If you’re serious about hosting a great game server, you need to know the ins and outs of everything from settings to security. That’s where this guide comes in—everything you need to get started is covered in one place, so you can focus on what matters most: playing your games. From setting up your server to caring for your players, we’ve got all the information you need the Best Server for Game Hosting.
Best Server for Game Hosting
What is a Game Server?
A game server is a computer program that allows users to play games online. Game servers can be used for a variety of purposes such as hosting online games, providing access to online gaming services, or connecting gamers from around the world.
What Games Can I Host on a Game Server
There are many different types of games you can host on a game server, including:
· Online Games
· Mobile Games
· MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games)
· 3D Games
· Action & Simulation Games
· Educational Games
· Strategy & Tactics Games
There are also plenty of tools you need to host a game server. These include:
· An FTP program like SFTP or FTP client software
· A web server like Apache or mod_php5 and mod_rewrite (optional)
· A hosting account with at least 20GB of storage space (optional)
· A domain name (optional)
· An SSH keypair (optional)
What Games Can I Host on a Game Server
There are endless possibilities when it comes to games you can host on a game server, but we recommend checking out some of our favorites:
· Online Games: This type of game is all about online play and is perfect for multiplayer gaming. You can host many different types of online games, including action, simulation, 3D, and educational games.
· Mobile Games: Mobile games are great for keeping players connected while on the go. They’re popular among educators and students alike because they’re easy to use and teach kids how to play video games.
· MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games): These are huge in popularity these days, and they’re perfect for people who want to play hundreds of hours of online content at once.
· 3D Games: If you’re into exploring new worlds or experiencing new gameplay mechanics, 3D games might be what you’ve been looking for. They come in many different genres and can be very fun if played with other friends.
· Action & Simulation Games: These tend to be the most popular type of game today, and they offer a lot of excitement and variety. From thrill rides to realistic combat scenarios, there’s something here for everyone.
· Strategy & Tactics Games: These kinds of games let you take control of your own characters in an exciting strategy game setting. They offer a unique experience that can be difficult to find elsewhere.
Best Dedicated Game Server Hosting
1. HostGator
A great option for the best dedicated game server hosting is HostGator. They are a well known company in the hosting world and have proven to be reliable though prices are at the higher end compared to the other options. It has an uptime guarantee of 99.9% and a nice unmetered bandwidth. There are three plans available for dedicated game server hosting, Value the cheapest at $189 a month, Power at $249 a month and Enterprise at $289 a month. Here is an outline of what each plan from HostGator offers you;
Value Server
- RAM is at 8GB
- Bandwidth is unmetered
- 4 Core and 8 Thread Intel Xeon-D CPU
- 24/7 support in various forms to suit anybody’s needs
- 1TB HDD
- Price starts at $189 a month but with the current offer if you buy now and opt for the maximum amount of 36 months it works out at $119 a month
- Can choose between managed or semi-managed servers
- Account activation is instant
- Operating system can be CentOS cPanel or Windows Plesk
Power Server – recommended by HostGator
- Can choose between managed or semi-managed servers
- Account activation is instant
- 2TB HDD or 512 GB SSD
- Operating system can be CentOS cPanel or Windows Plesk
- Price starts at $249 a month but with current special offer and if you opt for 36 months now you pay $138.99 a month
- 8 Core and 16 Thread Intel Xeon-D CPU
- RAM is 16GB
- Bandwidth is unmetered
- 24/7 support in various forms to suit anybody’s needs
Enterprise Server
- 8 Core and 16 Thread Intel Xeon-D CPU
- RAM is 30GB
- 1 TB SSD
- Bandwidth is unmetered
- Can choose between managed or semi-managed servers
- Price starts at $289 a month but with current special offer and if you opt for 36 months now you pay $149.01 a month
- Account activation is instant
- Operating system can be CentOS cPanel or Windows Plesk
- 24/7 support in various forms to suit anybody’s needs
The best dedicated game server hosting at HostGator in the basic plan does not offer a choice between SSD and HDD, that starts with the next priced plan. But it has a lot to offer in the form of great customer support, the servers are secure with DDoS protection and it comes with Raid-1 configuration. The number of databases offered are unlimited and then 3 to 5 IP addresses.
