How much does Pokémon HOME Cost?

What is Pokémon HOME anyway?

Pokémon HOME is the newest cloud-based service offered by the Pokémon Company. Pokémon HOME allows players to move their Pokémon from various core Pokémon Games, the Pokémon Bank, and, at a future date, Pokémon Go. Pokémon HOME doesn't just act as a storage system for Pokémon, either.

It also has several ways to Trade your Pokémon with other players, an evaluation feature, Pokémon News, Battle data, and even its own Mystery Gifts. This service can be accessed for free with a Basic account, or for a recurring fee with a Premium account.

Pokémon HOME Premium or Basic?

Pokémon HOME has two types of accounts and three different ways to pay, so there really is a plan for everyone. However, to get the most out of your Pokémon HOME account, you should probably just skip right to the Premium account.

We have a more in-depth breakdown of these features. Still, to sum it up, a Basic account is really only useful for moving a few Pokémon from one game to another, and limited use of the GTS and Wonder Rooms. If you want to store more than a handful of Pokémon (30 to be specific,) you'll need a Premium account. You also have to have a Premium account to do anything with an existing Pokémon Bank.

Premium Cost

There are thee different payment options for Pokémon HOME. You can pay monthly, every three months, or annually.

• One month: $3
• Three months: $6
• One year: $16

The annual plan is definitely the best buy here, working out to a little over a dollar a month. The only reason I see for having a one or three month plan would be if you're just moving Pokémon from your Pokémon Bank account to Pokémon Sword or Shield.

If you don't plan on storing Pokémon in Pokémon HOME, having a month (or three) to move Pokémon over might be enough, but it's essential to keep in mind, there are many Pokémon that cannot be transferred to Pokémon Sword and Shield. These games do not use the National Pokédex but rather the Galarian Pokédex, which doesn't include many Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, so you may find a lot of your favorites can't be transferred.