Does CFW Guide Charge for Its Guides or Accept Donations?

Updated

CFW Guide (cfw.guide) does not charge for its guides. All of the guides listed on the site are presented as complete, freely accessible walkthroughs, and the page shows no pricing, subscription, or paywall signals. The only money-related item on the page is a line stating that the site accepts donations.

What the site actually says about money

The homepage contains a single relevant sentence:

"If you appreciate this guide, we accept Donations."

That is the full extent of the financial information available. There is no price list, no membership tier, no payment platform named, and no indication that any guide is locked behind a payment.

What this means in practice

Question Answer based on the page
Do you pay to read the guides? No pricing or paywall is shown
Is there a subscription? No subscription or membership is mentioned
Are donations required? No — the wording is "if you appreciate this guide"
How are donations made? Not specified on the page
Is there paid content? No paid content is indicated

The donation line is framed as optional appreciation, not as a condition of access. Nothing on the page suggests that donating unlocks extra guides, earlier access, or support priority.

The guides covered

The site organizes its content by platform, and each entry is described as a complete guide:

  • Vita Guide — PS Vita hacking, from stock to Ensō
  • Cemu Guide — installing Cemu and optimizing performance
  • iOS Guide — iOS jailbreaking, from stock to jailbroken
  • DSi Guide — Nintendo DSi homebrew
  • 3DS Guide — 3DS custom firmware, from stock to boot9strap
  • Wii U Guide — Wii U CFW, from stock to Aroma
  • Switch Guide — Switch custom firmware, from stock to Atmosphere

Each is attributed to authors or teams such as Plailect, emiyl, Team, Nintendo Homebrew, and DS(i) Mode Hacking. The descriptions emphasize completeness ("from stock to..."), which is consistent with free, full-length documentation rather than a teaser for paid content.

A caution worth reading before you start

The page includes this disclaimer:

"While these guides should be safe, you and you alone are responsible for any damages to your console while following these guides."

This is a liability statement, not a cost statement. It does not imply a fee, warranty, or paid support option — it simply places risk on the person following the guide.

Bottom line

If you are deciding whether to use CFW Guide, cost is not a barrier based on the available information: the guides are presented as free to follow, and donations are optional. If you want to support the project, the page confirms donations are accepted, but it does not say how to send them or whether any thank-you benefit exists.