This company has been around for over 10 years and is a respected hosting service. The dedicated servers are hosted in the US in a Tier 3 data center and you can opt for managed or semi-managed in all the plans.
2. ScalaCube
A famous name in the arena of game server hosting, ScalaCube is an excellent option for you. It rents servers for games – Minecraft, Minecraft PE, ARK, Rust, and Hytale. ScalaCube offers unlimited and free traffic with no throttling.
The traffic will always remain with optimum bandwidth regardless of its volume downstream or upstream. You can choose between HDD or SSD storage for your gaming server. But the latter is preferred due to 10x more speed and convenience if you need to access your server data frequently.
They guarantee 99.9% server uptime for an uninterrupted gaming experience. In addition to all these, you get unlimited slots for Minecraft server hosting in addition to multiple servers, plugins, and mod support.
You get full FTP support, instant setups, multiple mods and plugins, and DDoS protection for other games. Their pricing starts at just $2.5/month.
3. BlueHost
BlueHost is a hosting platform or service that I regularly recommend when questioned about a good hosting option. As well as offering the dedicated server hosting it also has VPS hosting from $29.99 to $119.99 a month, Cloud hosting for $9.99 to $25.99 a month and Shared hosting for $3.95 to $23.99 a month. I will focus here though on their Dedicated hosting plans for the best dedicated game server hosting options.
Dedicated game server hosting with BlueHost falls into 3 fairly priced plans:
- Standard plan – $79.99 a month with the new user offer or normally $119.99 a month.
- Enhanced plan (recommended by BlueHost) – $99.99 a month with the new user offer or normally $159.99 a month.
- Premium plan – $119.99 a month with the new user offer or normally $209.99 a month.
Standard plan (the cheapest) offers users;
- 4 core and 8 threads
- 3 GHz CPU
- 500GB storage mirrored
- 4GB RAM
- 5TB bandwidth
- 1 free domain
- 3 free IP addresses
- 24/7 support
- Free SSL
Enhanced plan (recommended by BlueHost) offers users;
- 24/7 support
- Free SSL
- 4 free IP addresses
- 1 free domain included
- 10TB bandwidth
- RAM is 8GB
- 1TB mirrored storage
- 5 GHz CPU
- 4 cores and 8 threads
Premium plan offers users;
- 3.3 GHz CPU
- 4 cores and 8 threads
- 1TB mirrored storage
- RAM is 16GB
- 15TB bandwidth
- 1 free domain included
- 5 free IP addresses
- 24/7 support
- Free SSL
It is worth noting that at the moment you can get the standard plan but get a free upgrade to more CPU and more storage. BlueHost also promises fast speeds, technology that is kept up to date, a server ready for you within 24 to 72 hours and RAID level 1 configuration.
BlueHost are a lot more affordable than HostGator for example, even if they did not have a special offer of their own to reduce the plans prices even further. It is easy to use, secure and there is a 30 day money back guarantee. So you can give them a try and if you are not satisfied within 30 days you can get your money back.
There are a couple of other cheaper alternatives that I will spell out for you, if your need is specifically about cost, but BlueHost is good for a mix of affordability and decent offers in their plans. You can also nearly always get some kind of new account holder saving.
They also boast an enhanced cPanel that allows you more control and from where you can increase storage without having to contact support. You get root access to your server and it will be completely isolated from all other servers. You will not be impacted by other server’s performances.
4. HostHavoc
HostHavoc is another popular name in the game server hosting solutions. Their game servers consist of advanced features and custom tools maintained actively alongside mod and game updates. You have the option to choose from 25+ different games with HostHavoc.
