The most common question from a group planning to play together is a practical one: which host should we rent, and how much memory does a server for eight to ten friends actually need? The honest answer is that memory scales with how many people are online and how much extra content you load, so a single number rarely fits everyone.
This guide gives you two things. First, a calculator that turns your player count and mod list into a realistic RAM range and a plan size to shop for. Second, a positive, side-by-side look at three well-regarded hosts, Indifferent Broccoli, DatHost, and Nitrado, so you can match the plan size to a provider that fits how your group likes to play.
Estimate the RAM your server needs
Drag the sliders to match your group. The estimate combines a fixed server baseline with a per-player and per-mod cost, then rounds up to a plan size hosts actually sell.
Where your live usage should sit for 8 players and 0 mods.
The sweet spot for most co-op groups and a few mods.
This is a planning estimate, not a hard requirement. Pocketpair recommends 16 GB for a typical server and more than 32 GB for larger ones, so treat the recommended plan as a floor and add headroom if you build sprawling bases or run heavy mods.
What actually uses the memory
Concurrent players are the biggest driver. Every person online loads their own surroundings, Pals, and activity, so a server that is comfortable for four can feel tight when ten people spread across the map at once.
Bases and world age matter almost as much. A long-running world with several large, fully staffed bases holds far more in memory than a fresh save, which is why the estimate is a range rather than a single figure. Add headroom if your group builds big.
Mods add resident cost on top of that. A loader plus a handful of content mods is light, but a long list of large mods can meaningfully raise the floor. Count the mods that stay loaded while the server runs, not one-time tools, and lean toward the higher end of the range when the list grows.
Three hosts worth renting from
Each of these hosts does something genuinely well. Pricing and specs below reflect the plans each provider currently advertises, so confirm live pricing on their pages before you buy.
Indifferent Broccoli
Chill hosting with a Discord-native control botThe friendliest on-ramp of the three: a 2-day free trial, a custom control panel, and a Discord bot that checks status and restarts the server without leaving chat.
- SetupLive in under 60 seconds
- ManageCustom panel plus Discord bot
- Regions8 data centers, NA and EU
- Try it2-day free trial
DatHost
One all-inclusive plan, no tiers to decodeA single, generous plan on modern enterprise hardware: unrestricted CPU and a full 16 GB of DDR5 on every server, so there is nothing to upgrade later.
- CPURyzen 9 7950X or EPYC
- Memory16 GB DDR5, no throttling
- StorageEnterprise NVMe SSD
- Guarantee14-day money-back
Nitrado
Slot-based plans with a global data-center mapA veteran host with the widest reach here: pick exactly the slot count and runtime you want, from a 3-day prepaid trial to a full year, close to players on almost any continent.
- Plans10, 16, and 32-slot tiers
- Runtime3 to 365 days, prepaid or sub
- Regions8 worldwide, EU, NA, and APAC
- SafetyDaily backups plus DDoS protection
Head-to-head at a glance
All three deliver a stable, backed-up, crossplay-ready server. They simply lead with different strengths.
| What you get | Indifferent Broccoli | DatHost | Nitrado |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $5.99/mo | €14.90/mo flat | From $16.19/mo |
| Plan style | Sized by player count | One all-inclusive plan | 10 / 16 / 32-slot tiers |
| Headline hardware | High-powered shared nodes | Ryzen 9 7950X, 16 GB DDR5 | Own fail-safe hardware |
| Try before you commit | 2-day free trial | 14-day money-back | Prepaid 3-day option |
| Nice extra | Discord control bot | One-click region move | Up to 5 games per server |
| Backups and DDoS | Included | Automatic, DDoS protected | Daily, DDoS protected |
How to pick and size your plan
Run these in order and you will land on the right host and the right memory tier for your group.
Set the calculator to your real peak
Use the highest number of players likely to be online at once, not your total roster, then add the mods that stay loaded.
Shop for the recommended tier or higher
Treat the recommended plan as a floor. If you build large persistent bases, step up one size for comfort.
Match the host to how you play
Discord-first group, pick Indifferent Broccoli. Want maximum power with no tiers, pick DatHost. Need a specific region or slot count, pick Nitrado.
Put the region first for ping
Choose the data center closest to most of your players. Low latency does more for feel than a slightly larger plan.
Use the trial or refund window
Every host here offers a trial or money-back guarantee. Load your group in, build for an evening, and confirm it holds up before committing.
Confirm crossplay and backups
All three support PC and console crossplay with automatic backups. Verify both are enabled before you invite everyone.
Set up the server you rent
Research sources
The claims in this guide were checked against these current references. Primary sources are marked first.
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