Heists are the core of GTA Online, offering players the best opportunities for big money and thrilling gameplay. With over 20 heists and contracts available, here is a detailed ranking of every heist from worst to best based on both profit and gameplay quality. Whether you’re a veteran crime boss or a new player looking for reliable money-making heists, our definitive 2025 list will steer your grind in the right direction.

How We Ranked the Heists

• Profit per Hour: Payout divided by average completion time.
• Gameplay Experience: Mission variety, fun factor, and approach diversity.
• Accessibility & Replayability: Solo-play viability, cooldowns, and setup complexity.
• Overall Value: Balance of the above metrics for the modern GTA economy.

Best Tier Heists (Must-Play)

Heists in this tier offer top-tier payouts, versatile approaches, and high replay value, making them essential runs for any GTA Online player.

1. The Contract

• Payout: ₵1 million (flat)
• Time: ~90–120 min
• Players: 2–4 (Agency required)
• Solid Profit per Hour: ~₵500–600 K/hr.

One of the most enjoyable content pieces ever added. Requires owning an agency and features three mission arcs with varied locations and objectives, keeping gameplay fresh. Pays a flat $1 million and takes 90 minutes to 2 hours to complete, yielding around $500k to $600k per hour. The only downside is unskippable cutscenes, which can get repetitive.

2. Cayo Perico Heist

• Payout: ₵1 million+ per solo run (₵2 M+ in co-op)
• Time: <60 min (solo)
• Players: Solo or up to 4

The storyline revolves around infiltrating the heavily fortified island of Cayo Perico, controlled by the infamous drug lord El Rubio, who has stolen sensitive documents from the Madrazo crime family. Players are hired by Miguel Madrazo, with assistance from Pavel, a Russian submarine operator, to retrieve these documents and steal additional valuables from the island.

3. Oscar Guzman “Flies Again” Missions

• Payout: ₵750 K (hard mode)
• Time: ~60 min
• Players: Solo viable

A batch of mini-heists focusing on aerial gameplay with varied missions like defending cargo and fighting in shark-infested waters. Solo play is viable. Payout is $750k for about an hour of work. Some prep missions can drag, and the finale is mostly shooting, but overall it’s a polished, fun side hustle that revitalizes GTA’s high-style missions.

4. Diamond Casino Heist

• Payout: ₵2 M–3.6 M (total vault loot)
• Time: ~90 min
• Players: 2–4

A must-play with great payouts ranging from $2 million to over $3.6 million if you get diamonds. It requires two players and offers three approaches: aggressive, silent and sneaky, and big con. The big con is considered the easiest and most rewarding. Setups can be done in free roam, speeding up the process.

5. Cluckin’ Bell Farm Raid

• Payout: ₵500 K
• Time: 45–60 min
• Players: Solo or co-op

A solid solo money-making opportunity involving breaking into a cartel-controlled farm. Pays around $500,000 and requires no property ownership, making it accessible to new players. Fun and straightforward with decent rewards for the time invested.

Good Tier Heists (Highly Recommended)

These heists strike a strong balance between fun and profit but may have minor drawbacks like longer setups or cooldowns.

Doomsday Act 3 (The Doomsday Scenario)

• Payout: ₵2.25 M (hard mode)
• Time: 2–3 hr
• Players: Solo–2

Highlight: Intense finale with stealth helis and bunker assault—great story, high payout, but lengthy.

Doomsday Act 2: The Bogdan Problem

• Payout: ₵1.78 M (hard mode)
• Time: ~60 min
• Players: 2–4

Highlight: Underwater sub chase in the finale;  fast pace yields a higher ₵/hr than Act 3.

FIB Files

• Payout: ~₵200 K per file
• Time: ~30 min
• Players: Solo–4

Counted as heists, these missions offer decent pay (~$200k per file) and quality-of-life improvements like no cooldowns on most missions and starting directly from your phone. The missions reuse locations from older updates, making them feel familiar rather than innovative.

