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Best for beginners
Best value
Hostinger is the top choice for most people looking for ARK server hosting, thanks to its combination of mostly reasonable prices and ease of use.
But of course, it’s not the only option out there: IONOS is affordable and gives you all the control you could want over your server, and InterServer is one of the best dedicated server providers out there. Let’s find out which one is best for you.
Compare the best ARK server hosting services
Hostinger: Best for beginners
IONOS: Best value
InterServer: Best for large communities
What you need for an ARK server
How we tested the best web hosting services
Bottom line
FAQs
The best web hosting services for ARK server hosting
Compare the best web hosting services for ARK server hosting
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| Best for | Best for beginners | Best for value | Best for large communities |
| Star rating | |||
| Starting price | Starts at $1.95/mo | Starts at $3.20/mo | Starts at $2.50/mo |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 30 days | Yes — 30 days | Yes — 30 days |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.9% | 99.99% | 99.9% |
| Storage* | 200 GB - 400 GB | 240 GB - 720 GB | Customizable |
| CPU cores* | 4 - 8 | 4 - 12 | 4 - 24 |
| RAM* | 16 GB - 32 GB | 8 GB - 24 GB | Customizable |
| Server locations | North America, Europe, Asia, and South America | North America and Europe | North America |
| DDoS protection | |||
| Automatic backups | Yes for VPS — costs extra for dedicated servers | ||
| Mod support | |||
| Customer support | 24/7 — live chat, email, guides | 24/7 — live chat, phone, help center | 24/7 — live chat, phone, ticket/email, guides |
| Learn more | Get Hostinger | Get IONOS | Get InterServer |
Hostinger: Best for beginners
What we liked
Dedicated ARK server plans: Hostinger has VPS plans specifically for game servers, including ARK: Survival Ascended. Not all VPS hosting is designed for gaming, so dedicated gaming plans are a bonus.
One-click installation: Hostinger makes it easy to install game servers with a single click, which can be handy for beginners. The platform has an intuitive design and offers clear navigation for users new to game hosting.
Worldwide data centers: Of the three options here, Hostinger offers the most server locations around the world. Since the closer you are to the server, the less lag you’ll have, that’s definitely something to consider.
What we didn’t like
Mildly expensive renewal prices: While it’s far from the most expensive option, Hostinger’s VPS prices — after your first plan renewal — do jump rather high. The cheapest ARK-capable plan renews at $26.99/mo.
Test results
When we tested Hostinger’s service, it performed remarkably well in terms of overall performance, including low server response times (which you want) and reliable uptime. Keep in mind, however, that we tested the shared hosting. Its VPS performance should look even better.
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| Uptime | 100% |
| Average response time | 138 ms |
| Did Hostinger pass the stress test? | Yes |
| Learn more | Get Hostinger |
Star rating summary
Our own overall experience with Hostinger has been quite good. It scored 5s across the board in our most important categories: features, performance, and security. Not all hosts manage that, and those categories are especially important if you’re going to be hosting a game server.
Hostinger earned a near-perfect star rating of 4.9 because its user-friendly and comprehensive, provides reliable performance, and affordable for small- to medium-sized businesses.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 10% | 5.0 |
| Value and capacity | 18% | 4.2 |
| Performance | 20% | 5.0 |
| Features | 25% | 5.0 |
| Security | 20% | 5.0 |
| Support and reputation | 7% | 4.9 |
IONOS: Best value
What we liked
Game server variety: IONOS makes a point of letting you know that you can host your game server on any of these web hosting types: VPS, cloud hosting, and dedicated servers, depending on your needs.
Official game server installation guides: IONOS doesn’t have one-click installs, but it does have a variety of useful guides for installing game servers, including ARK.
Affordable plans: IONOS’ VPS plans are affordable, and the cheapest ARK-capable plan renews at $15/mo, which is really quite decent.
What we didn’t like
You have to do everything manually: This is going to be the hard part for some people, and a possible deal-breaker. You will have to install and configure the server yourself, as well as configure the server firewall, etc.
Test results
In our testing, IONOS performed very well, especially for uptime and reliability, and server stability. Again, these were tests we ran on the shared hosting plans, so VPS, cloud, and dedicated server plans should all perform even better.
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| Uptime | 100% |
| Average response time | 311 ms |
| Did IONOS pass the stress test? | Yes |
| Learn more | Get IONOS |
Star rating summary
In our testing, we found that IONOS offers a bit less in the way of features, hence the slightly lower score in that category. But we think the prices, performance, and security are great, which will probably be more important to most game server hosts.
IONOS received a high star rating of 4.7 due to its highly intuitive dashboard, comprehensive features for affordable prices, and impressive performance.
