Cheapest Games to Host a Server For (2026, With Real Prices)

The cheapest games to host a server for are Minecraft (Java and Bedrock), Terraria and Factorio, which run a friends server on 2 GB of RAM for 4.99 USD a month. Next come Counter-Strike 2, Valheim, FiveM and RuneScape: Dragonwilds on 4 GB for 9.99 USD. The expensive end is big Unreal Engine survival games like ARK and Palworld, which need 12 GB or more.

Hosting cost is almost entirely RAM, so the cheap games are the light ones. Below is the full ranking with our real plan prices, plus the number people forget: cost per player.

The cheapest games, ranked

Prices are GamezServers monthly plans at 2.50 USD per GB of RAM. Player counts are what each plan is sized for.

New customers get 50% off the first month, so a 4.99 USD server costs about 2.50 USD to try.

1. Minecraft: Java Edition (2 GB, 4.99 USD)

Vanilla Minecraft or a Paper server with a handful of plugins is happy on 2 GB for a small group. It is the best value server there is: cheap, endlessly replayable, and almost everyone already owns the game.

When it stops being cheap: modpacks. A 200 mod pack wants 6 to 8 GB or more. Read how much RAM does a Minecraft server need before you pick a pack.

2. Minecraft: Bedrock Edition (2 GB, 4.99 USD)

The Bedrock Dedicated Server is written in C++ rather than Java, and it is light. 2 GB carries a small group, and phones, consoles and Windows players all share the world.

When it stops being cheap: big add-ons and high view distances on a busy server.

3. Terraria (2 GB, 4.99 USD)

Vanilla Terraria barely uses any memory. 2 GB is generous for a group of 8, and the game has hundreds of hours of content for that price.

When it stops being cheap: tModLoader content mods like Calamity, which push you to 4 GB or more. See how to make a Calamity mod server.

4. Factorio (2 GB, 4.99 USD)

Factorio's headless server is famously efficient. An early or mid game factory with friends runs comfortably on 2 GB.

When it stops being cheap: megabases and Space Age saves with several planets, which need more memory and, more importantly, a fast CPU core. Factorio Space Age multiplayer server has the details.

5. FiveM (4 GB, 9.99 USD)

A GTA V roleplay or freeroam server sized for 16 players starts at 4 GB. The FiveM server itself is free, and you need a free license key from Cfx.re.

When it stops being cheap: big frameworks with lots of scripts, custom cars and maps, and 32 or more players. See best free FiveM scripts and FiveM server lag and hitch warning fix.

6. Counter-Strike 2 (4 GB, 9.99 USD)

A 5v5 match server, a retakes server or a practice config for your team runs on 4 GB. It is one of the cheapest ways to entertain 10 people every night.

7. Valheim (4 GB, 9.99 USD)

Valheim caps out at 10 players and a vanilla world for a small group is fine on 4 GB. Bigger, heavily built worlds and BepInEx mods push it to 6 or 8 GB.

8. RuneScape: Dragonwilds (4 GB, 9.99 USD)

The 4 GB plan suits a pair of players. A common rule is 2 GB plus 1 GB per player, so a full group of 6 is better on 8 GB for 19.99 USD.

9 and 10. Project Zomboid and Schedule I (6 GB, 14.99 USD)

These are mid weight. Project Zomboid's Build 42 uses more memory than older builds and mod lists add up fast. Schedule I has no official server, so it runs on the free S1DedicatedServers mod rather than a purpose built server program, and our plans give it room for that.

Cheapest per player, not just per month

If your group is big, the monthly price is the wrong number. Divide by the players each plan is sized for:

Rust surprises people: its plans start at 8 GB, but they are sized for large populations, so a community server is very cheap per player.

Games that are expensive to host

For comparison, these want much more memory:

They are still very affordable once you split them. See below.

Light games we do not host yet

A few other games with free, light dedicated servers, worth knowing about:

• Don't Starve Together: a small server program for co-op survival. You need a free server token from Klei.
• OpenTTD: the open source transport tycoon game, with a tiny dedicated server.
• Hytale: in early access on PC since January 2026. We are adding it soon, sized from 4 GB for 9.99 USD. See Hytale server requirements.

How to make any server cheaper

• Split it. At checkout choose to split the bill with up to 10 friends, and each person pays their own share by card plus a 1 USD fee per share. A 4.99 USD Minecraft server split 4 ways is about 2.25 USD each. A 19.99 USD Rust server split 10 ways is 3.00 USD each.
• Pay yearly if you are sure. A year costs the same as 10 months, so you get 2 months free.
• Start small and upgrade. Upgrades are prorated and keep your world. There is no reason to buy the big plan on day one.
• Let it sleep. Servers stop after 4 days with nobody on and start again in one click. It does not change the price, but it keeps a small plan's memory fresh.

Cheapest way to host a game server for friends compares hosted servers with co-op and home hosting if you are still deciding.

FAQ

What is the cheapest game server to rent?

Minecraft, Terraria and Factorio, at 4.99 USD a month for 2 GB on our plans, or about 2.50 USD for the first month with the new customer discount.

Is 2 GB enough for a Minecraft server?

For vanilla or Paper with a few plugins and up to about 10 players, yes. Modpacks, big redstone builds and larger groups need 4 GB or more.

What is the cheapest game for a big group?

Per player, Rust and Minecraft. Their bigger plans are sized for 100 or more players, which works out to well under 1 USD per slot.

Why do some games need so much more RAM?

Big open worlds with lots of simulated creatures, buildings and physics keep more in memory. Unreal Engine survival games like ARK and Palworld have a large baseline before anyone joins. How much RAM a game server needs explains where the memory goes.

Start cheap

Pick one of the 2 GB games on the pricing page. You are live about 60 seconds after payment, and you can upgrade any time if the world grows.