Best Minecraft and game server hosting: how to choose a host

The short answer

Both hosts have been running since 2013, both include DDoS protection and 24/7 support, and both install modpacks with one click. The difference is mostly price structure and refund terms:

• Pick Shockbyte if price matters most. Its Budget line starts at $1.99 a month for 1 GB, and its Premium line keeps a 30% discount on every renewal (1 GB Dirt at $2.79 a month instead of $3.99). It also hosts more than 70 games on the same account.
• Pick Apex Hosting if you want a longer safety net and room to grow. Refunds are possible for 7 days from server creation, every server has unlimited player slots, and the 16 GB EX-Series plan gives a large community dedicated CPU cores.

The catch on each side: Apex's 25% discount applies to your first order only, so the renewal price is what you will pay long term. Shockbyte's 72-hour refund can be used once per client, and renewal payments are not refundable.

What to compare in a game server host

A game server is a small rented machine that runs the server software for you, so friends can join at any time. When you compare hosts, these are the things that change what you pay and how the server feels:

• Price per GB of RAM, at renewal. Plans are sold by memory. Headline prices often include a first-month or first-order discount, so check the recurring price before you pay.
• Refund window. Game hosting is easy to try and easy to outgrow. A longer window gives you time to test mods and ping with your players.
• Locations. Pick a data center close to most of your players; distance adds lag that no amount of RAM fixes.
• Modpack and plugin support. One-click installers for CurseForge, FTB and similar launchers save a lot of manual setup.
• Game catalog. Friend groups often move on to another survival game. A host that runs it too saves you a new account.
• Hardware. CPU clock speed matters for Minecraft, which leans heavily on a single core. Both hosts publish their CPUs per location.
• DDoS protection and support. Both are included at both hosts, so they are not a deciding factor here, but avoid any host that sells them as extras.

How much RAM does a Minecraft server need?

RAM is the main price driver, so size it to your plans rather than buying the biggest tier. Apex Hosting publishes a guide with recommendations (it says they are suggestions, not caps):

A small vanilla world for a few friends runs on 2 to 3 GB. Big modpacks are where memory goes: Apex says plans above 6 GB cover all of its one-click modpacks, and Shockbyte tags its 8 GB Emerald plan for mods and plugins. Other games differ: Apex's guide lists 1 GB as the minimum for Terraria and 4 GB for Rust or ARK. Both hosts let you upgrade later, so starting small is a reasonable choice.

Shockbyte: the lower price, two plan lines

Shockbyte is run by Shockbyte PTY LTD in Melbourne, Australia, and started in 2013 with Minecraft only. It now hosts more than 70 games, including Rust, Palworld, Valheim, Terraria, Hytale and Project Zomboid, under one account.

Minecraft comes in two lines. On the Shockbyte Minecraft plans page Premium plans list at about $4 per GB with a 30% recurring discount: Dirt (1 GB) $2.79 a month, Sand (2 GB) $5.59, Redstone (6 GB) $16.79, Emerald (8 GB) $22.39. Budget plans run on lower-cost hardware; Shockbyte's own comparison puts them at $1.99 for 1 GB, $3.99 for 2 GB, $11.99 for 6 GB and $15.99 for 8 GB. Quarterly billing is shown at 10% off and annual billing at 50% off.

Shockbyte lists 15 locations: five in North America, five in Europe, four in Asia Pacific (Australia, Japan, Singapore, India) and São Paulo. Its hardware page names the CPU at each one, up to an AMD EPYC 4465P at 5.4 GHz, on NVMe storage. You can move a server between locations after ordering. Its new control panel adds server instances, so you can switch between a modded and a vanilla world, and one-click modpacks from CurseForge, FTB, Technic and ATLauncher.

Downsides: the 72-hour refund policy can be claimed only once per client and does not cover renewal payments. Budget plans use cheaper hardware than Premium, so a busy modded server is better on Premium. Details in our Shockbyte review.

Apex Hosting: unlimited slots and a 7-day refund

Apex Hosting LLC is an American company hosting game servers since 2013. Its catalog covers Minecraft Java and Bedrock plus games such as Palworld, Hytale, Rust, ARK, Valheim, Project Zomboid, Terraria, Satisfactory and Counter-Strike 2.

On the Apex pricing page the code APEX25 gives 25% off your first order. Minecraft plans shown there: 4 GB at $11.24 for the first month, then $14.99 a month; 6 GB at $16.87, then $22.49; 8 GB at $20.99, then $27.99. The games page starts Minecraft Java from $5.99 and Bedrock from $2.99 with the same discount. For large communities the EX-Series gives 16 GB with 4 dedicated vCores and a free dedicated IP: $53.99 for the first month, then $71.99 a month. Quarterly billing is shown at 10% off.

Every Apex server includes unlimited player slots, a free subdomain, offsite automatic backups and DDoS protection that Apex rates against attacks up to 300 Gbps. Its server specs page lists data centers in North America (New York, Dallas, San José, Miami, Portland, Virginia), Europe (Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London), Asia (Tel Aviv, Singapore, Tokyo), São Paulo and Sydney. Support is 24/7, with help in English, Spanish and other languages.

Downsides: the discount is first-order only, so renewals cost noticeably more than the first month. Per GB, the 4 GB renewal ($14.99) is above Shockbyte's discounted Premium 4 GB ($11.19). The panel is Multicraft-based rather than a newly built one. More detail in our Apex Hosting review.

Price per plan size, side by side

Here is what the same amount of RAM costs on monthly billing, from each host's pages in October 2026. Apex's first month includes the APEX25 first-order discount; Shockbyte's Premium figures include its recurring discount.

For the first month the two are close; from the second month Shockbyte is cheaper at every size both list. If you plan to prepay, compare the yearly total at your exact size: Shockbyte advertises 50% off annual billing, Apex shows 10% off quarterly. Prices vary by currency and region, so treat the checkout as final.

Refunds and the fine print

Refund terms differ more than prices do, and they matter if you are not sure a host suits your group:

• Apex Hosting: a refund is possible within 7 days of the server being created in its system, which may differ from the payment time. You must send a formal refund ticket; cancelling is not a refund request. Used one-time services such as modpack setup or plugin installation are not refundable, and a chargeback closes the account.
• Shockbyte: a new service can be refunded within 72 hours of ordering, if you say why you want to cancel. The control panel has a self-serve refund button inside that window. Each client can use this policy once, renewal payments are not refundable, and refunds may come back as credit or to the original payment method.

In practice: on Shockbyte, test your mods and ping in the first three days. On Apex you have a week, counted from server creation.

Alternatives worth knowing

Hosting the server on your own PC is free, but the world goes offline when the PC does and your home connection carries every player. Mojang's own Realms subscription is another route for a small group of friends. Other well-known game hosts include BisectHosting, Nitrado and G-Portal; compare their renewal price per GB and refund terms the same way.

If you are comfortable with Linux and want full root access, a general VPS can run a Minecraft server too; see cheap VPS hosting compared. You lose the one-click panel and handle updates, backups and security yourself. For more gaming services, browse gaming services and deals.