How to Choose the Right Game Server Hosting Plan: Gaming Hosting 101 (Part 3)

Welcome to Part 3 of Gaming Hosting 101! You’ve learned what game server hosting is and the different types available. Now it’s time to make your actual decision and choose the perfect plan.

Series Progress:

What is Game Server Hosting? ✓
Types of Game Server Hosting ✓
Choosing the Right Hosting Plan ← You are here
Setting Up Your First Server
Server Management Best Practices

This guide will help you confidently choose a hosting plan that matches your needs and budget.

Calculate Your Resource Needs
Understanding Hardware Specifications
Reading Provider Specs
Red Flags to Avoid
Evaluating Provider Quality
Price Comparison Strategy
Questions to Ask Providers
Making Your Final Decision
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Real-World Examples

Calculate Your Resource Needs

Before looking at plans, you need to know what resources your server requires.

RAM Requirements by Game

Minecraft Java Edition:

Setup	Players	RAM Needed	Monthly Cost
Vanilla	5-10	1-2GB	$3-5
Vanilla	10-20	2-3GB	$5-8
Light Plugins (5-15)	10-20	2-4GB	$5-10
Heavy Plugins (20+)	10-20	4-6GB	$10-15
Modpack (Small)	5-10	3-4GB	$8-12
Modpack (Medium)	10-15	4-6GB	$10-15
Modpack (Large)	10-20	6-8GB	$15-25
Modpack (RLCraft, ATM)	5-10	6-8GB	$15-25

Formula: Base 1GB + 100-150MB per player + 500MB-1GB per 10 plugins/mods

FiveM (GTA V Roleplay):

Setup	Players	RAM Needed	Monthly Cost
ESX/QB Basic	16-24	4GB	$15-20
ESX/QB Medium	24-32	6GB	$20-25
ESX/QB Heavy (100+ scripts)	32-48	8GB	$25-35
ESX/QB + MLOs	48-64	12GB	$40-60
Custom Framework	64+	16GB+	$60-100+

Note: FiveM is CPU-intensive. Prioritize fast CPU (3.5GHz+) over extra RAM.

Rust:

Map Size	Players	RAM Needed	Monthly Cost
Small (3000)	25-50	4-6GB	$15-20
Medium (4000)	50-100	6-8GB	$20-30
Large (5000+)	100-150	8-10GB	$30-50
Modded	+2-4GB	Add 2-4GB	+$10-20

Note: Rust needs fast CPU and NVMe storage for map generation.

ARK: Survival Evolved:

Setup	Players	RAM Needed	Monthly Cost
Single Map	10-20	6-8GB	$20-30
Single Map + Mods	10-20	8-10GB	$30-40
2-Map Cluster	20-40	12-16GB	$50-80
4-Map Cluster	40-80	24-32GB	$100-150

Other Popular Games:

Game	Base RAM	Per Player	Example (20 players)
Terraria	512MB	25-50MB	1-1.5GB
Valheim	2GB	50-100MB	3-4GB
7 Days to Die	3GB	100-150MB	5-6GB
CS2 (Counter-Strike 2)	2GB	50MB	3-4GB
Palworld	8GB	200-300MB	12-16GB
V Rising	4GB	100MB	6GB

CPU Requirements

CPU Priority by Game:

Game	CPU Priority	Why
FiveM	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical	Lua script processing, heavy calculations
Rust	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical	Map generation, AI, physics
Minecraft	⭐⭐⭐⭐ High	Redstone, entities, chunk generation
ARK	⭐⭐⭐⭐ High	Dino AI, physics, world simulation
Terraria	⭐⭐ Low	Lightweight 2D processing
Valheim	⭐⭐⭐ Medium	World simulation, building physics

What to Look For:

Clock Speed (GHz): Higher is better (3.0GHz minimum, 3.5GHz+ ideal)
Single-Core Performance: More important than core count
CPU Generation: 2020 or newer (Intel 10th gen+, AMD Ryzen 3000+)

Poor: Intel Xeon E3-1230 v2 (2012, 3.3GHz) - old and slow Good: Intel Xeon E5-2680v4 (2016, 2.4-3.3GHz) - balanced Excellent: AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (2020, 3.4-4.9GHz) - fast single-core

Storage Requirements

Storage Type Priority:

Storage Type	Speed	Price	Recommendation
HDD	100-150 MB/s	Cheapest	❌ Avoid for gaming
SATA SSD	500-550 MB/s	Budget	⚠️ Acceptable
NVMe SSD	3,000-7,000 MB/s	Standard	✅ Recommended

Why Storage Speed Matters:

Minecraft: Faster chunk loading, quicker world saves
Rust: Map generation time (5 minutes vs 30 seconds)
FiveM: Script loading, asset streaming
All Games: Backup speed, crash recovery time

Space Needed:

Game	Fresh Install	After 1 Month	After 6 Months
Minecraft	1GB	3-5GB	10-20GB
FiveM	5GB	10-15GB	20-30GB
Rust	15GB	20GB	25GB
ARK	25GB	35GB	50GB+

Recommendation: Start with 2x fresh install size, upgrade as needed.

