If you don't want to purchase Guild Wars 2 right away, you can play the entire core version of the game entirely for free. The caveat is that free accounts come with restrictions on certain features that could be used to disrupt the game experience of other users.
Here's the breakdown of how a free account differs from a "core" Guild Wars 2 game account, which you make when you purchase the game or one of its expansion packs:
Core Features || Communication || Game Content || Additional Features
CORE FEATURES
| Free Account | Core Guild Wars 2 Account | |
|---|---|---|
| Character Slots (Total) | 2 | 5 |
| Bag Slots (Per Character) | 3 | 5 |
| Playable Professions | Elementalist Engineer Guardian Mesmer Necromancer Ranger Thief Warrior |
Elementalist Engineer Guardian Mesmer Necromancer Ranger Thief Warrior |
| Profession Masteries | No | No |
| Accessible Regions | Central Tyria | Central Tyria |
| Central Tyria (Core) Maps & Content |
Characters will be restricted to starter maps until the character reaches level 10. Lion’s Arch will be unlocked for characters who reach level 35. |
No Restrictions |
COMMUNICATION
| Free Account | Core Guild Wars 2 Account | |
|---|---|---|
| In-Game Mail * |
Can only send mail messages to mutual friends. Can’t send gold or items. |
No Restrictions |
| Whisper (chat) |
Except for mutual friends, can only whisper within the same map. For non-friends, can only whisper one new person every 30 seconds. |
No Restrictions |
| Map (chat) | Messages are rate-limited | No Restrictions |
| Squad (chat) | Unlocked (per character) at level 30. | No Restrictions |
| PvP (chat) |
Team Chat always available. Chat in PvP Lobby unlocked when the account reaches PvP Rank 20. Emotes, Map and Say chat unavailable during matches. |
No Restrictions |
* All accounts are unable to send mail until the first character reaches Level 6, though can receive messages leading up to that time.
GAME CONTENT
| Free Account | Core Guild Wars 2 Account | |
|---|---|---|
| Guild Hall Access | Full Access to HoT Guild Halls | Full Access to HoT Guild Halls |
| Guild Bank Access | No | No Restrictions * |
| Guild Enhancements Access | No | No Restrictions |
| PvP | Can only access Custom and Unranked Arenas until PvP Rank 20. | Can only access Custom and Unranked Arenas until PvP Rank 20. |
| WvW | Unlocked account-wide when one character reaches level 60. | No Restrictions |
| Looking For Group | Unlocked (per character) at level 30. | No Restrictions |
| Raids | Cannot Access | No Restrictions |
| Living World Access | Seasons 1 & 2 | Seasons 1 & 2 |
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
| Free Account | Core Guild Wars 2 Account | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Login Bonus | No | Yes |
| Gem Store | Items unusable by free accounts (such as the glider or mount skins) are unavailable. | No Restrictions |
| Currency Exchange *** |
Gems to gold exchange available. Gold to gems exchange unavailable. |
No Restrictions |
| Trading Post | Can buy and sell items from a select list. | Yes |
| World Transfers | No | Yes |
| Forum Posting Access | No | Yes |
*** All newly-created accounts must wait 72 hours before gems-to-gold transactions can be completed on the currency exchange.