Cheapest game server hosting under ~$20/mo for a small friend group
Budget filter first: which tracked hosts still sell a usable entry plan at or under about US$20 recurring for Minecraft (≈4–10 friends), Valheim, Palworld, or Rust. Prices from public pages (Oct 2026). First-month coupons are footnotes — pay attention to the forever bill. Thin RAM is called out, not hidden.
Rules for this page
- Currency: USD monthly list / recurring as printed. Taxes and AUD/NZD localisation can change the card charge.
- Cutoff: ~$20 recurring. Plans at $19.98–$19.99 count; $21.99 does not.
- Promo caveat: Shockbyte’s Minecraft page shows a standing “30% off recurring” strike-through; Apex often shows 25% off first month. We list both where the page prints both.
- Not a #1 crown: cheapest ≠ enough RAM for Palworld 1.0 or a Rust 4.5k map.
- Oceania: cheap US nodes still punish NZ/AU ping — see Night 5 before you “save” $5.
What you get under ~$20 (entry / friend-group tiers)
One block per game. Empty / over-budget cells say so. TBD = not verified on a public product card.
Minecraft — ~4–10 friends
| Host | Under-$20 plan(s) | RAM / fit | Approx. monthly USD | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shockbyte | Dirt → Gold (and promo Diamond) | 1–5 GB list under $20; 4 GB Iron is the realistic Paper-friends floor |
List: Dirt $3.99 · Sand $7.99 · Cobble $11.99 · Iron $15.99 · Gold $19.99 Page promo 30% recurring → $2.79 / $5.59 / $8.39 / $11.19 / $13.99. Diamond list $27.99 → promo $19.59 (still under $20 only while promo holds). |
Cheapest MC ladder in this set; 1 GB is toy-sized for 4–10 online. |
| Apex Hosting | 4 GB (and lower if offered) | 4 GB “vanilla + most modpacks” band | Recurring $14.99 · first month often ~$11.24 (25% off) | Pay the recurring number for budget math. |
| BisectHosting | BisectOne ~/GB | 4 GB ≈ friend Paper; 6 GB still ≤$20 at ~$2.99/GB | From ~$2.99/GB → 4 GB ≈ $11.96 · 6 GB ≈ $17.94 (excl. tax; term discounts exist) | Confirm location stock (Night 5). |
| GameTeam | Budget ~/GB | Dial 2–4 GB for Paper friends | From ~$0.49/GB (illustrative 4 GB ≈ $1.96) — set RAM at checkout | Lowest $/GB on paper; verify region. |
| Nodecraft | Premium 4 GB · Lite/Wake tiers | 4 GB 24/7 at the $20 edge; Lite hibernates | Premium 4 GB recurring $19.98 (first ~$13.99). Lite 4 GB $11.92. Lower GB tiers also under $20. | Premium 6 GB jumps to ~$29.98 — over budget. |
| PebbleHost | Budget $1/GB | 4 GB Budget ≈ $4; Premium costs more | Budget ~$4/mo at 4 GB ($1/GB) | Sydney often Premium-tier — cheap ≠ local ping. |
Valheim
| Host | Under-$20 plan(s) | RAM / players (as labelled) | Approx. monthly USD | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shockbyte | Eikthyr · Bonemass · Yagluth | 3 / 4 / 6 GB+ · ~4 / 7 / 10 players | $9.99 / $12.99 / $16.99 | Entire published ladder fits under $20. |
| Apex | 2 GB · 4 GB | 2 GB “minimum” · 4 GB basic/modpacks | Recurring $7.99 / $14.99 (first often 25% off) | 8 GB is $27.99 — over. |
| BisectHosting | ~/GB BisectOne | Scale to 4–6 GB for friends | ~$2.99/GB → 4 GB ≈ $11.96 · 6 GB ≈ $17.94 | Stock/location dependent. |
| GameTeam | Budget ~/GB | FAQ band 4–8 GB | From ~$0.49/GB | Confirm region. |
| Nodecraft | Lite 4–6 GB · Premium 4 GB | Lite hibernates (page often marks “not recommended”) | Lite 4 GB $11.92 · 6 GB $17.88 · Premium 4 GB $19.98 | Premium 6 GB ~$29.98 — over. |