Network/Bandwidth Requirements

Upload Speed by Player Count:

Players	Minimum Upload	Recommended	Notes
5-10	5 Mbps	10 Mbps	Self-hosting possible
10-20	10 Mbps	20 Mbps	Home internet limit
20-50	20 Mbps	50 Mbps	Need business internet
50-100	50 Mbps	100 Mbps	Data center only
100+	100 Mbps	1 Gbps	Dedicated server

For Managed Hosting: Provider handles this - typically 1-10 Gbps available.

For Self-Hosting: Check your upload speed (not download) at speedtest.net

Quick Resource Calculator

Use This Formula:

RAM = Base + (Players × RAM_per_player) + (Plugins × RAM_per_plugin)

Example: Minecraft with 20 players, 15 plugins
RAM = 1GB + (20 × 0.1GB) + (15 × 0.05GB)
RAM = 1GB + 2GB + 0.75GB = 3.75GB
Recommended Plan: 4GB

Online Calculators:

Minecraft: 1GB base + 100MB per player + 50MB per plugin
FiveM: 2GB base + 100MB per player + 20MB per resource
Rust: 3GB base + 50MB per player
General: 1GB base + 80MB per player

Understanding Hardware Specifications

How to Read CPU Specifications

Example Spec: “Intel Xeon E5-2680v4”

Breaking It Down:

Intel = Manufacturer (Intel or AMD)
Xeon = Product line (Xeon = server CPU)
E5 = Series (E3 = entry, E5 = mid, E7 = high-end)
2680 = Model number (higher = newer/better)
v4 = Generation (v4 = 4th gen, higher = newer)

What Matters:

Year: 2018+ preferred, 2020+ ideal
Base Clock: 3.0GHz minimum, 3.5GHz+ ideal
Boost Clock: 4.0GHz+ excellent for gaming
Cores: 4+ for most servers, 8+ for large

Quick Reference:

CPU	Year	Base/Boost	Gaming Score
Intel Xeon E3-1240v2	2012	3.4GHz	⭐⭐ Poor
Intel Xeon E5-2680v4	2016	2.4/3.3GHz	⭐⭐⭐ Good
AMD Ryzen 5 3600	2019	3.6/4.2GHz	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X	2020	3.4/4.9GHz	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best

RAM Specifications

Type:

DDR3: Old (2007), slower - ❌ Avoid
DDR4: Standard (2014), good - ✅ Fine
DDR5: New (2021), fastest - ✅ Excellent (but rare)

Speed:

2133MHz: Minimum acceptable
2400MHz: Standard
3200MHz: Good
3600MHz+: Excellent (overkill for most)

ECC vs Non-ECC:

ECC (Error Correcting): Server-grade, detects/fixes errors
Non-ECC: Consumer-grade, cheaper
For Gaming: ECC nice but not required

What to Look For:

DDR4 or newer
2400MHz minimum
Actual allocated amount (not “up to”)

Storage Specifications

Reading Storage Specs:

Example 1: “100GB SSD”

⚠️ Warning: SSD type not specified (probably SATA)
Could be slow

Example 2: “100GB NVMe SSD”

✅ Good: NVMe specified
Fast storage guaranteed

Example 3: “100GB Storage”

🚩 Red Flag: Type not specified
Could be HDD (very slow)

Questions to Ask:

Is it SSD or HDD?
If SSD, is it SATA or NVMe?
What are the read/write speeds?

