Vintage Story dedicated hosting for a small friend group (2026)
Vintage Story is a slow, seasonal survival sandbox — a small friend settlement still wants an always-on world through winter. Shockbyte, Nodecraft, GameTeam and Bisect all sell it. Apex and PebbleHost page URLs we tried returned 404 (or were not listed on the games catalog we read). Prices below were read from each host’s own page. Confirm availability and the bill at checkout.
RAM, slots, seasons and mods
- Friend-group fit: Shockbyte’s Locust plan is labeled 4 players; Drifter is 8+ players (RAM not shown on the tiers we read). Nodecraft does not cap slots; Lite/Budget 3 GB is labeled “Best for a Few Friends”, and Premium is the 24/7 path. GameTeam’s FAQ says about 8–32 players depending on world settings, with unlimited slots on a per-GB price.
- RAM honesty (host claims only): GameTeam’s FAQ says Vintage Story needs 4–6 GB, rising with world size and how far players have explored. Nodecraft sells 3 / 4 / 8 GB tiers. Shockbyte’s VS page we read lists player counts, not GB — confirm RAM at checkout. Treat 3–4 GB as a light entry; budget for 6–8 GB if the settlement is large or heavily modded.
- Mods: Shockbyte claims VSModDB Support. GameTeam’s FAQ says mods from the official mod database (Mods folder; clients prompted on join). Nodecraft’s page we read does not spell out a one-click VSModDB installer (Lite 8 GB / Pro 8 GB are labeled “Best for Modding”). Bisect’s VS page we read does not call out a dedicated mod installer. Confirm at checkout. See Night 6.
Comparison: Vintage Story plans
Price sources: every price comes from the host’s own Vintage Story page (fetched 24 Oct 2026, NZDT). No third-party or search-summary prices are used. For Nodecraft we quote the recurring price, not the first-month sale price (sales disclosed inline). TBD means the host page showed no price, or the page URLs we tried returned 404. Confirm at checkout.
| Host | Entry tier | Bigger tiers | Notes | Oceania | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ShockbyteAU brand | Locust · 4 players · $6.99/mo RAM not listed on the tier card we read — confirm at checkout |
Drifter · 8+ players · $10.00/mo | VSModDB Support claimed; auto-updates & backups, full file access, DDoS, 72-hour refund | Global locations; Melbourne company (check for an AU node) | Cheapest listed always-on friend-group entry |
| Nodecraft | Premium 24/7 · 3 GB · $14.98/mo Budget Wake & Play 3 GB $8.94 (first-month sale $6.26); comparison markup includes “Not recommended for this game” on Budget — confirm in UI |
Premium 4 GB · $19.98; 8 GB · $39.98 Budget 4 GB $11.92 · 8 GB $23.84 First-month sales disclosed on page; we quote recurring |
Static IP (Premium), save-and-swap, no host slot cap; Budget hibernates when unused; 8 GB tiers labeled “Best for Modding” | Sydney & Melbourne (+ Auckland) listed on the page | AU/NZ groups who want 24/7 RAM for a long-running settlement |
| GameTeam | From $0.49/GB (Budget) Advertised “from” rates; billing term and plan totals not shown. TBD |
TBD | FAQ: 4–6 GB, ~8–32 players, official mod database; weekly billing; 72-hour money-back; AI copilot claimed | Global locations (check for AU) | Groups that want weekly seasons while the settlement grows |
| BisectHosting | TBD Priced per GB; the rate didn’t display on the page we read |
TBD | Instance manager, swap to 110+ games, backups manager; stock can vary; dedicated VSModDB claim not seen on the page we read | 21 locations; the page showed an out-of-stock notice for a location | Check price and stock at checkout |
| Apex Hosting | TBD Vintage Story page URLs we tried returned 404; not listed on the games catalog we read |
TBD | Not confirmed | — | Check directly |
| PebbleHost | TBD Vintage Story page URLs we tried returned 404; not sold as a listed game product on the catalog we read |
TBD | Not confirmed | Sydney listed for Minecraft | Check directly |
Sources (host-owned): shockbyte.com, nodecraft.com, gameteam.io, bisecthosting.com (features only). No host is crowned “#1”.
Oceania note
Seasonal farming and combat still feel late on a long US route. AU/NZ groups should look at Nodecraft (Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland listed on the page), or check at checkout for an AU node on Shockbyte or GameTeam, or Bisect stock. See the Oceania ping guide.
Budget note and shortlist (not rankings)
- Listed under ~$20: Shockbyte Locust $6.99 and Drifter $10.00; Nodecraft Premium 3 GB $14.98 and 4 GB $19.98 — under the ~$20 budget (confirm RAM fit as the world grows).
- More RAM near AU/NZ: Nodecraft Premium 8 GB ($39.98) rather than Budget Wake & Play if you want 24/7.
- Weekly seasons while the settlement grows (host claim): GameTeam from $0.49/GB — confirm plan total and RAM at checkout (FAQ points at 4–6 GB).
- Similar nights: Minecraft small group (Night 1), Terraria (Night 9), Core Keeper (Night 18) and Don’t Starve Together (Night 31).
Official links (affiliate placeholders)
Buttons below point at official sites today (game pages where the host sells Vintage Story; home/games list where it does not). 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.