Game server hosting: what to look for

Renting a game server sounds simple: you pick a plan, pay and play. But the differences between providers are large, and a poor choice leads to lag, crashes or a panel that does not work. This article covers everything to look for before renting a game server, so you can make a well-informed decision.

Why rent a game server instead of self-hosting?

You can run a game server on your own computer, but that has drawbacks:

• Your computer has to stay on 24/7. As soon as you shut the server down, other players can no longer play.
• Your home connection is the bottleneck. The upload speed of an average home connection is not enough for more than a handful of players, especially with games that exchange a lot of data.
• No DDoS protection. An attack on your home network affects not just the server but all your devices.
• Port forwarding and firewall management. You have to configure your router correctly, which poses a security risk if done improperly.

A rented server sits in a data center with a fast connection, redundant power and professional DDoS mitigation. The server runs 24/7 without putting any load on your own hardware.

RAM: how much memory do you need?

RAM is the deciding factor for performance in most games. The operating system and the game itself take up a base amount, and every component (players, mods, plugins, worlds) adds to it.

General guidelines per game:

Note: these numbers are indicative. A heavily modded Minecraft server with 50 players and Dynmap can easily need 12 GB or more. It is better to start a bit higher and scale down if needed, rather than the other way around.

CPU: single-thread performance matters

Most game servers are single-threaded: they primarily use one processor core for the game logic. That means a processor with high clock speed per core (single-thread performance) is more important than a processor with many cores.

What to look for:

• Clock speed. A server on a CPU running at 4.5 GHz performs noticeably better than one at 2.4 GHz, even if the slower CPU has more cores.
• Dedicated vs shared cores. With cheaper plans you share CPU power with other customers. During peak load that can be noticeable. Dedicated cores guarantee consistent performance.
• Processor type. AMD Ryzen 7000/9000 series and Intel Core i9-13000/14000/15000 series are common in 2026 among quality hosts. Older generations (Xeon E5, Ryzen 3000) are cheaper but noticeably slower.

Ask your host which CPU type is used in the servers. Transparent providers list this on the product page. If a provider does not, that is a red flag.

Location: the closer, the less ping

The physical distance between the player and the server determines a large part of the latency (ping). For a European community, a server in the Netherlands or Germany is ideal. Consider the location based on your audience:

• Netherlands / Germany: ideal for players from Western Europe. Expected ping: 5 to 20 ms.
• France / United Kingdom: good for a mixed Western European audience. Expected ping from the Netherlands: 15 to 35 ms.
• Poland / Eastern Europe: suitable if part of your community is from Eastern Europe. Expected ping from the Netherlands: 30 to 50 ms.
• North America: only makes sense if most of your players are there. Ping from Europe: 80 to 120 ms.

HostValues offers servers in multiple European locations, with a latency meter on the website so you can test beforehand which location gives the lowest ping.

DDoS protection: a requirement, not a luxury

DDoS attacks (Distributed Denial of Service) are a real problem for game servers. Unhappy players, competing servers or random attacks can make your server unreachable. Proper DDoS protection filters malicious traffic before it reaches your server.

What to look for:

• Always on. The protection should be active by default, not only turned on after an attack.
• Capacity. Protection that handles 10 Gbps is insufficient against modern attacks. Look for at least 1 Tbps mitigation capacity.
• Game traffic filters. Generic DDoS protection can sometimes block legitimate game traffic as well. Good hosts have filters specifically tuned for game server traffic.
• Included in the price. If DDoS protection is a paid extra, that is a sign the base protection is insufficient.

At HostValues, DDoS protection is included by default with all game server and VPS plans, at no extra cost and with no setup required.

The game panel: your daily tool

The game panel is the web interface you use to manage your server. You start and stop the server, view the console, manage files, create backups and install updates. The quality of the panel largely determines how pleasant it is to manage your server.

Important features to look for:

• Web console. Direct access to the server console from the browser, without SSH or external tools.
• File manager. A built-in file manager where you can edit configuration files, upload plugins and view logs.
• Backups. The ability to create manual and automatic backups and to download them.
• Version and software selection. An easy way to change the game version and choose server software (Paper, Fabric, Vanilla, and so on).
• Subdomain access. Many hosts give you a subdomain to connect without having to remember the IP address and port.
• Scheduled tasks. The ability to schedule automatic restarts, backups or commands.