Minimum Standards:

Type: SSD (SATA acceptable, NVMe preferred)
Speed: 500MB/s read (SATA), 3000MB/s (NVMe)
Size: 2x game install size

Network Specifications

Port Speed:

100 Mbps: Old, insufficient - ❌ Avoid
1 Gbps (1000 Mbps): Standard - ✅ Good
10 Gbps: Premium - ✅ Excellent

Bandwidth (Transfer):

1TB/month: Tight for large servers
5TB/month: Comfortable for most
10TB+/month: More than enough
Unlimited: Standard for quality hosts

DDoS Protection:

None: 🚩 Red flag
Basic (Layer 3/4): ⚠️ Minimum
Advanced (Layer 7): ✅ Good
Enterprise (Arbor, Cloudflare): ✅ Excellent

Reading Provider Specs

Example Plan Breakdown

Plan: “Premium Minecraft - $9.99/mo”

Listed Specs:

• 4GB RAM
• 4 CPU Cores
• 25GB SSD Storage
• Unlimited Bandwidth
• DDoS Protection
• Daily Backups
• 99.9% Uptime SLA

What This Really Means:

“4GB RAM”

✅ Good: Specific amount
❓ Question: DDR3 or DDR4? (probably DDR4)
✅ Good: Dedicated or shared? (assume dedicated if not stated)

“4 CPU Cores”

⚠️ Warning: What CPU model?
⚠️ Warning: Shared or dedicated?
❓ Question: What clock speed?
Translation: Probably shared cores on unknown CPU

“25GB SSD Storage”

⚠️ Warning: SATA or NVMe?
❓ Question: What speed?
Translation: Probably SATA SSD (~500MB/s)

“Unlimited Bandwidth”

✅ Standard: Most providers offer this
❓ Question: Fair use policy?
Translation: Likely capped at reasonable usage

“DDoS Protection”

✅ Good: Included
❓ Question: What type? Layer 3/4/7?
❓ Question: What capacity? (Gbps)

“Daily Backups”

✅ Good: Automated backups
❓ Question: How many kept? (7 days? 30 days?)
❓ Question: Automated restore available?

“99.9% Uptime SLA”

✅ Good: Industry standard
❓ Question: What’s the penalty if they fail?
❓ Question: What’s excluded? (maintenance windows?)

What Hosts Often Hide

Hidden Details:

1. CPU Model

Why hidden: Old/slow CPUs
Impact: Poor performance
Solution: Ask before buying

2. Storage Type

Why hidden: Using old HDD or slow SSD
Impact: Slow load times, lag
Solution: Verify “NVMe” explicitly

3. Shared vs Dedicated Resources

Why hidden: Heavy overselling
Impact: Variable performance
Solution: Ask if resources are guaranteed

4. Network Quality

Why hidden: Using budget networks
Impact: Higher latency, DDoS vulnerability
Solution: Check data center location/provider

5. Support Response Time

Why hidden: Slow or poor support
Impact: Long waits when issues occur
Solution: Test with pre-sales question

Comparing Apples to Apples

Provider A: “$5/mo - 2GB RAM, 20 slots, SSD” Provider B: “$7/mo - 2GB RAM, 20 slots, NVMe SSD”

Initial Thought: Provider A is cheaper!

Deeper Analysis:

Provider A: SATA SSD (500MB/s)
Provider B: NVMe SSD (3500MB/s) - 7x faster
Worth $2/mo extra? Absolutely

The Real Comparison:

Provider A: $5/mo ÷ 500MB/s = $0.01 per MB/s
Provider B: $7/mo ÷ 3500MB/s = $0.002 per MB/s

Provider B is actually 5x better value!

Red Flags to Avoid

🚩 Major Red Flags (Walk Away)

1. “Unlimited Everything”

Red Flag Claim: “Unlimited RAM, CPU, Storage, Bandwidth!”

Reality: Nothing is unlimited. These hosts:

Severely oversell servers
Terminate accounts for “abuse” if you use resources
Have “fair use” policies (hidden limits)

Truth: If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

2. No Hardware Specifications

Red Flag Example:

Plan: $3/mo
• Great Performance!
• High-Performance CPU
• Fast Storage
• Reliable Network

What’s Missing: Everything specific!

Why It’s Bad:

Hiding old/slow hardware
Can’t verify what you’re getting
Likely using budget equipment

What to Look For:

Specific CPU model (e.g., “Ryzen 9 5950X”)
Storage type (e.g., “NVMe SSD”)
Network speed (e.g., “10 Gbps”)

3. No Money-Back Guarantee

Red Flag: “All sales final” or no refund policy

Why It’s Bad:

Can’t test performance
Stuck if quality is poor
Shows lack of confidence

Industry Standard: 7-30 day money-back guarantee

Best Providers: 72-hour to 7-day full refunds

4. Poor Online Reputation

Where to Check:

