Starbound friend-server hosting — a shared universe for a small crew
You want a passworded Starbound universe for 2–8 mates: shared colonies, your own mod list, and a universe that stays up when the host player logs off. This page is not the same as the Starbound overview. It covers the small-crew setup.
The job: private, small, always on
- Players: 2–8 friends. 2 GB is a common entry size. Add RAM for big mod lists.
- Mods: everyone needs the same Workshop mods as the server. See mods & plugins by host.
- Persistence: back up the
universefolder before updates and mod changes.
Comparison: who sells Starbound for a friend crew
Each host’s Starbound URL was checked with a full live GET on 24 Oct 2026 (NZDT). Prices are set by each host, in USD, and we quote the recurring price, not the first-month sale. TBD = no clear dollar figure in the page we fetched. 404 = the product URL returned 404 / no Starbound SKU found.
| Host | Starbound? | Friend-sized plan | Oceania | Approx. monthly (USD) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shockbyte | Sells (200) | Starbound plans | Australian company; check node (TBD) | TBD Prices load in the browser; none were in the page we fetched. | Workshop-friendly panel. |
| Apex Hosting | Sells (200) | Starbound plans | Confirm region at checkout (TBD) | TBD No clear dollar figure in the page we fetched. | Panel mod installs, FTP. |
| BisectHosting | Sells (200) | Starbound plans | Check Sydney stock | TBD No clear dollar figure in the page we fetched. | Steam Workshop + StarryPy3k. |
| Nodecraft | Sells (200) | Premium 24/7 2 GB / 4 GB; Budget 4 GB | Sydney / Melbourne / Auckland listed | Premium 2 GB $9.98 · 4 GB $19.98/mo · Budget 4 GB $11.92/mo Recurring. Budget hibernates when nobody is on. | Best AU/NZ location list. |
| GameTeam | Sells (200) | Per-GB plans | Check for AU at checkout (TBD) | From $0.49/GB (and $0.74/GB tier) Per-GB “from” rates as printed; billing term not clear, so plan totals are TBD. | Weekly billing for short seasons. |
| PebbleHost | 404 | Starbound URL returned 404 | — | — | Not an option for Starbound today. |
Oceania notes
Starbound is forgiving of ping, but long routes still cause rubber-banding in fights. Nodecraft lists Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. For the other hosts, confirm the node before you pay. See the Oceania ping guide.
Price honesty
We only list prices the host prints clearly. Nothing here is invented. For cheaper all-round options, see budget under ~$20.
Official links (affiliate placeholders)
Related
Affiliate disclosure
HostForTheSquad may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. Commission rates don’t decide table rows. Prices and stock change, so check on the host’s site before you pay.