Ten years of content and one bad first purchase

GTA Online is the largest part of GTA V and also the easiest one to get lost in. This page covers three things: which edition you play, what to do in the first hours, and which activities in that huge pile actually pay.

Checked 26 August 2026. Earnings are approximate — Rockstar changes them from week to week.

GTA Online guides age faster than almost anything else about the series. Rockstar changes the game every week, figures shift, and half the advice online describes a state that ended years ago.

This page is therefore written to remain useful a year from now. It describes decisions and mechanics, not events and discounts. Every figure is approximate and carries a date. Anything that can only be estimated is labelled as an estimate.

Legacy or Enhanced

First, check which game you have

GTA V has two PC editions and GTA Online runs separately in each. Legacy is the original version and Enhanced the newer one. Players in one edition cannot join sessions in the other, and mods written for one may not work in the other.

Progress can be transferred from Legacy to Enhanced. Rockstar describes this as a one-time and irreversible transfer: it includes characters, money, rank, vehicles, properties, weapons and clothing. The original Legacy profile remains, but progress does not synchronise between the editions afterwards — you are effectively playing in two separate worlds.

Think carefully before starting the transfer. It cannot be reversed, and playing both editions means maintaining two separate sets of progress.

Podpora Rockstaru — přenos profilu z Legacy do Enhanced

And GTA 6?

Will GTA Online end when GTA 6 arrives?

No. As of srpen 2026, the game continues to receive regular updates, and Rockstar has not announced anywhere that it will shut the game down when GTA 6 is released. Progress, money and vehicles do not transfer anywhere — they remain where they are.

We do not know or claim what will happen in two years. We report only what has been announced today.

How to start

Where things most often go wrong

  1. 1

    Do not buy anything immediately

    The most common beginner's mistake is buying an expensive car or flat in the first hours. Almost everything cheap turns out to be a dead end within days. It is better to leave roughly the first half-million untouched.

  2. 2

    Complete the introductory career

    The game guides you through the first missions. They are not profitable, but they unlock access to activities that are and teach controls that differ from single-player.

  3. 3

    Play in a closed session

    In a public session, anyone with a rocket launcher can bother you. Most profitable activities work in an invite-only session where you are alone — at the same speed.

  4. 4

    Follow weekly events

    Each week Rockstar doubles the earnings from a different activity. Playing what is currently doubled earns twice as much in the same time. It is the largest multiplier in the game and costs nothing.

  5. 5

    Only then buy your first business

    It only makes sense to buy something that earns passively once you have a reserve of around one million. Until then, you earn through active work.

What pays

Approximate, not exact — figures change with events

Cayo Perico

One player can handle it
What it is
Solo heist
How much
Roughly 1 to 1.9 million per run
How often
Around 90 minutes between repeat runs
How it works
The most profitable activity one player can complete alone. It requires a one-time purchase for access. An experienced player can finish it in twenty minutes.
The catch
Rockstar has repeatedly reduced the payout and added repeat restrictions. Treat the figure as an approximate order of magnitude, not a promise.

Acid Lab

One player can handle it
What it is
Passive business
How much
Around 120 thousand for a full batch
How often
A batch takes roughly one in-game day
How it works
It is earned by completing missions, not bought. It produces while you do something else — you only need to collect the goods.
The catch
It requires an equipment investment before it starts earning.

Nightclub

One player can handle it
What it is
Passive business
How much
The safe fills to roughly 50 thousand
How often
Collect when full
How it works
The most hands-off of all businesses. It earns even when you are not actively playing the game.
The catch
The safe has a low cap. It is not enough as your only source of income.

Weekly events

One player can handle it
What it is
Multiplier
How much
Double for the selected activity
How often
Changes every week
How it works
It is not an activity, but a multiplier for everything else. Choosing what to play around it earns twice as much in the same time.
The catch
None. This is the only item on the list without a catch.

Common mistakes

Errors that cost money and time

An expensive car as the first purchase

A fast car earns nothing. Businesses and heists earn money; a car is a reward, not an investment.

Buying a business without upgrades

Most businesses earn so little without production upgrades that the investment takes years to repay. Buy the business with upgrades, or wait.

Playing in a public session

Delivering goods in a public session means somebody may destroy them. An invite-only session is just as fast and nobody interferes.

Buying game money with real money

A Shark Card is the most expensive way to buy progress. The same amount can be earned over a few evenings for the price of one card — and that is our opinion, not a fact.

Fraudulent ‘money generators’

Sites promising free money in exchange for login details steal accounts. Rockstar does not add money through any external service.

Frequently asked questions

Is GTA Online included with GTA V or bought separately?

It is included. Anyone who owns GTA V also has Online. On PC, you play in whichever edition you launch — Legacy and Enhanced have separate sessions and separate progress.

Can I play alone?

Yes, and most players do. Cayo Perico, the most profitable heist, supports one player, and businesses can be managed alone. Invite-only sessions provide the full experience.

How much money do I need before buying anything?

Around one million. Less will not cover both a business and its upgrades, and a business without upgrades is not worthwhile. Until then, use activities that cost nothing.

Is a Shark Card worth it?

As a shortcut, yes; as value for money, no. The same amount can be earned over a few evenings for the price of one card. This is our opinion, not a fact — somebody short on time may see it differently.

Will my progress transfer to GTA 6?

No. Rockstar has announced no such thing, and GTA 6 is being released as a single-player game; a separate GTA 6 Online is not part of the release and has no announced date.

Will I lose progress when moving from Legacy to Enhanced?

No, but it is one-way. According to Rockstar, the transfer is one-time and irreversible: it includes characters, money, rank, vehicles and properties. The Legacy profile remains, but progress no longer synchronises afterwards.

Can I use mods in GTA Online?

No. Modding GTA Online breaches the terms and can lead to an account ban. Mods belong exclusively in the single-player game, played offline.

Why do guide earnings vary so much?

Because they change. Rockstar regularly adjusts payouts and doubles something every week. Figures on this page are approximate orders of magnitude and carry a check date — nobody can provide an exact figure that remains valid forever.

The rest of GTA V

Online is one half of the game. The other has its own story, five heists and mysteries that players still discuss — and mods are allowed there.

Story heists →GTA V mods