There is no single cheapest good option for every Vintage Story group. Official Simple Server Hosting costs 10 EUR per 30 days and is the easiest choice for a small, vanilla group in Central Europe, but it allows up to eight concurrent players and does not support third-party mods or world uploads. An hourly service can cost less when you only play occasionally: TickServ advertises a starting rate of €0.02 per hour and says a stopped server costs €0 while its world is retained. Monthly third-party plans advertise starting prices such as €3.20 from OXY.Games and $4.50 from Gravel Host, while self-hosting removes the rental bill but adds hardware, connectivity, electricity and administration.
The right bargain is the option whose capacity, location, mod policy, backups and billing model match your group. The prices below are advertised starting points, not guaranteed checkout totals, and no provider listed here was independently performance-tested.
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Listed first: Godlike.Host
Godlike.Host is listed first here for groups that want a rented Vintage Story server on a full game panel. It is game server hosting with a Pterodactyl-based panel, SFTP/FTP access, up to three free backups a day with restore, free DDoS protection and a personal firewall. Servers can be placed in 10 locations (US West Coast, US East Coast, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Poland, Ukraine, Finland and Singapore), plans can be upgraded or downgraded from the panel with prorated billing, and support is available 24/7 by live chat or ticket. See the current plans for what fits your group.
Compare the cheapest Vintage Story server options
| Option | Advertised price example | Best fit | Important checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official Vintage Story hosting | 10 EUR per 30 days | Small vanilla group that wants in-game setup | Eight concurrent players maximum; Central Europe; no third-party mods or world uploads; stable or release-candidate versions only |
| Hourly third-party hosting | TickServ from €0.02 per hour | Groups that can stop the server between sessions | Expected running hours, RAM tier, region, autosave and restart behavior |
| Monthly third-party hosting | OXY.Games from €3.20 per month; Gravel Host from $4.50 per month | Groups wanting a continuously available or mod-capable server | Equivalent RAM, geography, taxes, renewal price, backups, support and migration terms |
| Self-hosting | No rental price quoted by the official guide | Technically comfortable owner with a suitable always-on computer and connection | Hardware, power, firewall and port forwarding, reliability, maintenance and backups |
These figures use different currencies, tiers and conditions, so they are examples rather than a like-for-like ranking. The official Vintage Story Wiki describes its third-party provider list as “not vetted”; treat vendor features and performance statements as claims to verify, not endorsements.
#1 Best Overall
- ENTERTAINING AND UNEXPECTED QUESTIONS: This handy box is filled with 140 surprising and engaging prompts to inspire reminiscences between family, friends, or couples!
- FAMILY GAME NIGHT FUN: A special way to inspire intergenerational sharing. Great family game for kids and adults.
- TAKE IT ANYWHERE: The portable box is the ideal size to throw in your bag to take on vacation or to a family get-together.
- A FUN GIFT: Perfect for game night enthusiasts; kids, parents, and grandparents wanting to connect across the generations; anyone in search of birthday presents, anniversary gifts, or stocking stuffers for adults, teens, or the whole family.
- EXPLORE THE ENTIRE SERIES: This game is part of the Games Room series, a collection of elegantly designed, geometrically patterned small boxes filled with engaging games to inspire lively conversation and endless laughs.
Calculate the real cost for your playing schedule
Hourly billing only wins when the server is actually stopped for a meaningful part of the month. At a quoted €0.02 per hour, 50 running hours would be €1, 100 hours would be €2, 200 hours would be €4 and 720 hours would be €14.40 before taxes or any higher-tier charges. The simple arithmetic break-even against a 10 EUR monthly fee is 500 running hours, but that comparison is not a purchasing guarantee: the official plan and the hourly plan provide different limits, locations and features.
Make a month-by-month estimate from your group’s calendar. Count scheduled sessions, add time for players who leave the server running, and decide whether automatic shutdown is reliable enough for your routine. Then include:
- VAT, sales tax or payment fees applicable to your country;
- the renewal price after any introductory rate;
- extra RAM, storage or backup charges;
- time spent starting, stopping, updating and recovering the world;
- electricity and broadband costs when a privately owned computer runs the server.
A low headline price can be poor value if it forces a migration, lacks backups or places the machine far from most players. Compare the complete monthly total and the work required, not just the first number in an advert.
When official Vintage Story hosting is the cheaper choice in practice
The official Simple Server Hosting plan is listed at 10 EUR for 30 days. Its appeal is reduced administration: setup is integrated with the game and the service is designed for a small group that wants to play without configuring a dedicated machine.