Reddit r/admincraft, r/FiveM, r/gameservers
Trustpilot (filter by recent reviews)
Discord communities
Twitter/social media

Red Flags:

Mostly 1-star reviews
Common complaints about performance
Reports of billing issues
Slow/no support responses
Downtime complaints

Check for: Patterns in recent reviews (last 3-6 months)

5. Unclear Billing

Red Flag Examples:

Setup fees not disclosed upfront
Automatic renewal without notice
Hidden upgrade costs
Confusing pricing tiers

What to Look For:

Clear monthly pricing
No setup fees (or disclosed upfront)
Easy cancellation
Transparent billing cycle

6. Locked Control Panels

Red Flag: Limited control panel features

Examples:

Can’t access FTP/SFTP
Can’t edit config files
Can’t install plugins manually
Restricted console access

Why It’s Bad:

Limits customization
Hides overselling
Prevents optimization
Locks you in

Minimum Required:

Full FTP/SFTP access
File editor
Console access
Settings modification

7. No Contact Information

Red Flag:

No physical address
No company information
Anonymous ownership
Only contact form (no email/phone)

Why It’s Bad:

Can’t verify legitimacy
No accountability
Hard to get refunds
May disappear suddenly

Good Providers:

Company name/address listed
Multiple contact methods
Active social media
Established history

⚠️ Warning Signs (Proceed with Caution)

1. Extremely Low Prices

Example: “$1.99/mo for 4GB RAM”

Reality Check:

Cost to provide: ~$3-4/mo
How do they profit at $1.99?
Answer: Overselling 10-20 servers per node

Safe Budget Range:

2GB: $2.50-5/mo
4GB: $5-10/mo
8GB: $15-25/mo

Below This: Expect issues

2. Suspicious “Features”

Example: “Dedicated CPU Cores!” on $5/mo shared hosting

Reality: Impossible at that price point

Other Suspicious Claims:

“Enterprise DDoS protection” on budget hosting
“Blazing fast NVMe” at HDD prices
“24/7 instant support” for $3/mo

If It Sounds Too Good: Verify before buying

3. Outdated Website

Warning Sign:

Website looks like 2010
Broken links
Old copyright dates (© 2018)
No recent blog posts

Could Mean:

Abandoned business
No investment in infrastructure
Using old hardware
Not actively maintained

Exception: Some budget providers have ugly but functional sites

Evaluating Provider Quality

Support Quality Test

Before Buying, Test Support:

Method 1: Pre-Sales Question

Open support ticket or live chat
Ask technical question:
- “What CPU models do you use?”
- “Is storage NVMe or SATA SSD?”
- “What’s your average support response time?”
Time the response
Evaluate quality of answer

Good Sign:

Response in <1 hour
Knowledgeable answer
Specific details provided

Bad Sign:

24+ hours to respond
Vague/copy-paste answer
Can’t answer technical questions

Method 2: Community Check

Reddit Test:

Search: "[Provider Name] review reddit"
Sort by: Recent (last year)
Look for: Common complaints

Discord Test:

Join game server communities
Ask: “Anyone use [Provider]?”
Read real user experiences

Trust Patterns:

1-2 negative reviews: Normal
5+ negative reviews: Concerning
Same issues repeatedly: Red flag

Performance Verification

Things You Can’t Test Before Buying:

Actual server performance
Resource sharing/overselling
Network quality
Uptime reliability

Use Money-Back Guarantee:

Day 1-2 (Setup):

Set up server
Install your game
Configure basic settings
Invite friends to test

Day 3-5 (Performance Test):

Load test with expected player count
Monitor RAM usage (should not exceed 85%)
Check CPU usage (should not hit 100% constantly)
Test during peak hours (7-10 PM)
Measure TPS/performance metrics

Day 6-7 (Decision):

If performance is good: Keep it
If performance is poor: Request refund

What to Measure:

Minecraft:

/spark tps  # Should maintain 20 TPS
/spark profiler  # Check resource usage

General:

Player connection success rate
Lag/rubber-banding frequency
Server restart stability
Backup/restore speed

Uptime & Reliability Check

Check Status Pages:

Look for provider status page
Review incident history
Check downtime frequency

Example: status.provider.com

Good Signs:

Transparent status page
Quick incident resolution
Rare outages (<3 per year)
Scheduled maintenance announced

Bad Signs:

No status page
Frequent outages
Long downtime periods
No maintenance communication

Price Comparison Strategy

True Cost Calculation

Don’t Just Compare Monthly Price

Provider A: $5/mo

Setup fee: $10
Backup addon: $2/mo
DDoS protection: $3/mo
True monthly cost: $10/mo (after setup)