It includes popular ones like ARK: Survival Evolved, 7 Days to Die, Arma 3, Counter-Strike: GO, Garry’s Mod, Insurgency: Sandstorm, Minecraft, PixARK, Rust, Space Engineers, Squad, Terraria, etc. HostHavoc offers an instant setup for your preferred game servers to help you get started quickly.
All the game servers exhibit powerful performance as a result of NVMe SSDs along with enterprise-level server hardware. Take complete control of your game server with easy management, advanced settings, effortless configuration, and full FTP access.
With HostHavoc, you can switch games at any time to explore new ones without having to pay any extra amount. It features Steam workshop availability and supports multiple mods, plugins, and 3rd-party APIs. It has 10 data center locations in 3 continents with a carefully established high-capacity network.
Enjoy the reliable network and facilities with 99.9% uptime, stable server performance, and true redundancy. HostHavoc also offers free DDoS protection, daily backups, 24/7 support within 15 minutes response time, and a 3-day money-back guarantee. You can make payments in cryptocurrencies apart from PayPal and credit cards.
5. InMotion Hosting
The interesting thing about the dedicated servers with InMotion Hosting is that all of them are SSD at no extra cost. It is also a more affordable option than some other platforms with plans starting at $115.69 a month currently with a special offer. However regular prices are higher by quite a bit with the first plan’s regular price going up to $169.99.
There are 6 plans they offer to people shopping for the best dedicated game server hosting options. These are the Essential plan, their cheapest offering at $115.69 usually, then the Advanced which is their best value plan, the Elite, the CC-500, the CC-1000 and the CC-2000. Let’s take a closer look at the first 3 options;
Essential – best price at $115.69 a month
- 4 core and 8 threads
- $115.69 a month with the new user special offer but usually $169.99 a month
- 9GHz clock speed
- 4 GB RAM DDR3 ECC usually but promo currently offers Double RAM for no cost
- 1TB 7.2K HDD or 500GB SSD disk space
- 6TB data transfer a month
- 5 IPs for free
- 2 hours of managed hosting for free
- CPU cache 8MB
- Free SSDs
- Free setup for now but usually there is a charge of $99
- RAID software (not hardware)
- Intel® Xeon® E3-1220 v2
Advanced – best value
- Intel® Xeon® E3-1270 v6
- $176.59 a month with special offer for new users but usually $209.99 a month
- 4 Core and 8 threads
- 2GHz clock speed
- 8GB RAM DDR4 ECC but offering double RAM for free promo
- 2TB 7.2K HDD or 500GB SSD disk space
- RAID software (not hardware)
- 2 hours of managed hosting for free
- 10TB data transfer a month
- 10 IPs for free
- Your choice of data center
- CPU cache 8MB
- Free SSDs
- Free set up currently but usually a $99 fee
Elite
- Intel® Xeon® E3-1270 v6
- $248.99 a month with special offer for new users but usually $289.99 a month
- 4 Core and 8 threads
- 2GHz clock speed
- 16GB RAM DDR4 ECC but offering double RAM for free promo
- 2TB 7.2K HDD x 2 or 500GB SSD x 2 disk space
- RAID hardware
- 2 hours of managed hosting for free
- 10TB data transfer a month
- 15 IPs for free
- Your choice of data center
- CPU cache 8MB
- Free SSDs
- Free set up currently but usually a $99 fee
Briefly the CC options start at $350.99 a month with the special offer or $399.99 usually a month and go up to $529.49 a month with special offer or $569.99 usually. In a nutshell they offer;
- 6 to 16 cores and 12 to 32 threads
- 7 to 3.0 GHz
- 16 to 64 GB RAM DDR3 or 4
- 2 x 500 GB SSD up to 3 x 1 TB SSD
- RAID hardware included in all of them
- 4 hours of managed hosting for free in all of them
- 15TB data transfer a month
- 15 IPs for free
- Free set up currently but usually a $99 fee
InMotion Hosting also offer clients on these higher plans a lifetime discount, so you save money the longer you stay with them. However you pay more for things like secondary drives, backup hard drives, hardware firewall, remote KVM, power supply, more memory, better primary drives.
