ARK: Survival EvolvedARK Survival Evolved Server Hosting Cost by Map (2026)
What an ARK: Survival Evolved server costs per month on The Island, Ragnarok, Genesis or Fjordur, with mods, and how it compares to hosting ARK: Survival Ascended.
Updated Oct 7, 2026 · 5 min read
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An ARK: Survival Evolved server costs about 20 to 40 USD a month hosted, and the map decides most of it: 8 GB (19.99 USD) fits The Island or Ragnarok for a small tribe with light mods, 12 GB (29.99 USD) larger maps or a modded server with 10 to 20 players, and 16 GB (39.99 USD) Genesis or Fjordur with big mods. Big modded communities go to 24 GB (59.99 USD). That makes Evolved cheaper to host than ARK: Survival Ascended, which needs 12 GB as a starting point.
Since Evolved's official servers shut down, private and community servers are where the game lives on. Here is what each setup costs and how to keep the bill down.
Cost by map
The map you load matters more than how many survivors play, because large DLC maps fill a lot of memory before anyone joins.
| Map and setup | Plan | Monthly price |
|---|---|---|
| The Island or Ragnarok, small tribe, light mods | 8 GB | 19.99 USD |
| Larger maps such as Valguero or Crystal Isles, or a modded server with 10 to 20 players | 12 GB | 29.99 USD |
| Genesis or Fjordur with big mods and many players | 16 GB | 39.99 USD |
| Big modded community | 24 GB | 59.99 USD |
New customers get 50% off the first month.
If you change maps later, check the plan first. Switching a server from The Island to Genesis Part 2 on a small plan is a common way to run out of memory while the map loads.
How mods change the price
ARK has one of the largest Workshop libraries of any survival game. Server owners load mods by Workshop ID, in load order. Each one adds to memory, and big ones add a lot:
- Quality of life and building mods: small to moderate.
- Dino storage and utility mods: moderate.
- Total conversions and big map mods: large, often a whole plan size.
A sensible approach: pick your map's plan, add your mod list, then check memory during a busy evening. If it runs close to the limit, move up one tier.
Evolved vs Ascended: hosting cost
Many groups weigh going back to Evolved against playing Ascended. On hosting alone:
| ARK: Survival Evolved | ARK: Survival Ascended | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting plan | 8 GB, 19.99 USD | 12 GB, 29.99 USD |
| Typical modded plan | 12 to 16 GB | 16 to 24 GB |
| Game cost for players | Often on deep sale | Full price game |
| Official servers | Shut down | Running |
Evolved is the cheaper server. Ascended has the newer engine and active development. If your group already owns Evolved and loves its maps and mods, it is the budget choice. For Ascended prices, see ARK: Survival Ascended server hosting cost.
Cost per survivor
On a GamezServers split bill, each person pays an even share plus a 1 USD fee per share, with up to 10 payers:
| Plan | 4 players | 6 players | 10 players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 GB (19.99) | about 6.00 each | about 4.33 each | about 3.00 each |
| 12 GB (29.99) | about 8.50 each | about 6.00 each | about 4.00 each |
| 16 GB (39.99) | about 11.00 each | about 7.66 each | about 5.00 each |
The free options
Non dedicated session
Evolved lets one player host a non dedicated session from the game. It is free, but the world only runs while the host plays, the second player is tethered to the host's distance on some setups, and performance suffers on the host's PC. Fine for a duo, limiting for a tribe.
Run the dedicated server yourself
The ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server is free through SteamCMD. You need a PC with spare memory for the map you want, open ports for the game and query traffic, and time to keep the server and every mod updated. When a mod updates, players get kicked with mismatches until the server restarts and pulls the new version. Electricity for a PC running a heavy game server all month adds up too: see is renting a game server worth it.
Ways to spend less
- Start on The Island or Ragnarok if your group has not decided. They fit the smallest plan.
- Trim the mod list. Remove mods nobody uses, especially big ones.
- Boost rates instead of adding grind reducing mods. Taming, harvest and XP multipliers in
GameUserSettings.iniandGame.inicost nothing in memory. - One map at a time. A cluster of several maps means several servers and several bills. Start with one.
- Split the bill with your tribe.
An ARK: Survival Evolved server on GamezServers
GamezServers ARK: Survival Evolved servers come in 8, 12, 16 and 24 GB. The control panel has the map, server name, password, admin password, max players, BattlEye, auto update and a Mods field that takes Workshop IDs in load order, and the file manager handles GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini for rates. One click backups before a mod change or a raid weekend, always on DDoS protection, and its own address so nobody forwards ports. For tribe servers, see our modded ARK server hosting page.
FAQ
How much does an ARK: Survival Evolved server cost?
About 20 USD a month for The Island or Ragnarok with a small tribe, 30 USD for larger maps or mods, and 40 USD for Genesis or Fjordur with big mods.
Is ARK: Survival Evolved cheaper to host than Ascended?
Yes. Evolved starts at 8 GB, while Ascended starts at 12 GB, so the same group pays less per month on Evolved.
Can Epic players join a Steam ARK: Survival Evolved server?
Yes, with crossplay enabled using the -crossplay launch flag. The Epic version cannot use Steam Workshop mods, so crossplay servers usually run without mods.
How much RAM does Genesis need on ARK: Survival Evolved?
Plan on 16 GB for Genesis with mods. The large DLC maps need a lot of memory before anyone joins.
Skip the setup. Your own ARK: Survival Evolved server.
Then $19.99/mo. Just trying it? $5.00 for 3 days