Provider B: $8/mo

Setup fee: $0
Backup: Included
DDoS: Included
True monthly cost: $8/mo

Winner: Provider B (despite higher base price)

First-Year Cost Comparison:

Provider	Monthly	Setup	Addons	Year 1 Total	Year 2+ Annual
A	$5	$10	$5/mo	$130	$120/yr
B	$8	$0	$0	$96	$96/yr
C	$7	$5	$2/mo	$113	$108/yr

Winner: Provider B saves $34 in year 1, $24/year after

Cost Per Player Analysis

Example Comparison:

Provider A: $10/mo for 4GB (30 players max)

Cost per player: $10 ÷ 30 = $0.33/player

Provider B: $15/mo for 6GB (50 players max)

Cost per player: $15 ÷ 50 = $0.30/player

Better Value: Provider B (lower per-player cost + room to grow)

Long-Term Value

Factor in Growth:

Scenario: Start with 10 players, grow to 40

Provider A Plan Path:

Month 1-3: 2GB @ $5/mo → $15
Month 4-6: 4GB @ $10/mo → $30
Month 7-12: 6GB @ $15/mo → $90
Total Year 1: $135

Provider B Plan Path:

Month 1-12: 4GB @ $9/mo → $108
(Room to grow to 40 players without upgrade)
Total Year 1: $108

Savings with Provider B: $27 + no downtime for upgrades

Lesson: Pick a plan with growth room, not just minimum specs

Questions to Ask Providers

Essential Questions (Ask Before Buying)

Hardware Questions:

“What specific CPU model do you use?”
- Good answer: “AMD Ryzen 9 5950X” (specific)
- Bad answer: “High-performance CPU” (vague)
“Is the storage NVMe SSD or SATA SSD?”
- Good answer: “NVMe, 3500MB/s read speed”
- Bad answer: “Fast SSD” (not specific)
“Are CPU cores dedicated or shared?”
- Good answer: “Shared, limited to 6 servers per node”
- Bad answer: “High performance guaranteed” (evasive)
“What’s the RAM speed?”
- Good answer: “DDR4 3200MHz”
- Bad answer: “Industry standard” (non-answer)

Network Questions:

“What DDoS protection do you provide?”
- Good answer: “Cloudflare, Layer 7, 10Gbps capacity”
- Bad answer: “Yes, protected” (no details)
“What’s your network uplink speed?”
- Good answer: “10 Gbps with multiple carriers”
- Bad answer: “Fast network” (vague)
“Where are your data centers located?”
- Good answer: “Dallas, TX (Equinix datacenter)”
- Bad answer: “United States” (non-specific)

Support Questions:

“What’s your average support response time?”
- Good answer: “15 minutes average, 24/7 staff”
- Bad answer: “We respond as fast as possible” (no metrics)
“Do you provide 24/7 support?”
- Good answer: “Yes, Discord and tickets 24/7”
- Bad answer: “Business hours support” (limited)
“What support channels do you offer?”
- Good answer: “Tickets, Discord, live chat”
- Bad answer: “Email only”

Business Questions:

“Do you offer a money-back guarantee?”
- Good answer: “72-hour full refund, no questions”
- Bad answer: “All sales final”
“What’s your uptime guarantee?”
- Good answer: “99.9% SLA with service credits”
- Bad answer: “Best effort” (no guarantee)
“Are there any setup fees or hidden costs?”
- Good answer: “No setup fees, all features included”
- Bad answer: “Depends on configuration” (unclear)
“Can I upgrade/downgrade my plan anytime?”
- Good answer: “Yes, instant upgrade/downgrade”
- Bad answer: “Contact support” (friction)
“Do you offer free migration from another host?”
- Good answer: “Yes, we’ll migrate for free”
- Bad answer: “You can upload via FTP” (no help)

Making Your Final Decision

Decision Matrix

Rate each provider on these factors (1-5 stars):

Factor	Weight	Provider A	Provider B	Provider C
Price	20%	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hardware	30%	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Support	20%	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐
Features	15%	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Reputation	15%	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Total	100%	3.95/5	4.05/5	3.10/5

Winner: Provider B (best balanced score)

The Shortlist Method

Step 1: Filter by Must-Haves

✓ 4GB+ RAM
✓ NVMe SSD
✓ 24/7 support
✓ $15/mo or less
✓ 99.9% uptime SLA
✓ Money-back guarantee