Autoshop Contracts

• Payout: ₵160 K (standard)–₵300 K (Union Depository)
• Time: ~30 min
• Players: Solo

Seven contracts with varied missions like defending RV Schwartzman or robbing banks. They pay around $160k for the leader and can be completed solo in under 30 minutes. The standout is the Union Depository Contract, paying $300k for robbing a major bank, giving great bang for your buck. Efficient and reliable for fast money.

Mid Tier Heists (Decent but Flawed)

These offer fun moments or decent pay, but issues like low payouts, long cooldowns, or dated design hold them back.

Fleeca Job

• Payout: ₵250 K (hard mode, split)
• Time: ~30 min
• Players: 2
• Flaw: Low money, but lightning-fast setup and strong nostalgia factor.

Despite its low payout of $250,000 split between two players, this heist is quick and simple with only two setups and a finale under 30 minutes. It’s the first heist added in 2015, offering nostalgia and a cool final escape on a massive cargo bob. Great for players wanting a fast, easy heist without a full squad.

Chop Shop Robberies

• Payout: ₵250–400 K
• Time: ~45 min
• Players: Solo
• Flaw: One-week cooldown per mission; slow ROI if you own a fully upgraded Salvage Yard.

Five different heists with mixed fun and frustration. Payouts range from $250k to $400k, and missions take about 45 minutes. However, you can only complete three per week, making it a slow grind to recoup the $5 million investment if fully upgraded. Decent but limited in earning potential.

Pacific Standard Heist

• Payout: ₵1.8 M (split)
• Time: ~60–90 min
• Players: 4
• Flaw: Classic bank break-in, but four-player split and dated setup missions limit its modern appeal.

Doomsday Act 1: Data Breaches

• Payout: ₵1.2 M (hard mode)
• Time: 90–120 min
• Players: 2–4
• Flaw: Multiple prep missions inflate total run time, reducing ₵/hr.

Pays over $1.2 million on hard mode and can be done with two players, which keeps your cut higher. The heist is action-packed, especially with flying a Deluxo to take down a massive plane. However, it has many setups, making it time-consuming. Fun and profitable but requires patience.

Worst Tier Heists (Skip or Update)

These missions suffer from low payouts, outdated mechanics, or frustrating restart loops when teammates disconnect.

Prison Break Heist

• Payout: ₵875 K (₵200 K each)
• Flaw: Outdated multi-player dependency; relies on perfect flying skills for finale.

A classic concept-breaking someone out of prison-but the execution is frustrating. It requires four players, pays around $875,000 total (about $200k each), which is low in today's economy. The mission is outdated, with tedious setups and a finale that depends heavily on someone flying a plane or jet without crashing. If a player quits mid-mission, you must restart, making it more of a headache than fun.

Series A Funding

• Payout: ₵400 K (₵100 K each)
• Flaw: Trevor-centric story can’t save a dull finale that’s just “drive two trucks.”

Another OG heist featuring Trevor, focusing on gathering and selling drugs. The payout is low at $400,000 split among four players. The finale is dull, involving driving trucks across the map, which feels repetitive given how much driving is required in other activities. The story is its only redeeming quality.

Humane Labs Raid

• Payout: ₵1.2 M
• Flaw: Two finale approaches but still prone to disconnect restarts; dated OG mission design.

The Humane Labs Raid is one of the classic heists in GTA Online, known for its complex setup missions and intense finale. It requires four players to complete and offers a mix of stealth, action, and teamwork, making it a memorable but sometimes challenging experience.

Conclusion & FAQs

By focusing on profit per hour, gameplay variety, and accessibility, this guide helps you target the heists that will maximize your GTA Online grind in 2025. If you want to get enough GTA Money immediately, then you can get help from U4GM, which will provide you with comprehensive help.

FAQs

Q1: Which heist is best for solo players?

Cayo Perico Heist and Cluckin’ Bell Farm Raid top the list for solo viability and strong ₵/hr.

Q2: What’s the fastest way to earn money per hour?

Repeated Cayo Perico Heist runs can net nearly ₵1 million per hour solo.

Q3: Are there heists that don’t require any properties?

Yes—Cluckin’ Bell Farm Raid and Fleeca Job require no investments and no cooldowns, making them perfect for new players.