What is the max number of retainers?

[Espritduo]

Have you actually logged onto the Mog Station and selected to buy the 7 retainer option? The game does not just give it to you without you actually going in and changing your previous 6 retainer plan to the 7 retainer plan. After that you just go to any retainer vocate in any of the main cities and you should be able to hire a new retainer. The 10th one comes from downloading the companion app onto your phone, and paying the premium plan for it. Once you have the premium plan set up, you don't need to do anything else with the app and can just forget it exists.

[Nixxe]

I hate to revive a dead thread from long ago, but I am rather confused by this. I paused playing sometime in HW and didn't resume till halfway through stormblood. Played with the normal 2+6 retainers all the way till now. Had to redo my payments which involved reestablishing my retainer service. I have ALWAYS wondered why the mog station allows me to buy 7 additional retainers, but in game, I am only allowed to have 8. Can't hire past the 8th retainer in Gridania even though I'm technically paid up for 2free + 7 extra which would be 9.

I read in this thread from last year that you folks claim you CAN have 9 retainers, but I haven't found a way in the game to accomplish that. Not on a single character at least since in game you are limited to the 8 retainers they are willing to rent to you. This has always been hard for someone who is an omnicrafter and has a bajillion mats and I don't throw away stuff even from 2.0. Now I'm reading about some new companion thing that would let you get an extra retainer as well? Well perhaps not new but I completely ignored it as I ignore anything called an "app" and it came out while I was not playing so never knew any details on it.

TLDR: I've played the past year with the maximum 8 retainers, even though the mog station is willing to charge me for 9 but I cannot get 9 in game, but this thread claims I can get up to 10. What's the deal cause I'm lost here.

You can have 10 retainers. 2 free + 7 Mogstation + 1 app subscription. I'm unsure what your problem is, unless you perhaps selected the wrong option in the Mogstation, because I've certainly had 9 (without the app) and 10 (with the app) retainers.