If you want to host high-demanding online multiplayer games, you will need a game server. However, not all host is made equally!
Selecting a gaming server that meets your needs is essential, whether you’re playing informally with friends and family, organizing a specialized competition, or hosting your own custom-modded game.
But there are only so many hosts available, and most of them provide a wide range of options. How can you make sure you choose the best gaming server host for your requirements, taking into account everything from cost to power, dependability to game compatibility, features to setup simplicity?
Selecting a host that doesn’t enable the games you want is something you should avoid doing. may agree to a long-term contract just to find out later how poor the provider’s uptime and service are. Never mind that all of your savings on game passes and games are gone due to invisible costs.

To make your decision as simple as possible, I’ve investigated and evaluated a few of the best game server hosting. Hostinger and the other six gaming server hosts I’ve chosen to stand out among the rest.
Whether it’s performance, features, cost, or ease of use, these are the top and Best Game Server Hosting Providers out there right now!
Top 7 Best Game Server Hosting Providers for 2024
As the gaming industry continues to evolve and expand, the demand for reliable and scalable game server hosting solutions is skyrocketing.
Game server hosting providers play a crucial role in ensuring that online games run smoothly and deliver an enjoyable experience for players worldwide.
- ShockByte – Multiple Game-Specific Server Hosting Packages & Settings
- ScalaCube – Simple to Use, Personalized Game Servers with Free Plan Choices
- Hostinger – Cheap-Yet-Effective Gaming VPSs with a Customized Game Panel
- ARZ Host – Personalized, Top-Rated Minecraft VPS Plans with Handled Services
- Apex Hosting – Strong Game Servers in Specific Areas
- Kamatera – Completely Customizable Cloud VPSs with a 30-Day Free Trial
- MelonCube – A Good Selection of Hosting Plans for Game Servers
At Hosting Mastery Hub, we will examine the top 7 game server hosting options for 2024 in this systematic guide, highlighting each one’s salient features, cost, and fit for various gaming requirements.
1: ShockByte – Multiple Game-Specific Server Hosting Packages & Settings
With more than 30 games, ShockByte’s selection of appropriate games exceeds that of the majority of competitors. In addition to the standard-hosted games, CS: GO, Conan Exiles and V Rising are among the other well-liked selections. Additional benefits include customizable maps in certain games like CS: GO and Garry’s Mod.
Additionally, ShockByte leads in the number of server locations that are available. Not only is it one of Australia’s top providers, but it also offers options from regions including North America, Europe, Singapore, and Australia.
The majority of plans also support instant setup and mod support. A server console that seamlessly integrates with the website and supports FTP is one of the additional features. Here, you can take care of many things, such as directly managing your users and servers. Additionally, you can modify the RAM and CPU priority for every server instance to suit your needs.
The ShockByte support staff was incredibly helpful, respectful, and responsive when I reached out to them via live chat. Although there are no dedicated server plans available from this provider, the ShockByte team can dedicate an entire node to you if necessary.
Hosting types | Shared cloud |
Support | 24/7 – Live chat, social media, contact form, and ticket |
Security | DDoS protection and 2-factor authentication |
Starting price | $2.50 |
2: ScalaCube – Simple to Use, Personalized Game Servers with Free Plan Choices
Many of the most popular games, such as Valheim, Hytale, Rust, Bedrock, and of course, Minecraft, have dedicated game servers available from ScalaCube. Interestingly, for some of these games, it also provides free game server hosting. Go to the “Minecraft Hosting” section at the bottom of the ScalaCube website to set up a free server for titles that are supported.
An IP address with port, subdomain, and domain access only is included with free servers; a dedicated IP address is not included. The drawback? You must remember to renew your free server every two days in order to keep it active. If not, your entire server will be eliminated along with all of its related data.
ScalaCube provides servers in the US, UK, Europe, Australia, and Asia for the majority of its paid and free plans. After deciding on the location of your server, the setup process is incredibly simple and lets you choose from a variety of plans.
During the testing process, I was most happy with the range of hosting packages available. Approximately 10 to 300 player slots are available, based on the game that is chosen. You pay less per player the more slots you choose.
In contrast to plans with fewer player slots, you can save up to 50% on extra slots if you purchase a Valheim plan with 60 or more player slots.
