OSRS Beginner Guide 2026: How to Start Old School RuneScape

Last updated: October 27, 2026.

Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is RuneScape as it was in 2007, kept alive by Jagex with new content that the community votes on. You can play free on PC, Mac, Steam and mobile, using the same character everywhere. The hard part is the start: Jagex Accounts, the Launcher, three different clients, a handful of Ironman modes and now Hardcore Worlds. This guide covers what you need to decide before you leave Tutorial Island, based on Jagex’s official pages.

Where to download and what your PC needs

The official download page offers the Jagex Launcher for Windows, Mac and Linux, plus links to Steam, the App Store and Google Play. Mobile has full cross-platform support, so you can start on PC and carry on right where you left off on your phone.

The game is light. On Steam, Jagex recommends Windows 10 or later, an Intel i3-6100 or any Ryzen CPU, 8 GB of RAM, graphics on the level of a GeForce GTX 600 series, Intel UHD 610 or Radeon R7 260, and 2 GB of free space. On Mac, macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later, with an M1 chip and 4 GB of RAM recommended.

Jagex Accounts: start with the right account

New players today create a Jagex Account, Jagex’s current account type. On November 17, 2026 Jagex switches off Legacy logins for good, so there is no reason to make anything in the old format. Players who log in through Steam, Apple, Google or Game Center keep logging in the same way, but they need a Jagex Account to use the Jagex Launcher and some website features such as Support. Our Jagex Account migration guide explains the full change.

Once your account exists, turn on the authenticator (the link sits in the Account menu on the official site). OSRS accounts are a constant phishing target, and Jagex itself warns about fake links when you search for clients and downloads on Google.

Which client to use: official, RuneLite or HDOS

The Jagex Launcher lets you choose between three clients, all supported by Jagex:

• Official client: made by Jagex and the only one on both desktop and mobile. Jagex is working on its own HD mode and plugin hub.
• RuneLite: the client most players use, with plugins that work like add-ons in other MMOs.
• HDOS: a third-party client that recreates the look of RuneScape around 2010, also with plugins. Install it separately from its official link so it shows up in the Launcher.

If you are not sure, start with RuneLite on PC and use the official client on mobile.

Free to play or members: what changes

You can play a lot without paying, and that is the best way to find out whether OSRS is for you. Membership changes the size of the game:

	Free to play	Members
Map	Part of the world	A world four times larger, with new continents and cities
Skills	Core skills	9 extra member-only skills, such as Sailing, Herblore and Construction
Content	Starter quests and bosses	Over 170 quests and over 65 bosses, including every raid
Housing	None	Player-Owned House with teleport portals and restoration pools
Bank	Limited space	Up to 1,410 slots
Worlds	F2P worlds	Hundreds of members-only worlds

Plans of 1 and 12 months are listed on the official membership page, and Steam also sells 1-month membership. The other route is Old School Bonds: in-game items you can buy from other players for gold, including on the Grand Exchange, and redeem for membership time. In other words, once you earn enough gold you can pay for membership by playing.

The newest raid, The Fractured Archive, is a good example of content far beyond a new account: it is members-only and asks for high levels.

Regular account or Ironman: decide on Tutorial Island

Every character starts on Tutorial Island, and that is the only place where you can pick an Ironman mode, by talking to Paul, the Ironman Tutor, outside the Magic Instructor’s house. Once you leave the island, the choice is locked.

• Regular account: can do everything, including trading and using the Grand Exchange. Our pick for a first character.
• Ironman: you truly play alone. No trading, no Grand Exchange purchases and no picking up items other players drop.
• Hardcore Ironman: Ironman rules with a single life. If you die the account is not deleted; you lose the status and continue as a regular Ironman.
• Ultimate Ironman: Ironman without a bank. Jagex says it is not recommended for new players.
• Group Ironman: Ironman in a team of 2 to 5, trading and sharing storage only inside the group. There is also a Hardcore version (the group gets as many lives as members) and an Unranked version that lets you swap groups but is left off the HiScores.

Hardcore Worlds (November 4): good for beginners?

On November 4, 2026 Jagex opens Hardcore Worlds, permanent worlds where death almost always costs you the character. To join, you make a fresh character and, still on Tutorial Island, talk to Death’s Delegate near the Magic Instructor’s house. The pace matches the main game with no XP boosts, and the worlds have their own economy with player trading.

When you die you choose Reset (the character goes back to zero, as if fresh off the island) or Transfer (the character moves to the main game with its bank and protected items, with no way back). Activities that are usually safe for Hardcore Ironmen, such as Pest Control, Nightmare Zone and the Fight Cave, count as real deaths there. Everyone starts with an Escape Crystal in their inventory.

For a brand new player, the short answer is: not yet. Learn the game on a regular account first. A careless death on Hardcore Worlds wipes hours of progress while you are still figuring out where everything is.

The settings Jagex recommends turning on

In its official new player guide, Jagex suggests changing these early (you can search each one by name in the settings menu):

• Shift click to drop items: hold Shift and click to drop without opening a menu.
• Hide Roofs: see inside buildings.
• Scroll Wheel can change zoom distance and Middle Mouse button controls the camera: zoom and camera on the mouse.
• Player Attack Options set to “Always right-click” and PK Skull Prevention: stop you from attacking someone by accident in the Wilderness.
• Enable new-style skill guide interface and Collection log new addition popout: a modern skill guide and a popup when you get a new item.
• View Distance (official client only): a longer draw distance.

First steps that help

• Use the mouse for everything: Jagex calls this the biggest piece of advice. Right-click opens extra actions, and “Use” combines items with each other or with objects in the world.
• Wiki button: next to the globe on the minimap. Click it, then an item, monster or NPC, to open the right page on the OSRS Wiki. If you cannot see it, search “Wiki” in the settings.
• Free teleports: the Grouping tab of the chat-channel panel has free teleports on a 30-minute cooldown. Some need to be unlocked first.
• Screen layout: in Settings, Display tab, pick Fixed Classic (the small 2007 screen) or one of the Resizable modes.
• Read the chatbox: NPC dialogue, attack warnings and trade requests all show up there.

Video: what is Old School RuneScape

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FAQ

Is Old School RuneScape free?

Yes. You download and play for free, on part of the map and with part of the skills. Membership unlocks the rest and can be paid with money or with Old School Bonds bought for in-game gold.

Can I play OSRS on mobile with my PC character?

Yes. The iOS and Android app uses the same character and progress as PC.

Can I become an Ironman later?

No. Ironman modes can only be chosen on Tutorial Island. If you change your mind later, you need a new character.

Are OSRS and RuneScape 3 the same game?

No. They are separate games with their own worlds, characters and economies. Old School Bonds only work in Old School, but redeeming one also grants RuneScape membership.

Find guides for other games on our games page. If you also want to try a big MMO without paying, the FFXIV Free Trial goes up to level 80.

Dates and news for the game live on our Old School RuneScape hub. Comparing new MMOs too? Read what the ArcheAge Chronicles demo showed.

Sources: official Old School RuneScape site, New Player Guide: Settings & Set-Up, membership page, Old School Bonds, Hardcore Worlds Are Coming On November 4th, Jagex Accounts: Migration Begins Nov 17 and the Steam store page.