Factorio dedicated hosting for a small friend group (2026)
Factorio is the cheapest game on this site to host for a starter factory: 1–3 GB covers most friend groups. The catch comes later. Megabases are limited by CPU (UPS), not RAM. All prices below were read from the hosts’ own Factorio pages.
RAM and CPU (the megabase note)
- Starter to mid factory, 2–4 friends: 1–2 GB. Apex calls 1 GB the “Minimum for Factorio”, and Shockbyte’s 1 GB plan is for 4 players.
- Larger bases, more players or mods: 3–5 GB (Shockbyte’s 3 GB plan is for 12 players and its 5 GB+ plan for 20+).
- Megabases are CPU-limited: Factorio’s game update runs mostly on one thread. When a big factory drops below 60 UPS (updates per second), adding RAM won’t help. A faster single core will, such as Apex EX’s dedicated cores, or you can trim the factory.
- Saves and mods: upload a local save and mod folder over FTP. The server and every client must run the same mod versions. Shockbyte also lists scenario support.
Comparison: Factorio plans
Price sources: every price comes from the host’s own Factorio 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 we could read, or we couldn’t find the page. Confirm at checkout.
| Host | Entry tier | Bigger tiers | Mods / saves | Oceania | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ShockbyteAU brand | Stone Furnace · 1 GB · 4 players · $4.99/mo | Steel Furnace 3 GB · 12 players · $9.99 Electric Furnace 5 GB+ · 20+ · $15.00 |
Full mod and scenario support, scheduled tasks, FTP, backups, 72-hour refund | Global locations; Melbourne company (check for an AU node) | Cheap, clear tiers with scenario support |
| Apex Hosting | 1 GB · $3.99 recurring $2.99 first month |
2 GB $7.99 · 4 GB $14.99 · EX 16 GB $71.99 (dedicated cores; Ryzen 7 5800X in AU) | Mod installs from the panel, FTP | AU EX hardware listed | Lowest confirmed entry price; EX for CPU-bound megabases |
| BisectHosting | TBD Priced per GB; the rate didn’t display on the page we read |
TBD | Full mod support, 3-day backups, instance manager | 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 Factorio page directly |
| Nodecraft | TBD The Factorio page URL we tried returned 404 |
TBD | TBD | Sydney & Melbourne network-wide (check whether Factorio is offered) | Check Factorio availability first |
| PebbleHost | TBD | TBD | TBD | Sydney listed for Minecraft; check for Factorio | Check the product page directly |
Sources (host-owned, fetched 23 Oct 2026): shockbyte.com, apexminecrafthosting.com, bisecthosting.com (features only). No host is crowned “#1”.
Oceania note
Factorio’s lockstep netcode hides latency well, but placing buildings and driving feel sluggish above about 150 ms. AU/NZ groups: Apex (AU EX hardware), 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)
- 2–4 friends, starter factory: Apex 1 GB ($3.99) or Shockbyte Stone Furnace ($4.99). Both are far below the ~$20 budget.
- Modded run (for example Space Exploration or Krastorio), up to 12 players: Shockbyte Steel Furnace 3 GB, $9.99.
- Megabase with falling UPS: a faster CPU (Apex EX, $71.99) beats more RAM. Most squads should trim the factory before paying that.
- Prefer 3D factory building? See Satisfactory (Night 12). Mod tooling: Night 6.
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.