A free ARK server your tribe can actually run
A real dedicated Survival Ascended server, paid for by the people who click your link.
ARK: Survival Ascended is one of the heaviest survival servers there is, so a genuinely free one is close to impossible. We make it work with credits: your share link earns them, and they pay for a normal paid server.
Staying longer? Subscribe and get 50% off your first month
- DDoS protected
- 24/7 support
- Live the moment you pay
Get your game server for free
One link, two ways to earn. Credits pay your bill.
Way 1, the big one
$10
for every friend who joins
Send your link. When anyone subscribes through it, you get credits. Friends or strangers, it all counts.
Way 2
5¢
for every click
Post your link anywhere. Every new person who clicks it earns you credits.
Rather just share the cost? Split the bill with up to 10 friends, each pays their own part. How bill sharing works
- Split the billUp to 10 friends, own cards
- Custom plansAny RAM up to 32 GB
- Prepaid or monthly3 days to 1 year
- Live in 60 secondsNo setup, no waiting
- Cancel any timeNo contracts, ever
Why free ARK hosting barely exists
ARK is a heavy server
The Island needs around 8 to 10 GB of memory with nobody online, and bases, tamed dinos and mods push that higher over time. That makes 12 GB the realistic floor and 16 GB the sweet spot for most tribes. The server also only runs on Windows, so Linux hosts run it through Proton, a compatibility layer.
No free host can hand that much out per world and stay open. The alternative, a non dedicated session from your own game, only runs while you play and keeps everyone tethered to the host, so dinos stop breeding and crops stop growing the moment you log off.
Your share link earns the credits
Every account gets a share link in one click from the dashboard. No application and no code. It earns 5 cents in credits for every person who clicks it, counted once a day per person, and $10 in credits for every person who clicks it and subscribes, once per person.
Anyone counts. Survivors who find your link in an ARK Discord, a tribe recruitment post or under your boss fight video earn you credits just like your tribemates do.
What the credits buy in ARK
Credits are money that buys servers with us, not a discount, and they come off your bills automatically. Our 12 GB Starter plan is $29.99 a month, for a small tribe of up to 10 on The Island or Scorched Earth, so three people who click your link and subscribe cover a month. Four cover a month of the 16 GB Standard plan at $39.99, for bigger maps, boosted rates or a few mods.
Once your credits cover a server you get it with credits alone, no card and no payment. A 3 day prepaid 12 GB ARK server is $7.50, less than one subscriber earns you, and you keep adding time as credits come in. Credits have no cash value and only pay GamezServers bills.
Everything a paying tribe gets
A credit paid server is the same as a paid one: dedicated memory, DDoS protection, backups and a live console. Proton is already handled, the server updates itself on every restart, and XP, taming and harvest rates are simple settings in the panel. Switch maps whenever your tribe is ready, add CurseForge mods by project ID, and Xbox and PlayStation players find you under Unofficial with Show Player Servers on.
The world keeps running when everyone logs off. It only goes to sleep after 4 days with nobody on, and anyone with access wakes it with one click from the dashboard.
Pick your ARK plan
Every plan is live the moment you pay. Upgrade or cancel from your dashboard any time.
Starter
12 GBThen $29.99/mo. $1.00 a day.
Splitting with 3 friends? $8.52 each/mo
- 12 GB RAM
- 3 vCPU cores
- Up to 5 players
- DDoS protection included
- 24/7 support
Standard
16 GBThen $39.99/mo. $1.33 a day.
Splitting with 3 friends? $11.02 each/mo
- 16 GB RAM
- 4 vCPU cores
- Up to 15 players
- DDoS protection included
- 24/7 support
Pro
24 GBThen $59.99/mo. $2.00 a day.
Splitting with 3 friends? $16.02 each/mo
- 24 GB RAM
- 6 vCPU cores
- Up to 35 players
- DDoS protection included
- 24/7 support
What comes set up on a ARK server
Memory ARK needs
Plans from 12 GB to 24 GB, never a squeezed free tier.
5 cents per click
Anyone who clicks your link earns you credits, once a day per person.
$10 per subscriber
In credits, once for every person who clicks your link and subscribes.
Your rates
XP, taming and harvest multipliers are settings in the panel.
DDoS protection and backups
The same protection as every paid plan.
A look inside ARK
Real screenshots from the game. Click any of them to see it full size.
This is the panel. Click around.
This is the ARK panel you get. Click any button, or type a command.
ARK Server
play.gamezservers.com:7777
[12:00:00] Starting ARK: Survival Ascended server
[12:00:03] Loading world
[12:00:06] Server started on port 7777
[12:00:09] Ready for players. Try a button.
Power
ARK actions
How to join your ARK server
- 1
Launch ARK: Survival Ascended and click Join Game.
- 2
Switch the list to Unofficial and turn on Show Player Servers.
- 3
Search for the server name and click Join. Enter the password if you set one.
- 4
On PC you can also open the console and type open
203.0.113.24:7777and press Enter.
