Project Zomboid dedicated hosting for a small friend group (Oceania ping focus)
You’re not filling a public Knox County browser list. You want a passworded Build 42 world for about 4–10 Discord friends, a safehouse that stays up overnight, and ping that doesn’t punish the AU/NZ half. This page is the friend-server / small-squad pricing comparison — not the same job as Night 13 Project Zomboid overview (older Build 42 RAM notes with more TBD rows) or Night 79 Project Zomboid modded (Workshop collections / map overhauls / dense stacks). Same six hosts; different job: who sells a sensible 4–10 friend plan, at what recurring bill, with which Oceania story. Among our six (checked 24 Oct 2026, NZDT): Shockbyte, Apex, BisectHosting, Nodecraft, and GameTeam sell Project Zomboid (product URLs returned 200 on full GET). PebbleHost returned 404 on Project Zomboid product paths — curl HEAD 403 is not absence; we used full GET. Prices below are host-owned listings only — no invented GB or dollars.
The job: small private Knox County world
- Players: about 4–10 concurrent. Shockbyte’s 6 / 10 / 16+ player labels are marketing guidance on fixed tiers — your Discord size is the real filter. Apex/Nodecraft/GameTeam often market unlimited slots limited by RAM/game.
- Always-on: yes if farms, generators, and zombie respawns should tick while people sleep. Nodecraft Budget “Wake & Play” saves money only if the squad plays on a fixed night (and accepts a cold start) — their Zomboid page labels Lite/Budget “Not recommended for this game”.
- RAM honesty (friend vanilla / light mods): Build 42 wants more than older builds. Treat ~6–8 GB as a practical floor for a busy private vanilla world of ~4–8 friends (Shockbyte Metal Pipe 6 GB / Chainsaw 8 GB+; Nodecraft “Best for Vanilla” 6 GB Premium; GameTeam FAQ 4–8 GB). Apex prints 2 GB “Minimum for Project Zomboid” — treat that as a floor label, not a comfortable Build 42 friend target. Dense Workshop collections → see Night 79 (8–12 GB+).
- Vanilla vs modded contrast: this page assumes light or no Workshop list. If the Discord wants collections / map overhauls, switch to Night 79 — same hosts, different RAM floor and mod-path emphasis.
- Region: for AU+NZ, prefer Sydney / Melbourne / Auckland when listed; Singapore is the SEA pivot. Melee and zombie desync get worse with latency — Night 5 goes deeper AU/NZ-only.
Friend-group rule of thumb: treat 6 GB as a practical entry for a quiet private vanilla world, 8 GB+ if the map is mature or a few light mods are on, and treat “under $20/mo” plans as entry budgets — not a promise of 12 GB Workshop headroom.
Comparison: Project Zomboid hosts for a small friend group
Figures below are from official Project Zomboid product / pricing pages (checked 24 Oct 2026, NZDT). Recurring monthly figures preferred; first-month promos noted separately. Taxes, currency localisation, and location stock change — confirm at checkout. SELL = product URL returned 200 with a quotable plan. TBD = sells but no clear plan total / region on the page we read. 404 = no sellable Zomboid SKU.
| Host | Friend-group plan (typical) | RAM / slots | Mods / extras (host claims) | Oceania / SG | Approx. monthly (USD) | Best for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shockbyte AU brand · SELL | Metal Pipe (10 players) Wood Axe 6p · Chainsaw 16+ |
4 / 6 / 8 GB+ fixed tiers Wood Axe 4 GB is thin for Build 42; Metal Pipe / Chainsaw fit a friend Discord |
Full Mod Support · Steam Workshop install guide · Build 42 available · FTP · auto backups · 72hr refund | Melbourne company; “Global Locations” marketed — confirm Zomboid AU node on order. |
List recurring: $11.99 / $16.99 / $20.00 Wood Axe / Metal Pipe / Chainsaw. Longer terms often discount — confirm cart. |
Clearest fixed-tier friend story under ~$20; Metal Pipe 6 GB for a quiet squad, Chainsaw 8 GB+ if the map is mature. |
| Apex Hosting SELL | 3 / 6 GB Ryzen plans 2 GB printed minimum · Custom ladder · EX 16 GB |
2 / 3 / 6 / 16 GB EX · unlimited slots marketed 2 GB “Minimum for Project Zomboid” is a floor label — thin for Build 42 friends |
Panel “install mods” / map changes · FTP · auto backups · Steam Workshop not named on Zomboid landing (TBD in panel/docs) | EX Series lists Ryzen 7 5800X for APAC/AU. Confirm Sydney (or closest) at checkout for standard tiers. |
Recurring: $7.99 / $11.99 / $22.49 2 / 3 / 6 GB — often 25% off first month (~$5.99 / $8.99 / $16.87). EX 16 GB recurring $71.99 (first ~$53.99). |
Under-$20 entry at 2–3 GB if you accept risk; prefer 6 GB ($22.49) for a lasting friend world — verify Workshop path in panel before wipe night. |
| BisectHosting SELL · price TBD | BisectOne · ~/GB ladder Game swap across 110+ titles incl. Project Zomboid |
Scale RAM on one plan · slot count TBD on landing | Fully Integrated Steam Workshop Support · auto updates · 3 days backups · exact plan total TBD on Zomboid page (showed “… / GB”) | 21 locations incl. Australia. Selector has shown Out of stock / waitlist — treat AU as a checkout checkbox. |