6. Cloudzy
Launch your own high-performance gaming servers with Cloudzy’s signature hosting solutions.
They offer gaming servers on both Windows and Linux operating systems. You can get a game hosting solution with ultra-high bandwidth, NVMe storage, and 1 Gbps connection speeds for very affordable prices. The basic plans cost just $7.95/Month.
Cloudzy offers next-gen high-spec servers at 15+ global data centers for minimum latency. With more than 30 games available at no extra charge, you can easily set up and deploy your own gaming server for Minecraft, ARK, Rust, Interstellar Rift, Counter-Strike, L4D2, and many other titles. Ensure a high-speed, zero-lag gaming experience with their top-tier infrastructure turbocharged by NVMe SSD and KVM technology.
Their smart firewall and DDoS protection mean you can play safely and at ease. Their hosting solutions are specifically geared toward online gaming, featuring cutting-edge hardware and zero-contention resource allocation.
With numerous server locations all over North America, Europe, and East Asia, Cloudzy can be ideal for gamers living in any of these regions.
How to Setup a Game Server.
Setting up your game server is the first step in hosting a great game. You’ll need to set up your domain and find a graphics card. Once you have these items set up, it’s time to start setting up your game server. In this section, you’ll learn how to set up your game server and find available games.
Find and Use a Graphics Card
Finding the right graphics card can be difficult, but it’s important that you do your research before purchase. Make sure you are using an Item Number (AN) that corresponds to the type of graphics card that your computer is compatible with. If you can’t find an AN for the graphics card you’re looking for, check out our website or contact our customer service team for help finding one.
In addition, make sure that the software that comes installed on your computer is compatible with hosting a game server. Many popular gaming applications are compatible with game servers, so make sure to check out our website for compatibility ratings and reviews before purchasing any software!
Installed Programs and Drivers
Once you have a graphics card and software installed, it’s time to start setting up your game server! In this subsection, we’ll cover common installation instructions for various programs and drivers essential for running a game server:
Section 3 How to Play Games on Your Game Server.
In order to play games on your game server, you’ll need some software installed and configured:
Section 4 Troubleshooting Tips For Game Servers.
If you have any problems playing your games, you’ll want to check out our troubleshooting tips in this section. In addition, be sure to check out our website for help diagnosing and resolving game server issues!
Tips for Setting Up and Running a Game Server.
If you want to run a game server on your own, you first need to set up a domain name. This is the name that your website or blog uses to identify your server. You can find this information online, or you can ask a friend for help.
Set Up an IP Address
Once you have a domain name, you next need to set up an IP address for your server. This will allow your game server to connect to the internet and send packets of data across the network. You can do this by using a service like IPv4 or IPv6Addressee, or by setting up a router and adding an IP address from the network into it.
Choose the Games You Want to Host
Now that you know how to set up and run your game server, it’s time to choose which games you want to host. There are many great games out there, so it’s important that you find ones that fit your needs and budget. If you don’t have any experience playing video games, it may be best to start with something easier like Minecraft or Stardew Valley instead. And if money is an issue (or if you just don’t have enough space), consider hosting some classic board games like Monopoly or Goonies instead of new games like Mafia III or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered.
Configure Your Server for Maximum Performance
Once you have chosen the games that best fit your needs and budget, it’s time to configure your server for maximum performance! This includes setting up tons of different settings such as CPU speed, memory usage, and graphics options so that your game runs smoothly and efficiently. By following these tips, you should be able to get your game running as fast as possible without sacrificing quality or performance!
Conclusion
A Game Server is a computer software application that allows users to play video games. It can be used in a home or office setting and is commonly used by small businesses, educators, and other organizations who need to play multiple games at the same time. By following these simple tips, you can easily set up and run your own game server and enjoy playing your favorite video games with friends and family.