Arma 3 dedicated hosting for a small friend group (2026)
Arma 3 is Bohemia’s military sandbox — large maps, AI, vehicles, and Workshop/modpacks (Exile, Antistasi, custom terrains) that make a passworded friend server worth renting instead of hopping public lobbies. Shockbyte, Apex, Nodecraft, GameTeam and BisectHosting sell it. PebbleHost Arma 3 page URLs we tried returned 404. Prices below were read from each host’s own Arma 3 page. Arma 3 is RAM-heavy once mods and AI stack — confirm the bill and headroom at checkout.
RAM, slots and mods
- Friend-group fit: A private Zeus / coop / small milsim night is often well under Shockbyte’s labeled Private · 24 players · 3 GB slot cap. Apex labels 2 GB “Minimum for Arma III”. Nodecraft does not limit slots (FAQ pattern) and marks Budget “Not recommended for this game” — Premium from 4 GB · $19.98/mo recurring is the 24/7 line they push. GameTeam FAQ: unlimited slots on a per-GB price. You do not need a 128-slot Sergeant box for a friend group.
- RAM honesty (host claims only — Arma 3 is heavy): Shockbyte lists 3 GB / 5 GB / 6 GB+ on Private / Corporal / Sergeant. Apex lists 2 / 6 / 12 GB (+ EX 16 GB) and calls 2 GB the minimum. Nodecraft Budget/Premium cards list 4 / 6 / 8 GB (4 GB labeled “Best for Vanilla”). GameTeam’s FAQ says 4–8 GB (large missions with heavy AI prefer the upper end). Bisect prices per GB but did not display a clear $/GB rate on the markup we read. Vanilla friend nights may limp on 2–3 GB; modded Exile / Antistasi / AI-heavy ops should budget toward 4–8 GB+ — confirm at checkout.
- Mods (host claims only): Shockbyte claims Mod Support, Mod Verification, Custom Terrains, Custom Missions, and DLC Support. Apex’s Arma page and guides claim panel/FTP mod install and mission/map control. Bisect claims Full Mod Support, cDLC Support, and an optional modlist.html installer. GameTeam claims AI-assisted mod install /
-mod=matching. Nodecraft claims file manager + SFTP (no Arma-specific Workshop one-click claim on the page we read). PebbleHost not confirmed. See Night 6.
Comparison: Arma 3 plans
Price sources: every price comes from the host’s own Arma 3 page (fetched 24 Oct 2026, NZDT). No third-party or search-summary prices are used. Recurring monthly figures are preferred over first-month sale teasers (sales disclosed where shown). TBD means the host page showed no clear plan total, or the page URLs we tried returned 404. Confirm at checkout.
| Host | Entry tier | Bigger tiers | Notes | Oceania | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ShockbyteAU brand | Private · 24 players · 3 GB · $14.99/mo Labeled monthly total on the Arma 3 page |
Corporal · 64 players · 5 GB · $29.99/mo Sergeant · 128+ players · 6 GB+ · $49.92/mo |
Mod Support + Mod Verification + Custom Terrains / Missions + DLC Support claimed; auto-updates & backups; DDoS; 72-hour refund; Full File Access | Global locations; Melbourne company (check for an AU node) | Labeled 24-slot / 3 GB friend plan under ~$20 (light for heavy mods — step up if AI/modset grows) |
| Apex Hosting | 2 GB · $7.99/mo recurring Page labels “Minimum for Arma III”. Sale teaser $5.99 first month (25% off) — we quote the recurring $7.99/mo |
6 GB · $22.49/mo; 12 GB · $38.99/mo EX Series 16 GB · $71.99/mo recurring ($53.99 first month shown) First-month 25% teasers also shown on standard tiers — we quote recurring |
Panel/FTP mod install claimed; game swap; DDoS; EX copy names Ryzen 7 5800X (AU) | EX Series copy lists Ryzen 7 5800X (AU) on this Arma page — confirm APAC node at checkout | Cheapest labeled recurring entry ($7.99); step to 6 GB+ for modded / AI-heavy |
| Nodecraft | Premium · 4 GB · $19.98/mo Sale teaser $13.99 first month — we quote the recurring $19.98/mo. Page marks Budget “Not recommended for this game”; 4 GB labeled “Best for Vanilla” |
