Finding the best game server hosting provider can be a challenging endeavor but in this guide, I hope to provide guidance on the main things to look out for when looking for a game hosting provider.
Game Server Panel
The panel is the core of any hosting provider's offering, it's arguably the most important aspect of any game host and this is even more vital for beginners who are just getting into setting up their own server.
When finding the right provider for you it's important to test out their panel if you can, many of them including Pine Hosting will allow you to do this for free if you open a support ticket.
Different games come with vastly different requirements when it comes to features, for example, our Rust offering includes a one-click plugin installer that directly integrates with uMod, an easy config editor that allows for various quick actions and easier control of the key server options, error detection, automatic backups, scheduling and so much more.
Before purchasing any server it's vital that you review their features and see if they are offering what you need, you might not require any features at all and prefer to go into config files or you might want as many quality-of-life elements as possible.
Hardware & Performance
Hardware is one of the most obvious differences between various hosts and thankfully it is quite simple to compare from host to host, some sites might hide their hardware or make it difficult to see. This should be a concern as this could suggest outdated servers but for the most part, it will be listed clearly on most providers websites.
Hard drives vs SSDs, simply put no major host should be offering any servers that run on the slow outdated technology which is a hard drive. Look out for providers that use SSDs or ideally NVMe SSDs for the maximum possible performance.
CPUs, when looking for the best performance the large majority of the highest-end hosts will make use of the latest Ryzen or Intel processors. Many budget hosts will cut costs here by using older-generation hardware that might struggle to run today's modern games.
For Intel, it's a similar story but we generally wouldn't recommend using Intel for game hosting unless you are looking for a dedicated machine and only care about raw performance as they are very inefficient and that added cost is passed onto you.
DDoS Protection & Networking
DDoS protection is essential for keeping your server running, it blocks attacks from malicious people such as angry players, and allows you to focus on playing your server instead of stressful downtime.
I could write an entire blog post about DDoS protection and in fact, I'm sure Brad might but for the sake of simplicity there are only a few good options when it comes to keeping game servers running, those being:
- CosmicGuard
- Path.net
- Cloudflare Magic Transit
In our case, we currently use CosmicGuard as our provider of choice.
Outside of DDoS protection a strong network is vital for the best experience possible, as most will offer ultra-fast upload and download speeds with excellent ping but some hosts are still lacking in this department. In partnership with CosmicGuard we also offer an anycasted network that helps reduce player's ping and improve your game server ranking on server lists. This is something that many providers are unable to offer and is seen as a premium feature that we offer for free on all our game servers.
Support & Features
I truly believe that support is what makes or breaks a host, it's an essential but often overlooked element of what separates the best from the rest.
Of course, hosting providers can't set up your server for you and it would be unrealistic to expect that but the best hosting providers will do absolutely everything they can to help out, this could even involve directly fixing issues for you.
But it's not just the quality of the support it's also the ways you have to reach out to them, check on the hosting provider's support options, and look out for those that sometimes have live chat support or Discord support, etc.
Features are another important element that is often overlooked. Many premium hosting companies will offer offsite backups, automatic updating, and many other tools or services that are included in their offering. At Pine Hosting we offer many free trials with partner services, offsite backups, and a lot of other valuable features included for free with every game server hosting service.
What is Game Server Hosting?
To understand what makes a good game server hosting provider it's important to understand what game server hosting actually is.
At its core game server hosting is simply a service that allows you to host a game server, this comes at a much lower cost and with more user-friendly features than attempting the often expensive and complex process of hosting your own game server. This allows users of all skill levels to spin up a server quickly and enjoy playing with friends.
This hosting is done on game-optimized hardware inside data centers around the world allowing for the best possible connections and reliability for all players.
The Best Game Server Hosting
Now that I have laid out the most important aspects to look out for when searching for the best game server hosting services, it's time to tell you why we are the best.
As mentioned above we put a huge amount of focus on the quality of our service. From our feature-rich panel, powerful hardware, premium network & DDoS protection, and a wide range of extra perks with every package, we are the go-to choice for game server hosting. Our team puts works tirelessly to ensure a premium service and support for all our customers 24/7. This may seem slightly biased and while that may be true, we have hundreds of customer testimonials to back us up. With our 48h money-back guarantee and plenty of positive reviews, we are confident in our ability to provide an outstanding service to any type of customer!
