V-Bucks vs. Robux: Which Gaming Currency Is Actually Cheaper?
TL;DR: Robux is technically cheaper per unit, but V-Bucks go further for what most kids actually want. A $10 Fortnite purchase gets you a full Battle Pass with 100+ items. A $10 Roblox purchase gets you 800 Robux—enough for maybe one decent outfit or a few accessories. But here's the twist: Roblox's economy teaches actual entrepreneurship skills, while Fortnite's is pure consumption. Both will drain your wallet if you don't set clear boundaries.
Let's cut through the confusion with actual numbers.
Fortnite V-Bucks:
- 1,000 V-Bucks = $7.99 (0.8 cents per V-Buck)
- 2,800 V-Bucks = $19.99 (0.7 cents per V-Buck)
- 5,000 V-Bucks = $31.99 (0.6 cents per V-Buck)
- 13,500 V-Bucks = $79.99 (0.6 cents per V-Buck)
Roblox Robux:
- 400 Robux = $4.99 (1.2 cents per Robux)
- 800 Robux = $9.99 (1.2 cents per Robux)
- 1,700 Robux = $19.99 (1.2 cents per Robux)
- 4,500 Robux = $49.99 (1.1 cents per Robux)
- Roblox Premium changes the game: $4.99/month gets you 450 Robux (1.1 cents each) PLUS trading privileges and a 10% bonus on all purchases
At face value, V-Bucks are cheaper per unit. But that's like saying a Mercedes costs less per pound than a Honda—it completely misses the point.
This is where it gets interesting.
In Fortnite:
- Battle Pass: 950 V-Bucks (~$8) gets you a season's worth of content (10-12 weeks)
- Skins: 800-2,000 V-Bucks ($6-$16)
- Emotes: 200-800 V-Bucks ($2-$6)
- Pickaxes/Back Bling: 500-1,500 V-Bucks ($4-$12)
The Battle Pass is genuinely the best value in gaming. For less than $10, kids get 100 tiers of unlockable content, enough V-Bucks back to buy next season's pass, and about 3 months of progression goals. Most kids who spend money in Fortnite are really just buying the Battle Pass every season—that's $30-40/year.
In Roblox:
- Avatar items: 50-500 Robux (60 cents-$6) for individual pieces
- Game passes: 25-1,000+ Robux (30 cents-$12+)
- Private servers: 100-1,000 Robux/month ($1.20-$12/month)
- Limited items: Can cost thousands of Robux
Here's the brutal truth: Roblox's economy is designed to make you feel poor. With 40+ million games and endless customization options, there's always something else to buy. That 800 Robux from a $10 purchase? It'll get you maybe one outfit or a handful of game passes before it's gone.
Fortnite's Psychological Tricks:
- The Item Shop rotates daily, creating artificial scarcity
- "Rare" skins that might never come back (spoiler: they usually do)
- Collabs with Marvel, Star Wars, etc. that target specific interests
- The entire game is free, so kids feel like they're "owed" some cosmetics
Roblox's Economic Complexity:
- Trading system where kids can lose value on bad trades
- "Limited" items that appreciate or crash in value
- Developer products that range from fair to predatory
- Social pressure across multiple games (you need a good avatar everywhere)
The real difference? Fortnite is a $30-50/year habit for most kids. Roblox can easily become $20-30/month if you're not careful.
Here's where I'll defend Roblox: the platform genuinely teaches economic literacy in ways Fortnite doesn't.
Kids who create games on Roblox can earn Robux through:
- Game passes and developer products
- Premium player payouts
- Engagement-based rewards
Once they hit 100,000 earned Robux (about $350 in real money value), they can cash out through the Developer Exchange program. I know multiple families where teenagers are earning actual money—anywhere from $50/month to a few thousand for serious developers.