The Pterodactyl panel is the standard in 2026 among most quality hosts. It is open source, actively maintained and offers all the features listed above. HostValues uses Pterodactyl as its game panel.

Support: when you cannot figure it out yourself

Technical problems happen. A plugin that crashes, a mod that will not load, a configuration that does not work. At that point, good support is the difference between a problem solved in an hour and one that takes days.

What to look for:

• Availability. Is support only reachable by email, or also via a ticket system or live chat? How fast is the average response time?
• Language. English support is not always equally accessible for everyone. Check what languages are available.
• Technical knowledge. Can the support staff help you with game-specific problems, or do you only get generic answers?
• Knowledge base. A good host has guides and articles on common topics, so you can search before opening a ticket.

At HostValues, support is available daily from 10:00 to 22:00 via the ticket system. There is also an extensive knowledge base with step-by-step guides.

Price: cheap is not always a bargain

Game server hosting is competitively priced. You will find plans from less than 2 EUR per month to more than 50 EUR. The difference is in the hardware, the support and what is included.

Watch for these points:

• Price per GB RAM. This is the most common comparison metric. In 2026 a typical price for Minecraft hosting is between 1 and 3 EUR per GB per month.
• What is included? DDoS protection, backups, subdomains and the panel should be standard. If you pay separately for these, the total is higher than it looks.
• Contract length. Some providers offer discounts for longer contracts. That is fine, but make sure you can always cancel monthly if you want.
• Hidden costs. Paying extra for plugin installation, server migration or a Java version upgrade? That should be free.

Shared, dedicated or VPS: what is the difference?

There are three main types of server hosting. Each has its own strengths and limitations.

Shared game server hosting

Your server runs alongside other servers on the same physical machine. You share CPU, storage and sometimes network capacity with other customers.

• Pros: low price, easy to manage, no technical knowledge required.
• Cons: performance can fluctuate due to other servers on the same machine. Less control over the configuration.
• Best for: small to medium servers (up to about 30 players), friend servers, new server admins.

Dedicated game server hosting

You rent a complete physical machine. All CPU cores, RAM and storage are exclusively yours.

• Pros: maximum performance, full control, no impact from other customers.
• Cons: higher price, requires more technical knowledge for maintenance.
• Best for: large communities (50+ players), multiple servers at once, networks with proxies.

VPS (Virtual Private Server)

A VPS is a virtual machine on a physical server. You get a fixed share of the CPU, RAM and storage, with root access to the operating system.

• Pros: full control (root), fixed resources, flexible (can run multiple services alongside the game server).
• Cons: you manage the operating system yourself (updates, security). Requires Linux knowledge.
• Best for: experienced admins, servers with specific requirements, combinations of game server plus website or database.

Not sure which to pick? Start with shared game server hosting. If your server grows, you can always upgrade to a larger plan or switch to a VPS. At HostValues both game server plans and KVM VPS are available, and switching is possible without data loss with the help of support.

Checklist: renting a game server

Use this checklist before renting a game server:

• How many players do you expect? Choose the right RAM plan based on that.
• Which game are you running? Check the minimum requirements for that game.
• Are you using mods or plugins? Factor in extra RAM.
• Where are your players located? Choose a server location that gives the lowest ping.
• Is DDoS protection included? If not, look for a different provider.
• Which panel is used? Test a demo if one is available.
• How is support reachable and in which language?
• Can you cancel monthly?
• What are the renewal costs if you get an introductory discount?

Summary

Renting a game server is more than picking a plan based on price alone. RAM, CPU quality, server location, DDoS protection, the game panel and support together determine whether your server runs smoothly and whether managing it is a pleasant experience. Take the time to compare providers on these points, and when in doubt start with a smaller plan that you can scale up later.

At HostValues you can find Minecraft, FiveM, Rust and more, with servers in multiple European locations, DDoS protection, the Pterodactyl panel and support available daily. All plans can be cancelled monthly.