Although we had a positive testing experience with IONOS, it received in a lower score in the experience category due to the upsells on various pages of the dashboard. IONOS also lacks built-in content delivery network.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 10% | 4.5 |
| Value and capacity | 18% | 4.8 |
| Performance | 20% | 5.0 |
| Features | 25% | 4.5 |
| Security | 20% | 5.0 |
| Support and reputation | 7% | 4.9 |
InterServer: Best for large communities
What we liked
Managed hosting: On both VPS and dedicated servers, you can get the InterServer team to help you solve a lot of your problems. Now, for certain things, like installing game servers, you may need to pay a bit extra, but the hard part will be taken care of for you.
Good dedicated servers: I actually ran the old ARK: Survival Evolved version of the game on one of InterServer’s dedicated servers, and it ran beautifully.
Good customer support: Our experience with the support team at InterServer has been pretty good. Given that you might require a certain amount of help for your managed server, this is important.
What we didn’t like
VPS plans may not be enough: ARK: Survival Ascended is a heavy game, and needs fast CPU cores, and InterServer’s VPS hosting plans might not be up to snuff. Unfortunately, its dedicated servers are expensive — like, starting at $129/mo expensive. Web hosting doesn’t always cost much, but dedicated servers do.
Test results
InterServer’s shared hosting didn’t perform too badly in our testing, with decent uptime. However, it was a bit underwhelming compared to the competition, with pretty high response times. The good news is that getting a dedicated server would basically bypass this issue, as all the hardware on the server is just for the game.
Keep in mind that for the best results, you probably only want to go with InterServer if you live close to one of their data centers.
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| Uptime | 99.935% |
| Average response time | 1,180 ms |
| Did InterServer pass the stress test? | No |
| Learn more | Get InterServer |
Star rating summary
Again, I’d like to give the context that the low performance score was for the shared hosting. Other than that, InterServer has a great track record of providing plenty of useful features and downright solid security.
InterServer earned a high star rating of 4.6 due to its competitive pricing, extensive hosting features, and comprehensive security measures.
Our biggest issue was with InterServer's shared hosting performance, with inconsistent load times and failed stress test.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 10% | 5.0 |
| Value and capacity | 18% | 4.6 |
| Performance | 20% | 3.5 |
| Features | 25% | 5.0 |
| Security | 20% | 5.0 |
| Support and reputation | 7% | 4.7 |
What you need for an ARK server
Here’s a rough estimate of what you need to run a basic ARK server, based on player count. Also, the RAM varies based on the map and the mods you have installed.
- 1-5 players — 4 cores, 8-12 GB RAM, minimum 20 GB of storage for the server, maps, and mods
- 6-10 players — 4 cores, 12-16 GB RAM, minimum 20 GB of storage for the server, maps, and mods
- 10-20 players — 4 cores, 16-24 GB RAM, minimum 20 GB of storage for the server, maps, and mods
- 20+ players — 4 cores, 24+ GB RAM, minimum 20 GB of storage for the server, maps, and mods
How we tested the best web hosting services apps for ARK server hosting
We chose the services listed in this article based on performance, available features, modding support, security, and other metrics useful for game servers. Our tests included trying out the hosting to see how easy it was to use, seeing how their features were implemented, and running performance tests.
Here are the criteria we considered, in more detail:
- Server resources: We looked at CPU cores, RAM, storage, and how easy it would be to upgrade them when needed.
- Modding and DLC support: Setting up a game server can be tricky, and adding mods makes it even more so. We chose providers that have good support methods to help you with issues.
- Ease of game server installation: Setting up a server can be time-consuming, so we picked hosting options that are easy to use.
- Pricing: Hosting game servers can be expensive, so we picked the cheapest options available to get you playing for less.
- DDoS protection: Protection from DDoS attacks is important if you’re running a multiplayer server, so the hosts we listed above have some manner of protection from bot attacks.
- Backups: You don’t want to lose any of your game progress due to accidents. We chose hosting providers that perform frequent backups.
Bottom line: The best web hosting service for ARK server hosting
Hostinger is the best choice for most people just starting their game server hosting journey. It’s fast, it’s easy, and it doesn’t cost too much.
But the affordability and control you get from IONOS make it a compelling choice, especially if you don’t mind setting things up yourself. InterServer is great for when you need a big server, and given that ARK can be resource-heavy, that day may come sooner rather than later.
FAQs
Can I host an ARK server with crossplay?
Yes, you can host an ARK server with crossplay. You’ll need to set your server to accept all platforms in the server settings, but it’s a quick and easy edit.
Can I add any mod to my ARK server?
Yes, you can add any mod, assuming the mod is up to date and working with your version of the ARK server. Old mods, it should be noted, may simply not work, especially since the switch from ARK: Survival Evolved to the new ARK: Survival Ascended.
Can I play DLCs on a self-hosted ARK server?
Yes, you can play DLCs on a self-hosted ARK server. However, if you’re playing a DLC map, everyone who wants to play must own the relevant DLC in order to join your server.


