Part of the Resources Series:

Resources Guide: The wider economy (Start Here).

Best Events to Spend On: When to buy.

F2P Guide: Whether to buy at all.

Quick Answer

If you spend anything at all, the order is: Growth Fund first (a one-time purchase paying roughly 81,000 gems across City Hall milestones), then the monthly gem supply (about 19,500 gems paid daily). After that, only buy during a recharge event, and spend your earned currencies in the alliance shop and event stores rather than on random bundles. Everything else is optional.

The Different Shops

Rise of Kingdoms has several shops and they are easy to confuse:

The gem/cash shop — real-money bundles, packs and the Growth Fund.
The VIP shop — gems for sculptures, speedups and materials. Refreshes on a rotation.
The alliance shop — alliance credits for sculptures, teleports, passport pages and the Civilization Change item.
Event stores — event points for whatever that event offers, usually the best value in the game.
The Courier Station — resources for speedups. Unlocks at City Hall 6.

The important distinction: only the first uses money. The others use currencies you earn by playing, and those are frequently better value than anything you can buy.

The Two Purchases Worth Making

1. Growth Fund

A one-time purchase that pays out gems progressively as you hit City Hall milestones — around 81,000 gems in total. On raw gems-per-currency it is the best thing in the shop, and because it pays as you progress it rewards actually playing.

If you buy one thing in your account's life, buy this.

2. The monthly gem supply

Roughly 19,500 gems for about $10, delivered at around 650 a day across the month. Best recurring value, and the daily payout gives you a reason to log in.

Between them these two cover most of what a low spender needs. See how to get gems for what to spend the gems on — sculptures first, always.

Timing: Never Buy Outside an Event

The single rule that doubles your money: purchases made during a recharge event earn bonus rewards on top.

Only recharge during a recharge event.
Hit the reward thresholds exactly — tiers mean a purchase landing just under a threshold wastes the gap.
Better still, buy during a recharge event that overlaps a scoring event like Mightiest Governor, so the same spend earns bonus rewards and event points.

Full detail: best events to spend on.

Bundles: How to Judge One

Most bundles are neither great nor terrible. A quick test:

Does it contain sculptures for a commander you are actively building? Sculptures are the bottleneck — see the commanders hub. If yes, it is probably worth considering.
Is it mostly resources? Skip it. You can gather resources.
Is it speedups you will use during a scoring event? Reasonable.
Is it a random chest? Treat as entertainment, not progression.

The pattern: buy things that are scarce, not things that are merely useful.

What to Skip

Resource bundles. Gatherable. See best gathering commanders.
Random chests and spin wheels unless you can reach milestone rewards — see the Wheel of Fortune guide.
Gem-to-speedup conversion at retail rates outside an event.
Anything bought during a war. The most expensive purchases anyone makes are panic purchases.

Free Players: The Shops Still Matter

None of the above requires money. The alliance shop and event stores run on currency you earn by playing, and prioritising correctly there is worth more to a free account than any single purchase would be:

Commander sculptures for whoever you are building.
Passport pages if you expect to migrate.
Speedups, banked for events.
Resources last, always.

FAQ

Is the Growth Fund worth it in Rise of Kingdoms?

For anyone who spends at all, yes — roughly 81,000 gems over City Hall milestones makes it the best value in the shop.

Is the 30-day gem supply worth buying?

Yes as a recurring purchase — about 19,500 gems for around $10, paid out daily.

When is the best time to buy in Rise of Kingdoms?

During a recharge event, ideally one overlapping a scoring event, and landing exactly on a reward threshold.

What should I buy in the alliance shop?

Sculptures first, then passport pages and teleports, then speedups. Never resources.

Are bundles worth it?

Only when they contain something scarce — sculptures or event-relevant speedups. Resource bundles are not.

Key Takeaways

Growth Fund first, monthly gem supply second. That is most of the value.
Never buy outside a recharge event, and hit thresholds exactly.
Buy scarce things — sculptures — not useful things like resources.
Alliance and event stores are the best "shops" and cost no money.
Panic purchases during a war are the worst money in the game.

Rise of Kingdoms Shop and Bundles: What Is Actually Worth Buying