Hosting types | VPS and dedicated |
Support | 24/7 – live chat and ticket |
Security | DDoS protection with firewall |
Starting price | $2.50 |
3: Hostinger – Cheap-Yet-Effective Gaming VPSs with a Customized Game Panel
All budgets can be accepted by Hostinger’s set of strong VPS hosting packages, which should theoretically be capable of supporting any game. The internal Hostinger Game Panel control panel, which allows you to add and modify servers, is, in my opinion, its greatest feature.
Here you’ll find a selection of well-known games with a variety of one-click add-on installers, such as CS: GO, Team Fortress 2, Rust, Rust Oxide, and of course, Minecraft.
You should have no trouble figuring out the game server setup procedure thanks to the fantastic tutorials and guides on the Hostinger website. The fact that you can add a lot more titles than some other hosts—especially those who only offer hosting plans specific to one game—is also cool.
The dedicated and game-specific server plans offered by competitors are typically more expensive than Hostinger’s VPS plans. We discovered that they can provide respectable performance for the price, even though they won’t be able to compete with dedicated servers.
Do you not know how many players each VPS plan can accommodate? The general formula to determine player slots is approximately 10 players for every 1 GB of RAM on your plan.
Hostinger is not one of the hosts on this list that has servers in Australia, but it does have servers in South America. Select from VPS servers located in Brazil, Singapore, Lithuania, the US, the UK, and the Netherlands! Just be aware that at this time, this provider does not offer dedicated server plans.
Hosting types | VPS |
Support | 24/7 – live chat and email |
Security | BitNinja, firewalls, anti-malware programs, DDoS defense, and automated backups |
Starting price | $5.99/mon |
4: ARZ Host – Personalized, Top-Rated Minecraft VPS Plans with Handled Services
ARZ Host provides top-notch Minecraft VPS plans tailored to your specific needs, ensuring a personalized and seamless gaming experience. Their VPS plans are renowned for their exceptional performance, reliability, and affordability, making them a popular choice among Minecraft enthusiasts worldwide.
ARZ Host’s Minecraft VPS plans are equipped with cutting-edge hardware, including powerful CPUs, ample RAM, and high-speed SSD storage. This robust configuration ensures lag-free gameplay, smooth server operations, and an exhilarating gaming experience.
ARZ Host prioritizes the stability and uptime of its Minecraft VPS plans. Their redundant infrastructure and rigorous maintenance procedures safeguard against downtime, ensuring your server remains consistently online for uninterrupted gameplay.
ARZ Host goes beyond mere hosting, offering personalized support and managed services to enhance your Minecraft experience. Their team of experts can assist with server setup, configuration, optimization, and troubleshooting, ensuring your server runs seamlessly.
Key Highlights of ARZ Host’s Minecraft VPS Plans:
- Personalized configuration tailored to your specific Minecraft server needs
- High-performance hardware for lag-free gameplay and smooth server operations
- Unwavering reliability with redundant infrastructure and rigorous maintenance
- Affordable pricing with flexible tiers to suit your budget
- Personalized support and managed services for a hassle-free experience
Whether you’re a casual player seeking a personal server or a seasoned gamer managing a large community, ARZ Host’s Minecraft VPS plans offer the perfect solution. With their personalized approach, top-notch performance, and unwavering reliability, ARZ Host empowers you to create an exceptional Minecraft experience for yourself and your fellow gamers.
Hosting types | VPS |
Support | 24/7 – live chat and email |
Security | Advanced functionality Software, highly scalability, Powerful Hardware, DDoS Attack Prevention, Fully Customer Support |
Starting price | $12.50/mon |
5: Apex Hosting – Strong Game Servers in Specific Areas
Like Shockbyte and ScalaCube, Apex Hosting is a company that specializes in providing server plans specific to specific games. In addition to well-known games like ARK, Valheim, and Minecraft, Apex Hosting also offers some restricted titles like Arma 3, Starbound, and Leap.
In addition to many other locations in North America, Europe, and Asia, Apex Hosting provides game servers in a few less-served nations like Israel, Japan, and Turkey. To determine which server location is ideal for you, you can even ping specific servers. The Apex Hosting website allows you to find out exactly what hardware is used at each server location.
This provider’s EX Series dedicated servers, which offer boosted specs and performance, are another unique feature. Each one starts at 16 GB RAM and includes a free dedicated IP address, something that the standard plans unfortunately do not offer.