Result: 5 providers remaining

Step 2: Test Support

Message each provider
Ask 2-3 technical questions
Time responses
Evaluate quality

Result: Eliminate 2 slow/poor responders

Step 3: Compare True Costs

Calculate first-year total
Factor in addons
Check for hidden fees

Result: Eliminate 1 expensive option

Step 4: Check Reputation

Read Reddit reviews
Check Trustpilot
Ask in Discord communities

Result: Eliminate 1 with poor reviews

Step 5: Final Decision

1 provider remaining
Meets all criteria
Best value
Good reputation
Buy with confidence!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Buying the Cheapest Plan

The Trap: “$1.99/mo for 2GB? Perfect for my 15-player server!”

Reality:

Severely oversold
Constant lag
Poor support
Frequent downtime

Result: Spend $2/mo, get $0.50/mo quality

Better Approach:

Pay $5-8/mo for quality
Get reliable performance
Save time and frustration
Better player retention

The Math:

$2/mo cheap host: 5 players quit due to lag
$8/mo good host: All 15 players stay, invite friends
Loss from cheap hosting: Your community

Mistake #2: Over-Provisioning Resources

The Trap: “I might get 50 players someday, I’ll buy 12GB plan now!”

Reality:

Currently have 8 players
Paying for 12GB ($40/mo)
Using only 2GB
Wasting $30/mo

Better Approach:

Start with 2-4GB ($5-10/mo)
Monitor actual usage
Upgrade when needed (takes 5 minutes)
Save $360/year

Rule: Buy for current needs + 25% growth room

Mistake #3: Ignoring Storage Type

The Trap: “Both are 4GB RAM for $8/mo, I’ll pick the cheaper-looking site”

Reality:

Provider A: NVMe SSD (3500MB/s)
Provider B: HDD (120MB/s)
Provider B is 30x slower

Impact:

Slow chunk loading
Long server startup (5 min vs 30 sec)
Laggy experience
Player complaints

Always Verify: Storage type before buying

Mistake #4: Not Testing During Trial Period

The Trap: Buy hosting → Set up later → Trial expires → Stuck with poor host

Better Approach:

Day 1: Set up immediately Day 2-3: Invite friends, stress test Day 4-5: Monitor performance during peak hours Day 6: Decide: keep or refund

Test Checklist:

Don’t Waste Your Trial Period

Mistake #5: Falling for “Unlimited” Claims

The Trap: “Unlimited RAM, CPU, Storage, Slots!”

Reality:

Nothing is unlimited
Heavily oversold
Terminate accounts for “abuse”
Fine print has limits

Example Fine Print: “Fair use policy: 80% RAM usage sustained for 1 hour may result in suspension”

Translation: Not actually unlimited

Avoid: Any host claiming “unlimited” anything

Mistake #6: Ignoring Support Quality

The Trap: “I’m technical, I don’t need support”

Reality:

Server crashes at 2 AM
Database corruption
Network issues
Billing problems
Account access issues

Everyone needs support eventually

Test Before Buying:

Send pre-sales question
Time the response
Evaluate knowledge
Check if 24/7 available

Bad Support Cost:

2 AM crash = server down until morning
Lost players
Lost revenue (if monetized)
Frustration

Mistake #7: Long-Term Contracts Without Testing

The Trap: “12-month plan is 30% cheaper! I’ll lock in.”

Reality:

Host quality is poor
Can’t refund after 7 days
Stuck for 11 more months
Lost money

Better Approach:

Start with monthly billing
Test for 1-2 months
If satisfied, upgrade to annual
Save money only after verification

Exception: Month-to-month difference is <$2/mo

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Minecraft Server for Friends

Situation:

12 friends
Vanilla Minecraft 1.20
Casual gameplay
Budget: $10/mo max

Resource Calculation:

Base: 1GB
Players: 12 × 0.1GB = 1.2GB
Vanilla (no plugins): +0GB
Total: 2.2GB → 3GB plan recommended

Shortlist Process:

Option A: Shockbyte

$2.50/mo (2GB RAM)
SATA SSD
Email support
Budget choice

Option B: Mamba Host

$5.00/mo (3GB RAM)
NVMe SSD
24/7 Discord support
Better specs

Option C: Apex Hosting

$10.50/mo (3GB RAM)
NVMe SSD
24/7 ticket support
Premium support

Decision Matrix:

Factor	Weight	Shockbyte	Mamba	Apex
Price	30%	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Hardware	30%	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Support	25%	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Features	15%	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Score		3.10	4.15	4.25