| PebbleHost | Flat Valheim plan | Up to 5 GB | Flat $7.99 | Ceiling at 5 GB — fine for light vanilla friends. |
Palworld
| Host | Under-$20 plan(s) | RAM / slots | Approx. monthly USD | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shockbyte | Lamball only | 6 GB · 10 players | $16.99 | Grizzbolt $21.99 — over. 6 GB is thin vs ~16 GB guidance (Night 3). |
| Apex | 3 GB · 5 GB | Entry / mid | Recurring $11.99 / $18.75 | 10 GB $35 — over. EX 16 GB far over. |
| BisectHosting | ~/GB up to ~6 GB | 6 GB ≈ $17.94 at $2.99/GB | ~$2.99/GB | 8 GB ≈ $23.92 — over cutoff. |
| GameTeam | Budget ~/GB | FAQ 8–16 GB — dollars fit; stability TBD | From ~$0.49/GB (8 GB ≈ $3.92 on paper) | Cheap ≠ enough CPU; ping-test. |
| Nodecraft | Lite 4–6 GB · Premium 4 GB | Lite marked weak for Palworld on page | Lite 4 GB $11.92 · 6 GB $17.88 · Premium 4 GB $19.98 | Need more RAM → leave the $20 band. |
| PebbleHost | Flat plan | 8–25 GB · 32 slots · NA/EU emphasis | Flat $10.00 | Strong under-$20 RAM story; Oceania TBD (Night 5). |
Rust
| Host | Under-$20 plan(s) | RAM / slots | Approx. monthly USD | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shockbyte | Wood | 8 GB · 40 players | $14.99 | Fuel $24.99 — over. Small map / light Oxide only. |
| Apex | 4 GB · 5 GB | 4 GB is thin for Rust | Recurring $14.99 / $18.75 | 10 GB $35 — over. Facepunch ~12 GB guidance → budget strain. |
| BisectHosting | ~/GB if ≤~6 GB | 6 GB ≈ $17.94; 8 GB usually over $20 | ~$2.99/GB | Honest friend wipe may want 8–12 GB → leave band. |
| GameTeam | Catalog TBD | No dedicated Rust landing when checked | TBD at checkout | Don’t assume under $20 until the cart shows it. |
| Nodecraft | None in Premium ladder | Premium starts 10 GB | Premium 10 GB recurring $49.98 — far over. Lite comparison ~$29.80 — still over $20. | No under-$20 Nodecraft Rust option found on the published cards. |
| PebbleHost | 50 slots / 8 GB | 8 GB entry | Product $14.99 (billing has shown 75-slot from $21.99 — over) | Friend wipe possible; Oceania TBD. |
Sources (Oct 2026): official game/pricing pages linked above (Shockbyte MC/Valheim/Palworld/Rust; Apex Valheim/Palworld/Rust + MC pricing; BisectOne ~$2.99/GB; GameTeam per-game $0.49/GB pages; Nodecraft Valheim/Palworld/Rust/pricing; PebbleHost Valheim/Palworld/Rust/MC). No host is crowned “#1”.
Caveats (read before you “save”)
- Palworld under $20 usually means 3–6 GB — expect upgrades when bases + Pals pile up (Night 3).
- Rust under $20 is small-map / light-plugin territory; wipe-day CPU still matters (Night 4).
- Minecraft 1–2 GB is fine for quiet vanilla; modpacks need Night 1/6 RAM guidance.
- Wake & Play / Lite plans under $20 hibernate — bad if someone logs in randomly.
- Oceania: PebbleHost/GameTeam can win on price and lose on Sydney stock — Night 5.
Practical shortlist (not rankings)
- Cheapest Minecraft Paper friends: PebbleHost Budget or GameTeam $/GB — then Shockbyte Iron on promo.
- Valheim whole ladder under $20: Shockbyte Eikthyr→Yagluth or PebbleHost $7.99 flat.
- Palworld “just try it”: PebbleHost $10 or Shockbyte Lamball $16.99 — plan to leave the band for headroom.
- Rust friend wipe on a budget: Shockbyte Wood $14.99 or PebbleHost 50-slot $14.99 — skip Nodecraft for this cutoff.
Official links (affiliate placeholders)
Buttons point at pricing / game entry pages. Tracked URLs replace #aff-* when approved — see affiliates.md.
Related
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. Prices and promos change — verify at checkout.