Common problems
Cannot find the server
Set the list to Unofficial and turn on Show Player Servers. A new server can take a few minutes to appear.
Joining from the PC console
Press Tab on the main menu, paste the open command from this page and press Enter.
Version mismatch
The server updates itself on every restart. After a game patch, restart the server and update the game on every device.
Stuck after adding a mod
Mod IDs are CurseForge project IDs separated by commas with no spaces. A mod that was removed or is not updated for the current patch can stop the server loading, so take it out and restart.
Server not responding
Make sure the server is online. Servers sleep after 4 days with nobody playing, and anyone with access can start them again from the dashboard in one click.
Use the server address
Do not use localhost, 127.0.0.1 or your own IP from a home hosting guide. Copy the exact address of the server.
No port forwarding or firewall changes
Opening ports on your router is only for hosting a server at home, so there is nothing to change to join this one. If Windows asks whether to let the game through the firewall, choose Allow.
Common questions
Is a free ARK server really free?
The server is a normal paid one. Your share link earns credits that come off your bill automatically, and when they cover the whole bill you pay nothing.
Why does ARK need so much RAM?
Survival Ascended is one of the heaviest servers around. The Island uses 8 to 10 GB with nobody on, so 12 GB is the floor and 16 GB suits most tribes.
How many subscribers cover a month?
Three people who click your link and subscribe earn enough credits for a month of the 12 GB Starter plan at $29.99. Clicks add 5 cents each on top.
Can I get an ARK server with credits alone?
Yes. Once your credits cover a server you get it without a card. A 3 day prepaid 12 GB server is $7.50, and you can extend it with more credits.
Can console players join?
Yes. Survival Ascended servers are cross platform, so Xbox and PlayStation players find yours under Unofficial with Show Player Servers turned on. Mods need to support console too.
Can I use mods on a credit paid server?
Yes. Add CurseForge project IDs in the panel and restart. Heavy mod lists want more memory, which costs more credits.
Why does ARK need so much RAM?
Survival Ascended is one of the heaviest servers around. 16 GB is the sweet spot for most tribes.
Can I run a cluster?
Not yet. Each server runs one map on its own, and characters and dinos cannot transfer between servers. You can switch a server to another map at any time.
Can console players join?
Yes. Survival Ascended servers are cross platform, so Xbox and PlayStation players can find your server under Unofficial with Show Player Servers turned on. Any mods you add need to support console too.
Can my friends and I split the cost?
Yes. At checkout choose "Me and my friends" and up to 10 people each pay their own share with their own card, on any plan length, from 3 days to a year. It is not a payment plan: nobody pays in parts over time, each friend simply pays their own share. You pay yours, send each friend their link, and the server starts straight away. Each share includes a $1 payment fee.
Can I build a custom plan?
Yes. Every game has a Build your own page: pick any amount of RAM up to 32 GB, any length from 3 days to 1 year, prepaid or a subscription, plus your server type and settings. A custom size costs 15% more per GB than the standard plans next to it.
Can I pay once instead of a subscription?
Yes. Pick Prepaid and pay once for 3 days, 30 days, 6 months or a year. Nothing renews: when the time is up the server pauses and keeps its world for 14 days. Add time or switch to a subscription from your panel any time. Short rentals cost more per day, since every server is set up from scratch.
How fast is setup, really?
Your server starts building the moment Stripe confirms payment. Most are online in under a minute, and the address and login appear on your dashboard automatically.
ARK servers for every crew
ARK server guides
ARK7 min readHow to Host an ARK Survival Ascended Server (Quick Start)
How to host an ARK: Survival Ascended server in minutes. Pick a plan, get your address, set rates in GameUserSettings.ini and add CurseForge mods.
ReadARK5 min readARK Ascended "Connection Timeout" After a Mod Update? Fix It
ARK Survival Ascended players time out joining right after a mod update. Why it happens and how to get the server and clients back in sync.
ReadARK5 min readHow to Roll Back an ARK Survival Ascended Server to an Earlier Save
Roll back an ARK Ascended dedicated server by restoring a timestamped .ark save, plus how to recover single players and tribes from .bak files.
ReadARK5 min readHow to Set a Tame Limit on an ARK Survival Ascended Server
Cap tames per tribe and server wide in ARK Ascended with MaxPersonalTamedDinos, MaxTamedDinos and the soft tame limit, with values that keep servers smooth.
ReadARK5 min readARK Survival Ascended Crossplay Server: PC, Xbox and PS5
How ARK Survival Ascended crossplay works on a server: Steam, Xbox and PS5 on one map, the -ServerPlatform option, cross platform mods and what breaks it.
ReadARK5 min readARK Survival Ascended Patch Notes: Cerberax, Astraeos 1.0 (2026)
ARK Survival Ascended patch notes for August to October 2026: Astraeos 1.0, Cerberax, Gargantar, Therizino TLC and the new GameUserSettings.ini options.
Read
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A real dedicated Survival Ascended server, paid for by the people who click your link.
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