Additionally, none of Apex Hosting’s plans include a free domain name; however, you do get a free subdomain name. Apex Hosting is also unable to support you directly with domain name registration.
Hosting types | VPS and dedicated |
Support | 24/7 – Live chat, ticket, and Discord |
Security | DDoS defense (up to 300 Gbps), 2FA, white listing, and the NoCheatPlus plugin |
Starting price | $4.49 |
6: Kamatera – Completely Customizable Cloud VPSs with a 30-Day Free Trial
You most likely don’t need a game-specific plan if you’re an expert at running your own game server. Additionally, you shouldn’t have to pay for all of the extra features and support. One of my best choices for bare-bones hosting is Kamatera, which offers inexpensive cloud VPS plans that you can set up right away.
You have complete control over your plan, including selecting the exact number of processor cores and dedicated IP addresses, as well as the amount of RAM, storage, and monthly bandwidth.
Because Kamatera’s hosting plans don’t require contracts, you can easily scale features and specifications. However, Kamatera does not provide game-specific support or game panel cooperation.
However, you can add managed support to any of its plans, which will likely cover the installation of security and application software but not game software. Regardless, the Kamatera team was responsive and helpful when I reached out to them via live chat.
Thanks to Kamatera’s 30-day free trial, you can even give it a try for nothing. All things considered, it provides one of the most customizable hosting services available for an acceptable cost; however, to receive the best value, you’ll need to be knowledgeable about VPS maintenance.
Hosting types | Cloud VPS |
Support | 24/7 – live chat, email, and phone |
Security | Firewall management, DDoS protection, anti-virus, and cloud firewall |
Starting price | $4.00 |
7: MelonCube – A Good Selection of Hosting Plans for Game Servers
MelonCube provides a variety of VPS and dedicated plans appropriate for nearly any online multiplayer game, in addition to Minecraft game servers. Furthermore, compared to some of its competitors who offer standard hosting, its team has more experience hosting game servers.
All of its plans also come with bonus features like dedicated IP addresses, DDoS protection, and other game-friendly features. The variety and affordability of its VPS and Minecraft plans is additional benefits. There are enough options, ranging from powerful 48 GB RAM options to more basic 1 GB RAM plans, to meet your specific needs.
Selection of Multicraft & Pterodactyl game consoles. Use the open-source Pterodactyl console to host other games in addition to Minecraft directly on Multicraft.
Free dedicated IP address. Free dedicated IP addresses are included with every VPS and dedicated server. For a fee, you can also add more IP addresses.
100% reliability. If MelonCube’s 100% uptime guarantee is not fulfilled, you may be eligible for reimbursement up to 50% of your monthly plan price in the event that the servers go down for no reason at all.
Nodes should not be oversold. MelonCube ensures that users have complete access to all of the resources they have paid for by restricting the number of users on each node, giving its customers the best performance possible.
Hosting types | VPS and dedicated |
Support | 24/7 – ticket |
Security | malware, pre-firewall, firewall, and DDoS protection (up to 480 Gbps) |
Starting price | $3.00 |
How Does a Game Server Work?
An essential part of online gaming is a game server, which controls player interactions, data exchange, and the fundamental logic of the game to enable multiplayer gaming.
Essentially, a game server is a hardware configuration or specialized computer program created to host and operate multiplayer games, allowing users to connect, communicate, and engage in competition within a shared virtual world.
The server takes on the role of the central hub for managing the game session once a player launches the game and establishes a connection with it. The server manages a number of functions, such as player authentication, player-to-player communication, and game state management.
Game servers utilize networking technologies and specialized protocols to send and receive data effectively in order to finish this.
The game server receives player input and actions from their devices processes them, and updates the game state. This procedure includes carrying out the rules and mechanics of the game, figuring out how player interactions turn out, and keeping the synchronized representation of the game world up to date.
In order to guarantee that everyone plays in a synchronized and consistent environment, the server then transmits these updates back to all connected players.
Game servers are often distributed across multiple locations and run on powerful hardware to handle a large number of concurrent players in popular online games. The system, sometimes referred to as server architecture or server infrastructure, balances the load, boosts efficiency, and improves the overall gaming experience.
Additionally, in order to maintain fair play and safeguard the integrity of the gaming environment, game servers frequently employ a variety of mechanisms, including data encryption and anti-cheat systems.
