What is Nintendo Switch Online?  

More information on the Nintendo Site

Individual Membership

What is it: Provides Nintendo Switch Online service to the Nintendo Account that purchased the service. Individual Memberships are available in 1 month, 3-month, or 1-year increments. An individual Nintendo Switch Online membership costs USD$19.99 a year, while the expansion pack would cost USD$50 per year.

Who is it for: If you just want the basic cloud save, being able to play online and access to the usual offerings an online subscription has to offer, then opting for the normal individual plan would be sufficient. If you want to have more with the additional access and content the expansion pack has to offer, go for it! 

However, if you have a big family, or a group of friends, it might be more economical to get the family membership instead.The point of a family group is to bring together everyone's Nintendo Account under one subscription.  The family membership for Nintendo Switch Online can have up to 8 people on one plan. The more people you get to join in on this plan, the more money you save. 

Family Membership

What is it: the Nintendo Switch Online service to everyone in the purchaser’s family group (up to 8 people). Family memberships are available in 12-month increments only. The normal Nintendo Switch Family Online membership costs USD$35 a year, while the expansion pack would cost USD$80 per year.

Who is it for: If you want to get the membership at a slightly cheaper price and save some money, that and / or you have a big family or group of friends. 

How: All accounts must be part of a “family group”. It doesn't matter if they are used on a single Nintendo Switch console (with multiple Nintendo profiles / accounts) or on multiple Nintendo Switch devices with their respective Nintendo Accounts.

The family membership utilises family groups, so each account can be assigned a different role, with set permissions: