If you’ve ever stared at a limited-edition emote or season pass reward you can’t afford in Clash Royale, you know just how valuable gems are. They’re the backbone of fast progression, exclusive cosmetics, and last-minute tournament entries, but far too many players waste hours chasing fake hack tools that only get their accounts banned. I’ve been playing Clash Royale since its global launch, and I’ve tested every possible method to build up my gem stash without risking my account or blowing my entire paycheck on in-app purchases. This guide breaks down exactly how to get gems in Clash Royale, with no sketchy tricks, just methods that actually work for every playstyle.
How to Get Gems in Clash Royale for Free: No Cost, No Risk Methods
Free gem methods are 100% safe, official, and require nothing more than regular play time. You won’t get thousands of gems overnight with these, but you can easily build up a stash of 500+ gems a month without any grind if you stay consistent. I’ve listed the most reliable free methods below, ordered by how much effort they require for the reward you get:
One critical note here: any third-party site or app promising free unlimited gems is a scam. They will either steal your account login information, install malware on your device, or get your account permanently banned by Supercell. There are no loopholes for free unlimited gems, so stick to the official in-game methods listed above to keep your account safe.
Low-Cost Paid Gem Methods That Deliver Maximum Value
If you don’t mind spending a small amount of money on the game, you can get way more gems for your cash than buying the standard gem packs from the shop. I only spend money on Clash Royale once or twice a year, and I get way more value out of these methods than I ever would from buying individual gem packs.
The Gold Pass is by far the best value for money you can get in Clash Royale. For around $5, you get 500+ gems, plus thousands of gold, exclusive cards, emotes, tower skins, and magic items that would cost 10x more if you bought them separately. You don’t even have to grind super hard to unlock all the rewards – just playing 10 minutes a day is enough to hit the end of the reward track before the season ends.
Special limited-time gem bundles that pop up during holidays are another great option. These bundles often give 2x or 3x more gems than the standard gem shop purchases, plus extra bonus items like magic coins or exclusive emotes. I once bought a Clashmas bundle that gave me 1500 gems plus a free legendary card for $10, which is 3x more gems than I would have gotten from the standard $10 gem pack.
Skip the standard 100 gem for $0.99 pack entirely, it’s the worst value in the shop. If you’re going to spend money on gems, wait for a limited bundle or buy the Gold Pass, you’ll get way more for your cash. You can also earn Google Play or App Store credit from survey apps or cashback programs to buy these bundles for effectively free, if you don’t want to spend your own money.
Common Gem Farming Mistakes That Waste Your Hard-Earned Stash
Even if you’re earning tons of gems every month, you can burn through your stash in days if you make these common mistakes. I wasted hundreds of gems in my first year of playing because I didn’t know better, so avoiding these will help you build your stash way faster.
Spending gems on random shop offers that you don’t need is the biggest mistake new players make. A lot of new players spend 100 gems on a common card upgrade that they could get for free from chests in a day, or 50 gems on a pile of gold that they can earn from challenges for free. Only buy shop offers if they’re something you absolutely need right now, like a magic coin to upgrade a key card for a tournament.
Entering paid tournaments you aren’t ready for is another common waste. The 100 gem entry tournaments sound great for big rewards, but if you’re under King Level 11, you’re almost certainly going to get crushed by higher level players with maxed decks, so you’ll just throw your gems away. Wait until you have a solid level 12+ deck before entering paid tournaments, so you have a real shot at winning the rewards.
Speeding up chest unlocks when you don’t need to is also a huge waste. If you’re playing for 30 minutes a day, you don’t need to spend 50 gems to unlock a silver chest 2 hours early, just wait until you’re done playing for the day to unlock a longer chest overnight. The only time it makes sense to speed up a chest is if you’re about to go on a long break and don’t want to leave a chest slot empty for 8+ hours.
I used to waste 200+ gems a month speeding up chests when I first started, and I could have saved up for a full Gold Pass in two months if I’d stopped doing that. Small, frequent waste adds up way faster than you think, so keep an eye on what you’re spending your gems on every week.
How to Optimize Your Gem Grind for Your Playstyle
You don’t have to grind 2 hours a day to build a solid gem stash, you just have to pick the methods that fit how often you play. I’ve laid out recommendations for the three most common playstyles below, so you don’t have to waste time on methods that don’t work for you.
If you’re a casual player who only plays 1-2 times a week, focus on seasonal reward tracks and clan war rewards. You don’t need to grind challenges every day, just log in once a week to claim your seasonal rewards and do 3 clan war battles, you’ll still get 300+ gems a month without trying. You can also claim your daily crown chest whenever you log in, which adds extra gems over time.
If you’re a F2P competitive player who plays 30+ minutes a day, prioritize Path of Legends and daily challenges. You can get 1000+ gems a month if you hit Legend tier in Path of Legends and complete all daily challenges, which is enough to buy every special emote you want without spending any money. You can also enter free tournaments for extra gem rewards, and save up gems for paid tournaments once you have a strong enough deck.
If you’re a player who doesn’t mind spending a little money on the game, pair the Gold Pass with occasional holiday gem bundles. You’ll get enough gems to fully max out your favorite deck in 2-3 months, which would take 6+ months as a strict F2P player. Set a monthly gem budget even if you spend money, so you don’t accidentally blow $50 on random bundles you don’t need.
You don’t have to follow these rules exactly, either. Adjust them to fit what you want out of the game. If you only care about collecting emotes, save all your gems for limited-time emote offers. If you care about competitive play, save your gems for magic items and tournament entries. It’s your stash, so spend it on what makes the game fun for you.
At the end of the day, building a solid gem stash doesn't require fancy hacks or hundreds of dollars spent on the shop. You just need to stick to official in-game methods, avoid common wasteful mistakes, and pick the strategies that fit how often you play. I've used these exact methods to build up a stash of 3000+ gems over the last 6 months without spending more than $5 on the Gold Pass once. If you take one tip away from this guide, let it be to ignore any third-party site promising free unlimited gems – all they do is put your account at risk. Now that you know how to get gems in Clash Royale, you can start saving up for that next emote, tournament entry, or card upgrade you've had your eye on.