This is real entrepreneurship. Kids learn about:
- Product development and user experience
- Marketing and community building
- Pricing strategy and customer retention
- The difference between spending and investing
Fortnite offers none of this. It's pure consumption. Beautiful, engaging, socially important consumption—but consumption nonetheless.
Ages 6-9: These kids don't need in-game currency at all. Both games are completely playable for free. If you're going to spend, the Fortnite Battle Pass is the better value—it's finite, seasonal, and gives them clear progression goals.
Ages 10-13: This is where Roblox starts making sense IF your kid is interested in creating or trading. Consider:
- Roblox Premium ($4.99/month) instead of one-off purchases
- Required parent approval for all transactions
- A monthly budget (suggest $10-20/month max)
- Matching contributions: they earn half, you provide half
For Fortnite, the Battle Pass plus maybe one skin per season keeps most kids happy. That's roughly $40-60/year.
Ages 14+: If they want more, they can earn it. Seriously. Both platforms offer ways to contribute:
- Chores-for-currency systems
- Roblox development as actual income
- Fortnite competitive play (some kids do earn from tournaments, though this is rare)
The Screenwise-Recommended Approach:
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Start with zero. Both games are free. Let them experience that first.
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One-time test purchase. After 2-3 months of play, let them choose: Fortnite Battle Pass OR 800 Robux. See how they spend it.
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Establish the pattern. If you're going to allow regular spending:
- Fortnite: Battle Pass each season ($8-10 every 10-12 weeks)
- Roblox: Premium subscription ($4.99/month) with clear rules about what the monthly Robux can be spent on
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Use platform controls:
- Set up Fortnite parental controls to require PIN for purchases
- Configure Roblox parental controls with spending limits and purchase approval
- Remove saved payment methods from gaming consoles
- Use gift cards instead of linked credit cards
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The transparency rule. They must tell you BEFORE they spend, not after. Violated once? Lose purchasing privileges for a month. Violated twice? Three months. This is non-negotiable.
Honestly? This is the wrong question. Most kids ages 8-14 are playing both, and trying to restrict them to one will just create social friction.
The better question: Which spending model fits your family values?
Choose Fortnite's model if:
- You want predictable, seasonal costs
- You prefer a clear "this is what you get" transaction
- Your kid isn't interested in creating content
- You want simpler financial conversations
Choose Roblox's model if:
- Your kid shows interest in game design or development
- You want to teach complex economic concepts
- You're willing to have ongoing conversations about value and trading
- You can handle more variable monthly costs
Choose neither if:
- Your kid is under 10 and hasn't asked for it
- You're not ready to have ongoing money conversations
- Your family is working on other behavioral issues first
Both games are completely playable without spending a dime. The social pressure is real, but it's also manageable with clear family values and good communication.
V-Bucks are cheaper per unit, but Robux teaches more valuable skills. Fortnite's Battle Pass is the single best value in gaming. Roblox's economy is more complex and potentially more expensive, but it's also more educational.
For most families, the sweet spot is:
- Fortnite: Battle Pass every season = $30-40/year
- Roblox: Premium subscription = $60/year
- Total: About $100/year per kid, or $8-10/month
That's less than a Netflix subscription. The question isn't whether it's affordable—it's whether you're comfortable with the values and habits these platforms are teaching.
Want to dig deeper into either platform? Check out our guides on Minecraft vs. Roblox or is Fortnite actually bad for kids.
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Check what they're currently spending. Look at your credit card statements. You might be surprised.
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Have the conversation. Ask them what they've bought and why. No judgment—just curiosity.
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Set up parental controls today. Both platforms make this easier than you think.
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Establish your family's budget. Write it down. Make it clear. Stick to it.
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Revisit in 3 months. See how it's going. Adjust as needed.
The goal isn't to eliminate spending—it's to make it intentional, educational, and aligned with your family's values. Both V-Bucks and Robux can be part of a healthy digital life. They can also spiral into hundreds of dollars per month if you're not paying attention.
Your call.