Core Keeper dedicated hosting for a small friend group (2026)
Core Keeper is a light underground mining sandbox for up to 8 players, so 2–3 GB covers most friend groups. Shockbyte’s page highlights the free Riders of the Underground update (mounts, the Moss sub-biome and the Hookshot). Prices below come from the hosts’ own Core Keeper pages.
RAM and slots
- 1–5 players: 2 GB. Nodecraft calls 2 GB “Best for 1–5 players”, and Shockbyte’s only plan is 2 GB+ for 8 players.
- 5–8 players: 3 GB (Nodecraft: “Best for 5–10 players”).
- Player cap: the game supports up to 8 players in co-op (stated on Shockbyte’s and Nodecraft’s pages).
- Mods: Bisect lists modding support. Shockbyte’s FAQ says almost all of its games support mods and links Core Keeper mod guides. Nodecraft mentions a one-click installer and file uploads for plugins. See Night 6.
Comparison: Core Keeper plans
Price sources: every price comes from the host’s own Core Keeper page (fetched 23 Oct 2026), shown as the recurring monthly price. No third-party or search-summary prices are used. TBD means the host page showed no price, or the page returned 404. Confirm at checkout.
| Host | Entry tier | Bigger tiers | Notes | Oceania | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ShockbyteAU brand | Metropolis · 2 GB+ · 8 players · $6.99/mo | No other tier listed | Full file access, automatic backups, 72-hour refund | Global locations; Melbourne company (check for an AU node) | A full 8-player squad, always on, for under $7 |
| Apex Hosting | TBD The Core Keeper page URL we tried returned 404 |
TBD | Not confirmed | AU EX hardware listed for other games | Check whether Apex offers Core Keeper |
| BisectHosting | TBD Priced per GB; the rate didn’t display on the page we read |
TBD | Modding support, 3-day backups, swap to 110+ games | 21 locations; the page showed an out-of-stock notice for a location | Check the price and Sydney stock at checkout |
| GameTeam | TBD | TBD | TBD | Not confirmed | Check its Core Keeper page directly |
| Nodecraft | Premium 24/7 2 GB · $9.98 recurring Budget Wake & Play 2 GB $5.96 (hibernates; Nodecraft says “not recommended for this game”) |
Premium 3 GB $14.98 · Premium 4 GB: TBD Budget 3 GB $8.94 · 4 GB $11.92 |
One-click installer, SFTP, no slot limit, free 24-hour trial | Sydney & Melbourne (network-wide) | AU/NZ groups who want an always-on world |
| PebbleHost | TBD | TBD | TBD | Sydney listed for Minecraft; check for Core Keeper | Check the product page directly |
Sources (host-owned, fetched 23 Oct 2026): shockbyte.com, nodecraft.com, bisecthosting.com (features only). No host is crowned “#1”.
Oceania note
Core Keeper is top-down and forgiving on latency, but boss fights still feel better under about 120 ms. AU/NZ groups: Nodecraft (Sydney and Melbourne), and Shockbyte or Bisect if they have an AU node in stock at checkout. See the Oceania ping guide.
Budget note and shortlist (not rankings)
- Up to 8 friends, cheapest confirmed always-on: Shockbyte Metropolis, $6.99, far below the ~$20 budget.
- AU/NZ, 1–5 players, always on: Nodecraft Premium 2 GB, $9.98.
- 5–8 players on Nodecraft: Premium 3 GB, $14.98.
- Similar 2D sandbox: Terraria + tModLoader (Night 9). Other light servers: Factorio (Night 17).
Official links (affiliate placeholders)
Buttons below point at official sites today. 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.