Skip to main content

How to make money in Anno 1800: Tips and Tricks

  • from PLITCH
  • 21.01.2025

Money rules the (in-game) world: Only with sufficient financial means can a simple village become a flourishing metropolis in Anno 1800. In our tips and tricks, we’ll show you how to make money in Anno 1800!

What do you need money for in Anno 1800?

Constructing buildings, expanding road and traffic networks, and opening production facilities—just like in real life—costs a lot of money in the digital realms of Anno 1800. Once you’ve built up your civilization, it must be sustained, upgraded, and expanded. Money is the engine that keeps everything running in the building game.

make money in anno 1800

Maintaining and expanding your civilization will make your bank balance shrink. In order not to go bankrupt and to keep your balance, you have to continuously collect money. If you don’t, your civilization will collapse faster than you can say, “Game Over.”

If you don’t have money, you’re incapable of taking any action, and the Industrial Revolution will soon turn into your capitulation. If your account balance deteriorates, you should earn money quickly.


💡 Tip: Check out our Anno 1800 tips and tricks for a good start!



How to make money in Anno 1800

The population as a source of money

As in real life, the citizens of Anno 1800 pay taxes. You’ll earn a lot of money if you care for them and satisfy their needs. Meeting their needs means that you give them what they need to work and generate money. You also collect taxes if you fulfill their wishes by providing them with appropriate consumer goods. Both aspects account for 50 percent of your tax revenue.

Besides, taking care of your citizens triggers a positive domino effect: If they’re happy in your city, word gets around, and new residents settle in the houses. Each is a small money machine, so you should take their needs and wishes seriously.


Upgrading houses and making even more money

Make sure you occupy your houses to the maximum and satisfy the basic needs of the residents. If you do that, you can bring them to the next level by upgrading their houses. Farmers, for example, become workers. The higher the people’s level, the more money you’ll earn from them. While a farmer will earn you 4 coins, a worker will earn you 21.

However, remember that there are consequences to simply luring masses of peasants into your city. Once you reach 1000 farmers, you must pay the so-called royal taxes. If you flood your city with farmers without upgrading them to workers, you will suffer a loss.


Improving your balance through trade

To sell your goods to other AI players, you have to cultivate your relationships and thereby improve your diplomacy. You will be rewarded with trading rights that allow you to sell goods.


💡 Tip: This article covers everything you need to know about Diplomacy!



Selling ships improves your cash flow

Do you want to make a lot of money? Then, sell some of your ships. Like your goods, you can sell them to other AI players. Once your vessel has entered the harbor, select it and click on the $ symbol. Now you will receive an offer.

Your fellow players generally pay a fair amount of money for ships. Use this chance, especially if you need a lot of money quickly. But only sell those ships you don’t need yourself. Otherwise, your trade will halt, and you will lose money.


Saving royal taxes

If one of your population groups reaches over 1000, the king will reach out his hand and demand taxes. This can be very expensive. Use the tax-free borders and upgrade your houses as soon as possible after reaching these borders. This will save you royal taxes, and you will also have residents who bring in more money.

The tax rate increases less with each level to encourage you to upgrade your population. For example, 2000 workers pay less tax than 2000 farmers. The limit of 1000 people applies per island. Especially at the start, building small cities on different islands is recommended. A metropolis quickly exceeds the threshold. By the way, the maximum tax rate is 40 percent and is set at a number of 6000 farmers.


Selling goods from the warehouse

You can sell surplus goods from your warehouse to other AI players. Since selling is done automatically in Anno 1800, you can quickly generate money while playing. Select the goods and decide how many you want to turn into cash. The game determines the price, so there is nothing you can do to influence it.

When selling your stock, not only the taxes and the income from trade come in handy. It also clears your warehouse so that new goods can be produced. Besides the warehouse, you can also manage your goods and resources through your trading post.


Buying island shares

Have you explored the map and discovered your fellow players’ islands? Excellent! Foreign lands in Anno 1800 are a nice way to earn extra money. If you buy island shares, you get a share of the profits.

To purchase a share, you take a look at the appropriate island. Click on the circle. It consists of five shares. Each of them has its own price and generates different amounts of income. Choose your desired share and buy it. In the long run, this will have a noticeable positive effect on your income.

You can also buy all the shares of an island, but this is very expensive. Remember that your fellow players won’t rejoice over you buying shares of their islands. You should know this if you want to work primarily on your diplomacy.


Fake news bring real money

It may not be the finest way, but spreading fake news in Anno 1800 is worthwhile. If you influence the population through targeted newspaper articles, you can change their consumption behavior.

If you manipulate people with words, you can generate additional income. This is good for your bank account but less suitable for your reputation. Remember that the citizens may buy more, but in the worst case will get angry. Digital people don’t like to be ripped off, either.


💡 Tip: Check out this guide for important Influence tips and tricks!



Make money faster with the Anno 1800 money cheats from PLITCH

It couldn’t be easier: With the Anno 1800 money cheat from PLITCH, you can increase your money with just a few clicks. Up to 1,000,000 credits can be added to your Anno account in one go. Finally, endless grinding has come to an end!

PLITCH’s Anno 1800 cheats

Look at our 18 Anno 1800 cheats, choose the ones that suit you best, and customize the game to your liking!

For more information on our cheats and trainers, check out this blog our YouTube channel.

Happy Gaming!