Zygor's gold guide isn't a standalone product — it's a module inside the Zygor Guides addon, so you get it as part of a paid Elite subscription. It works as an in-game step list with a waypoint arrow that walks you along gold-farming routes, profession runs and daily loops. It's a route planner, not an auction-house tool.
What you actually get
- Format: an addon that installs into your WoW AddOns folder, usually via Zygor's own desktop client so guides update themselves between patches.
- The gold module: farming routes, gathering circuits, profession and daily/world-quest loops, presented as a numbered step list in a small in-game window.
- The arrow: a TomTom-style pointer that aims you at the next node or objective, so you never alt-tab to a map site.
- Bundling: gold guides ship alongside leveling, dungeon, achievement and profession guides — you can't buy the gold part alone.
- Cost model: subscription (monthly or longer terms), with a limited free version that unlocks only a small slice of the content. Check Zygor's site for current pricing before buying — it changes.
- Retail and Classic: Zygor maintains separate guide sets; make sure the version you subscribe to covers the client you play.
Is Zygor allowed by Blizzard, or is it a ban risk?
It's a normal addon written against Blizzard's public addon API. It shows you where to go and tracks step completion — it does not move your character, click for you, or automate combat. That's the line that matters. Anything that plays the game for you is a ban; a guide window that tells you where the next herb node is isn't.
Zygor vs TradeSkillMaster — which one actually makes gold?
Different jobs. Zygor is good at "where do I go and what do I kill or pick." TradeSkillMaster is the tool for the part where real gold is made: pricing, crafting margins, snipes, posting and cancel-scanning on the auction house. If your plan is flipping and crafting, TSM plus Auctionator does more for you than any route guide.
Realistically, most players farming with a route guide land in the modest-but-steady bracket. It removes the research time; it doesn't change the fact that gathering income is capped by how many hours you fly circles.
Are there free alternatives that do the same thing?
Yes, mostly. GatherMate2 with its data import plus the Routes addon gives you node maps and optimized farming loops for free. Wowhead comments and community farming spreadsheets cover the "what's worth farming this patch" question. Zygor's advantage is packaging: one subscription, guides kept current, zero setup. You're paying for convenience, not for secret spots.
Who is it genuinely worth it for?
Returning players and altoholics get the most out of it — the leveling and daily modules carry more value than the gold module by itself. If you already know your farming routes, or you live on the auction house, the subscription is hard to justify.
And if the honest answer is that you don't want to spend the weekend flying laps: PewPewShop sells gold directly, delivered by vetted human players — WoW Gold on US realm tiers from EUR 16, Classic Hardcore Gold from EUR 17, Pandaria Classic Gold from EUR 36, or bulk from EUR 160. We also do coaching and play-together progression help if you'd rather learn the farm properly with a pro on voice.