Account Types

Only 50 backpack slots (compared to 300)



Can't find/craft cosmetic items



Can't trade away items that are found/crafted (except for tools)

The Cheap Method

The Trader Method

There are two types of TF2 accounts:(also known as Free2Play or F2P) and. Free to play accounts have a few restrictions:None of these restrictions affect gameplay. However, if you enjoy TF2 and you want more backpack space, the ability to find cosmetic items, and more trading ability, then you can upgrade to premium.To upgrade your account to premium, all you have to do is buy anything from the Mann Co. Store. There are a couple methods for upgrading:The cheap method for upgrading costs 10 cents. Just buy the Giftapult item from the in-game Mann Co. Store. Once you buy it, you'll be upgraded to premium. You can use the item if you wish, trade it, or just keep it.This method costs 37 cents. First, open the Mann Co. Store and locate a weapon that costs $0.49. Click on it, and then click the "Try it out!" button to receive a one-week trial copy of that weapon (note that some weapons cannot be trialed, just look for an item that you can trial). Once you do so, you'll be able to buy that weapon for $0.37 (25% discount). After you do this, your TF2 account will be upgraded to premium.The best bang-for-your-buck that you can get is by buying Mann Co. Supply Crate Keys. Two keys will cost just under $5 ($4.98) and can be traded for a whole lot of metal each (somewhere around 7 refined per key at the time of this writing). You can trade this metal for cosmetics, weapons, tools, etc. Unless you want to spend considerable time on trade servers and trading sites, this isn't the method for you.You can upgrade to premium by buying any item from the store. You can, of course, buy any item you want. It doesn't have to be limited to these two options. Note, however, that buying items from the store is a very bad deal in most cases as most items can be obtained for significantly less with simple trading.