From ~$2.99/GB/mo (BisectOne / llms.txt) Illustrative: 6 GB ≈ $17.94 · 8 GB ≈ $23.92 if $2.99 holds. Exact total needs in-stock location — TBD on Zomboid landing. |
Best “pick GB near friend floor, keep AU option” story — only if the location you need is actually available. |
| Nodecraft SELL | Premium 24/7 (Budget “not recommended”) Best for Vanilla 6 GB / Light Modding 8 GB |
Budget & Premium cards 6 / 8 / 12 GB · customize 2–32 GB · unlimited slots (game/RAM limited) | Build 42 Ready · 1-click Steam Workshop Mod Management in web panel · SFTP · automated tasks · persistence favors Premium 24/7 | Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Singapore listed on the Zomboid page location set — strongest Oceania/SEA story here; confirm Zomboid stock on order. |
Premium recurring: $29.98 / $39.98 / $59.98 6 / 8 / 12 GB (first ~$20.99 / $27.99 / $41.99). Budget Wake & Play 6/8/12 GB recurring $17.88 / $23.84 / $35.76 — hibernates; “Not recommended for this game.” |
Default Oceania shortlist when AU/NZ ping matters — Premium 6–8 GB for friends; skip Budget/Lite for persistence. |
| PebbleHost 404 | 404 — no Project Zomboid product page Tried /project-zomboid, /project-zomboid-hosting/, /game/project-zomboid; Zomboid absent from /game/ catalog (24 Oct 2026) |
— | No Zomboid SKU to quote | — | 404 | Not a Zomboid option among our six today — pick Shockbyte / Apex / Bisect / Nodecraft / GameTeam instead. |
| GameTeam SELL | Budget / Premium · $/GB Unlimited slots marketed |
FAQ: 4–8 GB for Project Zomboid (map streams as players explore) — dial toward 8 GB for a mature friend map | FAQ: mods via Steam Workshop — set WorkshopItems and Mods (both required) · AI “add mods” demo on marketing — confirm panel · Premium: automatic backups | Locations marketed “all over” — AU/SG not named on the Zomboid page we read (TBD on order). |
Budget from ~$0.49/GB · Premium ~$0.74/GB Illustrative: 6 GB Budget ≈ $2.94 · 8 GB ≈ $3.92 · 8 GB Premium ≈ $5.92 — set RAM on checkout for the real bill. |
Cheapest path to friend-floor RAM on paper; Oceania squads must ping-test before committing. |
Sources (24 Oct 2026, NZDT): shockbyte.com/games/project-zomboid-server-hosting, apexminecrafthosting.com/games/zomboid-server-hosting/, bisecthosting.com/project-zomboid-server-hosting (+ BisectOne llms.txt ~$2.99/GB), nodecraft.com/games/project-zomboid, gameteam.io/project-zomboid-server-hosting. PebbleHost Project Zomboid product paths: 404. No host is crowned “#1”.
Oceania / AU–NZ–SG latency wedge
- Nodecraft: Sydney / Melbourne / Auckland / Singapore listed on the Zomboid page — best published Oceania/SEA story; Premium 24/7 for persistence; confirm Zomboid capacity on order.
- Shockbyte: Melbourne-based + Zomboid product page — still pick the node on order and ping-test (melee/zombie desync hurts on long routes).
- BisectHosting: Australia is in the 21-location set; stock/waitlist has bitten other games — check Zomboid before you pay.
- Apex: APAC/AU hardware called out on EX Series; standard Zomboid region must be confirmed at checkout.
- PebbleHost: no Zomboid SKU (404) — not an Oceania option here.
- GameTeam: Oceania not evidenced on the Zomboid page we read — treat as confirm-on-order / ping-test.
Practical play: buy monthly, have every Discord member ping the chosen node for a week with the world loaded, then commit. Singapore can beat Sydney for SEA-heavy groups; NZ-heavy groups usually prefer Sydney/Auckland over SG. See the Oceania ping guide.
Slots vs RAM (don’t buy the wrong number)
- Slots: a 4–10 friend group does not need a 32-slot plan. Buy RAM/CPU headroom instead — spread-out survivors keep more map cells loaded than the same group in one town.
- Under $20/mo reality: Shockbyte Wood Axe ($11.99 / 4 GB) and Metal Pipe ($16.99 / 6 GB), Apex 2–3 GB ($7.99–$11.99), Nodecraft Budget (hibernates), GameTeam Budget — all fit the dollar filter; several sit thin vs a mature Build 42 friend world.
- Busy private vanilla world: shortlist 6–8 GB (Shockbyte Metal Pipe / Chainsaw, Nodecraft Premium 6–8 GB, Bisect ~/GB, Apex 6 GB if region works).
- Workshop collections / map mods: that is Night 79’s job — treat 8–12 GB+ as the working floor there, not here.
Practical shortlist (not rankings)
- AU/NZ Discord, want listed Sydney/Melbourne/Auckland: Nodecraft Premium 6–8 GB — confirm location + skip Budget/Lite for persistence.
- Under $20 entry, accept 6 GB: Shockbyte Metal Pipe ($16.99) — plan Chainsaw ($20.00) if hitching starts.
- Want named Fully Integrated Workshop + scale GB: Bisect — only if AU stock is live.
- Cheapest $/GB on paper: GameTeam Budget — Oceania squads must ping-test first.
- Dense Workshop / map overhauls instead: Night 79 — different RAM floor.
Official links (affiliate placeholders)
Buttons below point at official Project Zomboid pages today (PebbleHost → homepage — Zomboid 404). Tracked affiliate URLs will replace the #aff-* anchors once programs approve — 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 or “best for” notes. Prices and stock change — always verify on the host’s site before you pay.