This is more like day-trading stocks than starting a lemonade stand. They are watching "Value Lists" (third-party websites that track the fluctuating price of virtual items) and trying to "win" trades. While it does teach basic supply and demand, it also introduces them to the stress of market crashes and the very real danger of "scamming."
From a pure math perspective, Premium is almost always a better deal than buying Robux one-off.
- A one-time purchase of 400 Robux costs $4.99.
- A Premium subscription for $4.99 gives 450 Robux plus all the extra perks.
If your kid is asking for Robux every week, the subscription acts as a spending cap. You can tell them, "You get your 450 Robux on the 1st of the month. When it’s gone, it’s gone." This shifts the burden of budgeting onto them. If they blow it all on a "Skibidi" emote on day two, they have to wait 28 days for more. It’s a low-stakes way to teach them that money is finite.
Ages 6-9
At this age, they don't need Premium. They likely don't understand the value of the currency and will accidentally spend it on "power-ups" that disappear in ten minutes. Stick to occasional gift cards if you want to treat them.
Ages 10-12
This is the "sweet spot" for Premium. Social pressure is high, and they are starting to understand how to save up for more expensive items. Use the $4.99 tier as a way to manage their digital allowance.
Ages 13+
If they are still into Roblox at this age, they are likely into the "Limiteds" market or game development. Premium is almost a requirement for them to fully engage with the platform's more "adult" features.
Ask our chatbot about age-appropriate alternatives to Roblox
Before you hit "subscribe," there are a few "No-BS" realities you need to accept:
- The "Stipend" isn't a lot: 450 Robux sounds like a lot, but some "cool" items cost 10,000+ Robux ($100+ USD). Premium won't stop the begging for more Robux; it just provides a baseline.
- Trade Scams are everywhere: Once your kid can trade, they will be targeted by "beaming" (hacking) or "sharking" (bad trades). You need to have a conversation about "If it sounds too good to be true, it’s a scam."
- The "Brain Rot" Factor: Let's be honest—a lot of Roblox content is low-effort garbage designed to keep kids clicking. Premium doesn't change the quality of the games; it just makes the garbage more shiny. If you're worried about the quality of what they're playing, check out quality games on Roblox.
Instead of a flat "no" or a blind "yes," try these talking points:
- The Budget Talk: "I’m willing to do the $4.99 subscription, but that means I am not buying any extra Robux for the rest of the month. Do you think you can manage that?"
- The Value Talk: "Is that 'Limited' hat actually worth five real-world dollars, or could we use that money for a boba tea or a new book?"
- The Safety Talk: "Since Premium lets you trade, people might try to trick you. Let’s look at your trade requests together once a week."
Roblox Premium isn't a scam, but it is a very effective way to turn a "free" game into a recurring household expense.
Verdict: If your child plays Roblox for more than 5 hours a week and you’re currently buying Robux sporadically, get the $4.99 Premium subscription. It’s cheaper than a-la-carte Robux and provides a hard boundary for their monthly spending.
However, if your kid is prone to "Ohio" levels of weirdness—falling for every YouTube scam or clicking every "Free Robux" link—giving them the ability to trade items via Premium might be opening a can of worms you aren't ready to deal with yet.
- Check their current spending: Look at your App Store or Google Play history. If it’s more than $5/month, Premium is a save.
- Set up 2FA: Before subscribing, ensure your child’s account has Two-Factor Authentication turned on. Premium accounts are high-value targets for hackers.
- Explore alternatives: If you're tired of the Roblox ecosystem, consider Minecraft or Terraria for a more "one-and-done" purchase experience.
Take the Screenwise Survey to see how your family's Roblox habits compare to your community