Premium 6 GB · $29.98/mo; 8 GB · $39.98/mo Budget 4 GB · $11.92/mo; 6 GB · $17.88/mo; 8 GB · $23.84/mo (recurring; first-month sales also shown — host marks Budget not recommended) Unlimited slots claimed; free trial claimed |
File manager + SFTP claimed; Budget (hibernates) vs Premium (24/7); game swap | Confirm Sydney / Melbourne / Auckland at checkout (ping widget on page; city list not printed in the markup we quoted) | 24/7 Premium under ~$20 for vanilla friend nights (host prefers Premium over Budget) |
| GameTeam | From $0.49/GB (Budget) Host unit is /GB · per week ($1.99/GB · mo also listed); plan totals TBD without a chosen GB amount |
Premium from $0.74/GB Same weekly /GB unit ($2.99/GB · mo also listed); plan totals still TBD without a chosen GB amount |
FAQ: 4–8 GB (AI-heavy prefers upper end); unlimited slots; AI copilot for mods / -mod=; 72-hour money-back |
Global locations (check for AU) | Pay-by-the-GB toward 4–8 GB modded / AI ops |
| BisectHosting | TBD Arma 3 page we read showed “… / GB” without a clear dollar rate |
TBD | Full Mod Support + cDLC Support + optional modlist.html installer claimed; swap to 110+ games; NVMe; DDoS; page showed an out-of-stock notice for a location | 21 locations; confirm AU / APAC stock (out-of-stock notice on page) | Check price and stock at checkout |
| PebbleHost | TBD Arma 3 page URLs we tried returned 404 |
TBD | Not confirmed | Sydney listed for Minecraft | Home CTA / check directly |
Sources (host-owned): shockbyte.com, apexminecrafthosting.com, nodecraft.com, gameteam.io, bisecthosting.com (features / “… / GB”; clear dollar rate not displayed; out-of-stock notice). PebbleHost: no host-owned Arma 3 product page confirmed (404). No host is crowned “#1”. Confirm slots, RAM and the recurring bill at checkout.
Oceania note
Arma 3’s large maps, AI sync and vehicle netcode punish long routes harder than a slow craft loop. AU/NZ groups should check Apex’s claimed Ryzen 7 5800X (AU) EX hardware and Shockbyte (Melbourne company; global locations claimed), then Nodecraft’s ping widget / GameTeam’s global map / Bisect stock (21 locations; out-of-stock notice on the page we read). PebbleHost was not confirmed for Arma 3 — Minecraft Sydney notes do not transfer here. See the Oceania ping guide.
Budget note and shortlist (not rankings)
- Labeled under ~$20 recurring: Apex 2 GB, $7.99/mo (host “Minimum”; light for mods) or Shockbyte Private 3 GB / 24 players, $14.99/mo. Step up RAM before slots if the modset or AI count grows.
- 24/7 Premium under ~$20: Nodecraft Premium 4 GB, $19.98/mo recurring (first-month sale disclosed separately). Host marks Budget “Not recommended for this game” — prefer Premium; step to 6–8 GB if mods/AI need headroom.
- RAM toward 4–8 GB (host FAQ): GameTeam Budget from $0.49/GB · week, Premium from $0.74/GB · week — confirm plan total, term and GB at checkout.
- If Bisect price/stock is hidden: use Shockbyte, Apex, Nodecraft or GameTeam first; home CTA for PebbleHost if you want to ask support whether Arma 3 is coming.
- Similar nights: Arma Reforger (Night 52), DayZ (Night 23), Squad (Night 42), Insurgency: Sandstorm (Night 49), Hell Let Loose (Night 50). Also budget under ~$20 and Oceania ping.
Official links (affiliate placeholders)
Buttons below point at official sites today (game pages where the host sells Arma 3; home where it does not). Tracked affiliate URLs will replace the #aff-* anchors once programs approve — see affiliates.md.
Related (pipeline)
Affiliate disclosure
HostForTheSquad may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page (Shockbyte, Apex, BisectHosting, GameTeam, and others when approved). Commission rates do not decide table rows or “best for” notes. Prices and stock change — always verify on the host’s site before you pay.