Recommendation: Mamba Host

Why:

Best value for performance
Fast NVMe storage matters for chunk loading
Discord support for quick help
$60/year is very affordable
Can upgrade easily if friends invite more

Budget Alternative: Shockbyte if budget is very tight

Example 2: FiveM RP Server (Growing)

Situation:

Started with 16 players
Now averaging 35 players
120+ resources (ESX Legacy)
Need reliable performance
Budget: $40/mo

Resource Calculation:

Base: 2GB
Players: 35 × 0.1GB = 3.5GB
Resources: 120 × 0.02GB = 2.4GB
Total: 7.9GB → 8GB plan recommended

Shortlist Process:

Option A: Shared FiveM Host

$35/mo (8GB RAM)
Xeon E5 CPU
NVMe SSD
txAdmin pre-installed
Managed

Option B: DigitalOcean VPS

$48/mo (8GB RAM, 4 vCPU)
AMD EPYC CPU
NVMe SSD
Self-managed
Need to install txAdmin

Option C: Premium Shared Host

$45/mo (8GB RAM)
Ryzen 9 5950X
NVMe SSD
txAdmin pre-installed
Premium support

Analysis:

Factor	Shared ($35)	VPS ($48)	Premium ($45)
Setup Time	5 min	2-4 hours	5 min
CPU Quality	Good	Excellent	Excellent
Support	FiveM-specific	None	24/7
Technical Skill	None	High	None
Control	Limited	Full	Limited

Recommendation: VPS if technical, Premium Shared if not

Why VPS:

Better CPU for FiveM (CPU-intensive)
Full control for optimization
Can run multiple services
Better value long-term

Why Premium Shared:

No setup hassle
FiveM-specific support
txAdmin pre-configured
Easier management

Decision: Choose based on technical comfort

Example 3: Rust Server (Public)

Situation:

Public Rust server
Expect 50-100 players
Standard 4000 map
Weekly wipes
Want professional setup
Budget: $50-80/mo

Resource Calculation:

Base: 3GB
Players: 75 (average) × 0.08GB = 6GB
Map size: +1GB (4000)
Total: 10GB recommended

Shortlist Process:

Option A: Budget VPS

$40/mo (12GB RAM, 4 vCPU)
Older CPU (3.0GHz)
Setup required
Basic

Option B: Premium VPS

$64/mo (12GB RAM, 4 vCPU)
Ryzen 9 5950X (4.5GHz boost)
Setup required
Fast single-core

Option C: Managed Rust Hosting

$60/mo (12GB RAM)
Pre-configured
Oxide/uMod pre-installed
Wipe automation
Rust-specific support

Decision Matrix:

Factor	Budget VPS	Premium VPS	Managed
Price	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
CPU (critical for Rust)	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ease of Use	⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Features	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendation: Premium VPS

Why:

Rust is extremely CPU-intensive
High clock speed critical (4.5GHz boost vs 3.0GHz)
Will feel noticeably smoother
Good value at $64/mo
Worth $24/mo extra over budget option

Setup Plan:

Use VPS (2-3 hours setup)
Install LinuxGSM (Rust manager)
Configure auto-wipe
Install Oxide
Test thoroughly

Alternative: Managed if don’t want to handle setup

Example 4: Small Terraria Server

Situation:

6 close friends
Modded (tModLoader)
Play 2-3 times per week
Minimal budget

Resource Calculation:

Base: 512MB
Players: 6 × 40MB = 240MB
Mods: +256MB
Total: 1GB sufficient

Decision:

Should I even rent hosting?

Self-Host Pros:

Free (except electricity)
Only need it when playing
Direct control

Self-Host Cons:

PC must be on when friends play
Port forwarding hassle
No professional setup

Cost Comparison:

Self-hosting: $0 upfront + $5-10/mo electricity if 24/7
Hosting: $2.50-3/mo

Recommendation: Self-host for now, upgrade later if needed

Why:

Terraria is lightweight
Only 6 players
Don’t play daily
Save money

When to Upgrade:

Friends want to play when you’re away
Player count increases
Want 24/7 availability

Your Action Plan

Ready to Choose? Follow These Steps

Week 1: Research Phase

Day 1-2: Calculate Needs

Determine expected player count
Calculate RAM requirements
Set realistic budget
List must-have features

Day 3-4: Shortlist Providers

Research 5-8 providers
Read recent reviews (Reddit, Trustpilot)
Check hardware specs
Verify pricing (hidden fees?)