In multiplayer online games, a game server as the hub, managing player interactions, performing game logic, and upholding the unity of the game world. Its smooth functioning is essential to providing gamers worldwide with a seamless and entertaining gaming experience.
How Much Does Game Server Hosting Cost?
The cost of game server hosting can vary depending on a number of factors, including the type of game, the number of players, the location of the server, and the features and resources required. However, in general, you can expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $150 per month for a dedicated game server.
Here is a breakdown of the factors that can affect the cost of game server hosting:
- Type of game: More demanding games, such as first-person shooters and MMOs, will require more powerful servers, which will cost more to host.
- Number of players: The more players you want to accommodate, the more powerful your server will need to be. This will also increase the cost of hosting.
- Location of the server: Servers located in datacenters with high bandwidth and low latency will be more expensive than servers located in less ideal locations.
- Features and resources: Some game servers require additional features, such as DDoS protection and mod support. These features will add to the cost of hosting.
Here are some examples of game server hosting costs:
- A small Terraria server will cost around $5 per month.
- A medium Minecraft server will cost around $10 per month.
- A large Arma 3 server will cost around $150 per month.
If you are on a budget, there are a few ways to save money on game server hosting. One option is to rent a server from a provider that offers shared hosting. This means that you will be sharing a server with other players, which will reduce your costs.
Another option is to host your own server. This will give you more control over your server, but it will also require more time and effort.
The cost of game server hosting can vary based on factors such as the game’s complexity, the number of players, and the hosting provider. While entry-level plans for simpler games can be relatively affordable, hosting services for more demanding titles with larger player bases can incur higher monthly costs.
Careful consideration of hosting requirements and thorough research of available providers is critical in selecting the most suitable and cost-effective game server hosting solution.
Conclusion
Selecting the right game server hosting provider is paramount for an exceptional gaming experience. Each provider brings unique strengths and features to the table, catering to specific gaming needs and preferences.
Carefully consider your requirements, whether it’s performance, scalability, customer support, or affordability, before making your decision.
Ultimately, the choice of the best game server hosting provider depends on your individual needs and preferences.
By thoroughly evaluating the options presented in this comprehensive guide, you can make an informed decision that will enhance your gaming experience and ensure seamless gameplay for years to come.
FAQS (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q#1: What is game server hosting?
Game server hosting is a service that provides the infrastructure and software for running online games. Game servers are responsible for hosting the game world, managing player connections, and processing game logic.
Q#2: What are the benefits of using a game server hosting provider?
There are many benefits to using a game server hosting provider, including:
- Reduced costs: Game server hosting providers can often offer lower costs than self-hosting your own game servers.
- Improved performance: Game server hosting providers have the expertise and infrastructure to provide high-performance game servers.
- Reduced downtime: Game server hosting providers have the experience and resources to keep your game servers up and running.
- Increased security: Game server hosting providers can provide security measures to protect your game servers from attacks.
Q#3: What are the different types of game server hosting?
There are two main types of game server hosting: dedicated and shared.
- Dedicated game server hosting: Dedicated game server hosting gives you exclusive use of an entire physical server. This is the best option for games that require high performance and low latency.
- Shared game server hosting: Shared game server hosting means that your game server will be shared with other game servers on the same physical server. This is a more affordable option than dedicated game server hosting, but it may not be suitable for games that require high performance or low latency.
Q#4: How much does game server hosting cost?
The cost of game server hosting will vary depending on the type of hosting you choose, the size of your game server, and the location of your game server. However, you can expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $100 per month for game server hosting.
Q#5: What are some of the best game server hosting providers?
Some of the best game server hosting providers for 2024 include:
- ShockByte
- ScalaCube
- Hostinger
- ARZ Host
- Apex Hosting
- Kamatera
- MelonCube
Q#6: How do I choose a game server hosting provider?
When choosing a game server hosting provider, you should consider the following factors:
- Type of hosting: Do you need dedicated or shared hosting?
- Size of server: How many players will your game have?
- Location of server: Where are your players located?
- Price: How much are you willing to spend?
- Features: What features are important to you?
- Customer support: What kind of customer support does the provider offer?
Once you have considered these factors, you can start comparing game server hosting providers. Be sure to read reviews and compare prices before making a decision.