How Much Does Paintball Cost? Analysis About Expenses

Hi, Freddy here. After playing paintball for almost two decades, I’ve noticed that prices of paintball equipment have been rising for years.

I had my team research paintball costs since we have noticed that “how much does paintball cost” is one of the most frequently asked questions about paintball games.

Paintballing costs depend on the player, and it can be costly or very cheap depending on whether you want the top high-end equipment or if you are OK with buying second-hand gear from a marketplace. Some prefer to own their guns, while others are OK with renting.

I divide paintballing costs into two categories: the initial costs and the ongoing costs.

Initial costs are all the equipment needed for playing paintball, such as a paintball gun, hopper, air tank, and clothing.

Ongoing costs include field bookings, paintballs, compressed air or co2 for your air tank, and rental equipment.

If you want to own all your equipment, your initial costs will be high. You can minimize the initial cost by renting equipment from a paintball venue, but in the long run, it will be cheaper if you buy it yourself. However, some paintball fields may discount ongoing costs if you are a regular customer or rent packages.

If you are a beginner, I highly recommend using rental equipment to see if you are interested in paintball. Once you start playing paintball regularly, want to play tournaments, or become a pro, you can buy expensive masks, guns, and other equipment.

The Initial Cost of Paintballing

All equipment like masks, guns, hoppers, and clothing is the initial cost of paintballing, and their price varies depending on brand and quality.

How Much Does A Paintball Mask Cost?

A paintball mask is the most important piece of paintball equipment because safety is the number one priority. If you are not wearing a protective mask, you should never engage in a paintball game or enter a paintball field. 

A budget mask starts from 20 dollars, whereas an expensive mask with high-end features can cost up to $200.

Note: You can rent a mask for a few bucks. If it is your first time playing, I recommend you rent a goggle to find out what brand you like and what size fits you well. Once you become a paintball geek, you can buy a high-end mask. I also advise you to rent an antifog mask because the non-fog-proof mask is a nightmare for beginners. We have reviewed the top paintball masks for beginners here.

How Much Does a Paintball Gun Cost?

A paintball gun is equally crucial as a mask because we can’t shoot paintballs without a paintball marker. A wide variety of guns are available on the market, and the price depends on the type. Pump-style paintball rifles are the cheapest option.

Paintball guns start from around $100 for beginners to $800 for top professional markers.

If you buy used paintball guns from a marketplace, you can expect to save as much as 50% of the price compared to a new product.

Another way to save money is to buy a starter kit package that includes everything you need to play paintball. Read more about how much it costs to rent a paintball gun.  

How Much Does A Paintball Hopper Cost?

The hopper stores your paintballs and feeds them into the chamber when you fire.

Hoppers are similar to magazines on firearms.

A paintball hopper costs $5 to $100, depending on the storage and material.

There are different types of hoppers. Some are gravity fed and others are electronic.

Clothing Or Kit Expenses

Some paintball geeks are style conscious and prefer military-looking clothes to enhance their excitement, confidence, and experience.

You can always wear regular clothes like an old t-shirt and trousers to start playing.

There are no restrictions, and I suggest you wear some old clothes that you don’t care about, and won’t worry if they get stained or worn.

Shoe Cost

Good shoes are vital since ankle injuries are very common during paintball games. Some players prefer hiking boots, sneakers, running shoes, or tennis shoes to play paintball.

You can use any shoes, but I advise you to use a pair of comfortable shoes with a thick sole, good support, and traction.

Shoes cost $30 for a pair of sneakers to $400 for some solid boots.

Renting Vs. Buying Paintball Equipment

Used Vs. New Equipment

The Ongoing Cost of Paintballing

Field booking, paintballs, and compressed air for guns are ongoing costs, and you can get some discounts if you pay in packages, but you still have to pay every time you play. Read more about why paintball is so expensive.

Field Booking Cost

You need to rent an indoor or outdoor paintball field, so be prepared to spend some cash for a long day of paintball. The rental fees for paintball fields vary and depend on the type of venue, location, and whether it’s indoor or outdoor. Indoor venues have higher maintenance costs. Most paintball fields charge $10 to $30 per person, excluding rental gear or paintballs.

Some paintball fields sell seasonal passes with discounts, so do some research about paintball fields near you before you make a booking.

Also, some places may include some paintballs and air refilling in the price. Read more about how much a paintball party costs.

Paintballs Cost

Another ongoing expense is paintballs. We must buy paintballs for each game, which is a necessary expense.

Each player has their playing style, so paintball usage varies significantly between players. The best way to estimate paintball cost is to play a few games and calculate your average ammo usage. 

Some players play a defensive game without wasting too much paint, while others are offensive and shoot paintballs like it’s nobody’s business, which requires a lot of paint.

From our research, an average player shoots 350 to 450 paintballs in the half-day game and 600 to 700 in the full-day game.

Paintballs are not that expensive.

You will get 100 paintballs for $7 to $8, and the cost is lower when you purchase bulk. You can buy 2000 paintballs for as cheap as $40. 

The cost of paint depends on the quality of the pellets. Low-quality paint is cheap, and high-quality paint is expensive. If you are a beginner, start with some decent paintballs from our best paintballs post. If you play tournaments, the paintballs will be higher quality and more expensive, so your costs will increase.

Compressed Air or CO2 For Guns

The final ongoing cost is compressed air or CO2 for your air tank, as all paintball markers rely on pressurized gas or compressed air as a power source to shoot the paintballs out of the barrel. Compressed air is like gunpowder for paintball guns. Once your tank has used all the gas, you must refill it. You can fill co2 or HPA at paintball venues, scuba diving stores, or sporting stores that sell paintball equipment. Refill prices are $4 to $7 but depend on your source, tank capacity, and gas pressure measured in PSI.

You can buy a sizeable CO2 tank, but it will also have an ongoing cost since you eventually have to refill your tank. An alternative is to buy an air compressor, which requires electricity and is also an ongoing expense.

Search for deals and discount

Some paintball fields offer discounts, but you often need to know the field owner or contact them on the phone or visit them because paintball fields rarely have websites or Facebook pages with customer support. I would see all the paintball fields in my area, talk to the owner, and compare prices. You may end up saving a lot of money by doing this. By visiting many venues and talking to people, I have gotten flat discounts on equipment, booking costs, paintballs, and refill costs. Do your research and find an affordable one for you to reduce the price of paintballing.

Final Thoughts

It is tough to answer accurately “How much does paintball cost?” but I hope I have given you some ideas about the overall expenses of playing paintball. 

I advise beginners to start with cheap equipment and gradually upgrade to better gear as their skills improve and interest increases.

My final point is that paintball doesn’t have to be expensive if you don’t want it to be. Buying used equipment, renting, or playing in large groups are some ways to save money on costs.