Last revised: 12 NOV 2026 · by I.NET
EVE Online® can be played for free forever with an Alpha clone. With a subscription (but not only that, see below) you become Omega. Here are the differences between the two that really matter when you're starting out.
What you can do as an Alpha
- Fly combat ships up to battleships (including Navy versions up to battleship, but not Tech 2 ships such as interceptors, assault frigates or HACs, nor Tech 3 ships such as Strategic Cruisers and Tactical Destroyers), and only the basic haulers and mining ships.
- Use most Tech 2 modules: the Omega-only ones are marked in game with the Omega icon, so just check before buying. All the modules in our noobkart fits can be used by Alphas.
- Accumulate up to 5 million skill points for free, though with a maximum level for each skill (for example Shield Management up to IV, CPU Management up to V).
The main Alpha limits
- Skill training is half as fast as an Omega. So what an Omega learns in, say, one month, an Alpha learns in two.
- No level 4 and 5 agent missions, no Planetary Interaction on multiple planets, no advanced mining ships.
- Only one active contract at a time, market orders within 5 jumps, an extra 2% tax on industry jobs.
- You can't play an Alpha at the same time as another character (no multiboxing). In other words, you can only be logged in with one client/character at a time.
What Omega unlocks
- All ships and all skills, with no skill point cap.
- Skill training twice as fast.
- Every activity in the game without any limitation.
- Extra rewards during recurring events.
- 15,000 skill points for free every week.
Omega is paid for with a subscription or with PLEX, which you can buy with real money or with ISK earned in game: yes, exactly, that means that if you earn enough ISK in game to buy PLEX on the in-game market, you can renew a month of subscription; in other words, you can play without paying real money. Of course this requires some time to dedicate to it (though not that much) and unlocking Omega at least once with a regular subscription. Current standard prices are €20.00 or 500 PLEX for 30 days. However, it always pays to look at the offers and wait for the ones that come back periodically. For example:
- Long subscriptions (up to 24 consecutive months) are discounted by default, more so the longer the subscription. During some events, however, the discount increases considerably: at certain times, for example, the 24-month plan costs up to 55% less than the monthly one, compared with the standard 45% discount.
- PLEX are often on sale both in the official EVE Online store and at authorized resellers: by combining the discount on PLEX with the one on the subscription, you save even more. Add a favourable exchange rate by buying PLEX from authorized resellers in the USA, and long subscriptions have reached costs below €7.00 per month instead of the standard €20.00, a considerable saving.
- N.B. NEVER buy PLEX or (even worse) ISK from unauthorized sellers. Fenris Creations (the company that owns EVE Online) is very strict with anyone who buys ISK and PLEX through other channels, and even bans repeat offenders' accounts permanently. Just search for "Monthly Ban Report EVE Online" to find the monthly reports. Don't take pointless risks: it isn't worth it and you have no protection whatsoever.
Our advice
Start as an Alpha: the first weeks are for finding out whether the game is for you, and which of the many activities you can do in game best suit your play style. If you enjoy PvP and would like to join I.NET, the noobkart fits we offer are designed to be flown even with few skills: use them as a guide for your own skill plans, so you're ready when you want to join. Switch to Omega when:
- you want to train faster (twice the skill points in the same time);
- you need ships or modules outside the Alpha set (for example the ships of the alliance doctrines).
N.B. Joining I.NET means accepting to be Omega. First, because many doctrine fits are Omega-only, and you would be left out of 99% of what we do in the corp and the alliance. Second, but no less important, you have to be able to survive, and life in 0.0 requires ships, modules and skills that Alphas don't have access to. For these two reasons we ask for Omega: we can't have you playing with one hand tied behind your back. On the other hand, through the alliance, we guarantee SRP (Ship Replacement Program, i.e. reimbursement) at 100% on every ship lost in official alliance operations and fitted according to the official doctrine.
Source for fact-checking: EVE University Wiki, "Clone states" (rev. October 2026).