In this article, we’re going to walk through multiple beginner-to-midgame OSRS gold money-making methods in OSRS. We’ll break down requirements, realistic GP per hour rates, key tips the wiki often overlooks, and live-tested results from actually doing each method. You won’t just read about these methods—you’ll know how to do them. Let’s dive in.
First, the Philosophy of Money in OSRS
Making money in OSRS is a cycle:
Make money → Buy gear → Use gear to make more money → Repeat.
It sounds simple, but here’s the catch: trying to skip steps or aiming for billionaire status with low-level methods is a trap. Focus instead on using early money to get over the next hurdle. Efficiency matters more than perfection. Growth in early and midgame is rapid—you’ll outgrow many methods quickly, and that’s a good thing.
Also, don’t waste GP. If you’re not earning $14 in less than 50 hours of work IRL, Runescape might not be your biggest priority right now.
Method 1: Shopscaping Nails – Low-Level Flipping
Requirements: None (just 10k GP)
Startup Tip: Grab your 10k from the Stronghold of Security
GP/Hour: ~500k–1M/hour (varies by competition)
How it works:
Buy nails from the Varrock Lumber Yard and sell them on the GE for profit. Endgame players pay extra for convenience, and that’s where you come in.
Key Tools:
- Runelite Plugin: Menu Entry Swapper → Enable “Buy 50” with Shift-click
- Use world hopping to buy out shop’s stock
- Teleport tabs (like Varrock Teleport) for speed once you have some capital
Live Test Results:
- Turned 10k into 50k in under 3 minutes
- Took 50k to 200k in 20 minutes (heavy competition, slower buying)
- Realistically ~500–800k/hour
Pro Tips:
- Buy all nail types, not just steel
- Hop fast, don’t waste time on empty worlds
- Stock is limited, so the earlier in the day, the better
Method 2: Shopscaping Iron Ore – After Giant Dwarf Quest
Requirements: Completion of The Giant Dwarf
GP/Hour: 700k+
Buy iron ore from the Ore Seller in Keldagrim. Costs 25 GP, sells on GE for ~127 GP. Bring stamina pots—banking distance matters here. Stock depletes fast, but if you’re efficient, this is fantastic midgame cash.
Method 3: Crafting Drift Nets – Profitable Skilling
Requirements:
- 26 Crafting
- 29 Construction
- Bone Voyage completed
GP/Hour: 400–500k
Bonus: Crafting XP
Craft drift nets using jute fibers at the Fossil Island loom. Bank is nearby—fast laps. Don’t trust the wiki’s 600 GP/net claim; actual profit is closer to 300–400 GP/net with GE prices today. Still worthwhile for the XP + decent cash, especially since it’s a chill method.
Method 4: Daily Activities (Cooldown Methods)
Daily cooldowns = high-efficiency money. Set reminders or just knock them out passively. Here are the best:
- Birdhouses
- Requirements: 5 Crafting, 5 Hunter, Bone Voyage
- GP/Run: 25–35k
- Time: 1 minute every 50 minutes
- XP: Passive Hunter XP
Use a digsite pendant, logs + clockworks, and cheap seeds (barley works). One of the best early-game returns for time spent.
- Herb Runs
- GP/Hour: Varies by herb level (Guam to Ranarr to Snapdragon)
- Use Ultra Compost
- Runelite plugin tracks your patch timers
Even at low levels, you’re making profit and snowballing XP. The more patches and bonuses you unlock, the more lucrative this becomes.
- Managing Miscellania
- Requirements: Throne of Miscellania, optional: Royal Trouble
- Profit: 400k–800k+ per week (passive)
- Setup: Keep approval rating high, invest 750k–1.5M
Check the wiki’s calculator to allocate your kingdom’s workers. Herbs + coal are usually best, but I prefer woodcutting for the chance at birds’ nests.
- Tiers of Guthix
- XP: Free XP in your lowest skill once per week
- Time: 2–3 minutes
- Reward: Scales with how bad your worst skill is
It’s free. Do it.
Method 5: Wilderness Agility Course
Requirements:
- 52 Agility
- 150k fee for the reward dispenser
GP/Hour: 1.3M–2M
XP: 40–50k Agility XP/hour
Run laps, collect tickets, and bank when ready. Danger = PKers, but reward = real cash and great XP. You get better loot for streaks, so the risk builds the reward.
Best low-combat/high-risk money maker.
Method 6: Zombie Pirates
Requirements:
- Protect from Magic
- Decent melee gear (Dragon Scimitar+)
- Haunted Mine for Salve Amulet (e)
- Medium Wilderness Diary (recommended)
- Looting Bag for max efficiency
GP/Hour: 1.6M–2.2M
Live Test: 15 mins = 400k (scaled to 1.6M/hour)
Use Burning Amulet to teleport, pray to Mage, and kill zombie pirates. The loot keys are where the big profit comes from. Watch out for PKers.
Method 7: Last Man Standing (LMS)
Requirements:
- 750 Total + 30 Quest Points OR 1500 Total
GP/Hour: Varies by skill, ~800k–1.2M
Bonus: PvP training + fun
LMS rewards skillful PvP, and it’s one of the few competitive ways to make gold in F2P or at midgame. Rewards include Ornate Maul Handles, Looting Bag Notes, and Trouver Parchments—all high-value, high-demand items.
Method 8: Blast Furnace Smelting
Requirements:
- 15+ Smithing
- The Giant Dwarf completed
- Ice Gloves from Heroes’ Quest
- Coal Bag for best profits
GP/Hour: Depends on bars smelted
XP: Smithing XP snowballs into better methods
Smelting steel, mith, adamant, or rune bars can yield great GP + smithing levels. Always check the Blast Furnace Calculator on the wiki for updated profit margins.
Final Thoughts
Making money in Old School RuneScape is more than just chasing GP/hour. It’s about consistency, sustainability, and stacking XP while profiting when possible.
Start small, learn the game systems, and avoid lures, and chasing “top 10 GP/hour” wiki methods that assume max gear and sweaty efficiency. The methods in this guide are proven, beginner-accessible, and scale well with your account.
We hope this article was helpful to you. For more guides on OSRS, check out RSorder. Cheap RuneScape Gold is here for sale!