Day 5-7: Test Support

Message 3-5 providers
Ask technical questions
Time responses
Evaluate quality

Week 2: Decision & Purchase

Day 8-9: Final Comparison

Create comparison spreadsheet
Calculate true costs (first year)
Rate each provider (decision matrix)
Check for money-back guarantee

Day 10: Make Purchase

Buy from top choice
Save all login details
Document plan details
Note trial period end date

Day 11-14: Testing Phase

Decision Checklist

Before clicking “Buy,” verify:

If all checked: Buy with confidence! ✅

If any unchecked: Research more or choose different provider ⚠️

Coming Up: Part 4

Next in the series: Setting Up Your First Server

You’ve chosen your hosting! Now what?

Part 4 will cover:

Creating your first server (step-by-step)
Control panel walkthrough
Game-specific configuration
Installing plugins/mods
Inviting players
Testing and troubleshooting
Going live checklist

Real walkthroughs for:

Minecraft (Java & Bedrock)
FiveM setup with txAdmin
Rust server configuration
And more!

Need Help Deciding?

Still unsure which plan to choose?

Get Personalized Recommendations

Option 1: Discord Community Join our Discord and ask:

“I’m hosting [game] for [X] players, budget $[Y]/mo, what do you recommend?”
Experienced community members will help

Option 2: Contact Our Team Contact support with:

Game you’re hosting
Expected player count
Budget range
Technical comfort level

We’ll recommend specific plans that match your needs.

Quick Recommendations by Game

Minecraft (10-20 players, vanilla/light plugins): → Mamba Host 3GB Plan - $5/mo

FiveM (32 players, ESX/QBCore): → Mamba Host 6GB FiveM Plan - $24.99/mo

Rust (50-75 players, standard map): → DigitalOcean 8GB VPS - $48/mo

For VPS: We recommend DigitalOcean or Linode

For Dedicated: We recommend OVH or Hetzner

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right hosting plan isn’t about finding the cheapest option—it’s about finding the best value for your specific needs.

Key Takeaways:

Calculate First - Know your needs before shopping
Verify Hardware - NVMe SSD and modern CPU matter
Test Support - You’ll need it eventually
Use Trial Period - Actually test performance
Avoid Red Flags - Trust your gut on “too good to be true”
Start Appropriate - Buy for current needs + 25% growth
Can Always Upgrade - Easier to scale up than down

Most Important: The best hosting plan is one that:

Meets your current needs
Has room to grow
Fits your budget comfortably
Comes from a provider you trust

You’ve got this! 🚀

Series Progress: ██████████░ 3 of 5 complete

Previous Posts:

Next: Part 4: Setting Up Your First Server

Last updated: October 24, 2025 Part of Gaming Hosting 101 Series Target audience: Users ready to make their hosting purchase

How to Choose the Right Game Server Hosting Plan: Gaming Hosting 101 (Part 3)

Table of Contents

Calculate Your Resource Needs

RAM Requirements by Game

CPU Requirements

Storage Requirements

Network/Bandwidth Requirements

Quick Resource Calculator

Understanding Hardware Specifications

How to Read CPU Specifications

RAM Specifications

Storage Specifications

Network Specifications

Reading Provider Specs

Example Plan Breakdown

What Hosts Often Hide

Comparing Apples to Apples

Red Flags to Avoid

🚩 Major Red Flags (Walk Away)

⚠️ Warning Signs (Proceed with Caution)

Evaluating Provider Quality

Support Quality Test

Performance Verification

Uptime & Reliability Check

Price Comparison Strategy

True Cost Calculation

Cost Per Player Analysis

Long-Term Value

Questions to Ask Providers

Essential Questions (Ask Before Buying)

Making Your Final Decision

Decision Matrix

The Shortlist Method

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Buying the Cheapest Plan

Mistake #2: Over-Provisioning Resources

Mistake #3: Ignoring Storage Type

Mistake #4: Not Testing During Trial Period

Mistake #5: Falling for “Unlimited” Claims

Mistake #6: Ignoring Support Quality

Mistake #7: Long-Term Contracts Without Testing

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Minecraft Server for Friends

Example 2: FiveM RP Server (Growing)

Example 3: Rust Server (Public)

Example 4: Small Terraria Server

Your Action Plan

Ready to Choose? Follow These Steps

Decision Checklist

Coming Up: Part 4

Need Help Deciding?

Get Personalized Recommendations

Quick Recommendations by Game

Final Thoughts

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