Rank #2
- HOWDY PARTNER - Welcome to Disney Pixar Toy Story Obstacles & Adventures, the cooperative deck-building game that brings the world of Toy Story to life! Play as your favorite characters from the films - Sheriff Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jesse, Rex and Bo Peep
- TO INFINITY, AND BEYOND - This family board game features artwork, characters, obstacles, and adventures from across all the Toy Story movies and television films - Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4, Toy Story of Terror!, and Toy Story That Time Forgot
- THERE'S A SNAKE IN MY BOOT - Watch out for the hazards and obstacles that try and end playtime, While the toys may be cute, don't let them deceive you as there are serious challenges along the way
- YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME - Work together in this cooperative group game as you build your deck and move along the 6 sequential games that build on their level of difficulty
- 2-5 players | Ages 8+ | 30-90+ Min Play Time
What the official plan includes
- Up to eight concurrent players.
- Hosting in Central Europe, which may be convenient for European players but can add latency for groups elsewhere.
- Stable and release-candidate versions rather than unrestricted version selection.
Restrictions that can change your decision
The plan does not allow third-party mods or world uploads. If your group already has a local world, wants to import an existing save, or expects to use a mod collection, these restrictions are decisive rather than minor inconveniences. You would need a compatible third-party service or your own server instead.
For a new, unmodded world with no need to move files, the 10 EUR fee can be cheaper in practical terms than managing an hourly service. You are paying for a fixed 30-day period, so the cost is predictable even if the group plays frequently. The eight-player ceiling is a hard planning limit for larger communities.
When hourly hosting costs less
TickServ advertises a starting rate of €0.02 per hour and states that a stopped server costs €0 while the world is saved between sessions. That model targets groups that play concentrated sessions rather than leave a world online all month.
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Use a running-hours estimate
- List the days and times when players normally connect.
- Add an allowance for late logoffs, updates and occasional extra sessions.
- Multiply the resulting hours by the advertised hourly rate.
- Check whether the required RAM tier has a different rate.
- Confirm how the control panel stops the process, saves the world and starts it again.
Do not assume that pressing “stop” instantly ends every charge or that a stopped world is automatically backed up. Ask how long shutdown takes, whether autosave runs before termination, and what happens after a crash or host maintenance. A service that retains the world but does not provide usable backups still leaves you exposed to data loss.
Rank #3
- A WHOLE NEW WAY TO PARTY: Skip the small talk and spark unforgettable conversations with It’s Kind of a Fun Story, the adult party game where the story of your life earns you points. Perfect for adult game nights, pre-games, happy hours, bachelorette parties, or family gatherings.
- EASY TO LEARN, FUN TO PLAY: Take turns drawing cards and answering questions to be the first player to earn seven points! Story Cards put you in the spotlight to tell a story from your life, but watch out, if another player thinks they have a better tale, they can play a Hear Me Out Card to try to steal your points. Left or Right, Point a Finger, and Everybody Answers cards keep every round fresh, fast-paced, and full of surprises.
- FUN, HEARTFELT, AND FULL OF CONNECTION: With 320 conversation cards, every round is unique, hilarious, and full of exciting stories. More than just a funny adult card game, it brings people closer: laugh together, share embarrassing memories, and bond over stories that are silly, surprising, or even deep.
- CUSTOMIZE YOUR VIBE: Keep it clean or make it spicy with the included R-Rated mini-expansion pack. Clearly marked R-Rated cards let you adjust to your group, and every player gets a Nope Card to skip any topic they’re not comfortable with. Everyone stays engaged and having fun. Perfect as a drinking game, icebreaker game, or casual conversation game.
- PERFECT FOR EVERY OCCASION: Ideal for friends’ game nights, family gatherings, pre-games, happy hours, bachelorette parties, or adult game nights. It’s Kind of a Fun Story is the ultimate adult storytelling card game that gets everyone laughing, sharing, and connecting every time you play.
Who should avoid hourly billing
Hourly hosting is a poor fit when players expect to join at any time, forget to stop the machine, or need a persistent public server. A month with roughly 720 running hours would cost about €14.40 at the advertised entry rate, before taxes and before any capacity upgrade, making a fixed monthly plan potentially simpler.
When a monthly third-party plan is worth it
OXY.Games advertises plans from €3.20 per month, and Gravel Host advertises plans from $4.50 per month. These are provider-published starting prices, not market averages or independent performance measurements. Currency alone prevents a reliable ranking: an apparently cheaper dollar plan may include a different amount of memory, location or billing term.
Compare equivalent plans
Put each provider’s offer into the same worksheet. Record allocated RAM, CPU information if published, storage, player limits, supported Vintage Story versions, data-center region, taxes, renewal price and whether the plan is monthly or requires a longer commitment. Mark features that are not stated rather than assuming they are included.
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Ask whether you can upload an existing world, download a complete copy, install the mods your group uses and migrate to another host without provider assistance. Confirm the file format and the exact procedure for restoring a backup. A cheap plan that traps a mature world or makes exports difficult can cost more when you eventually move.
Rank #4
- In Prey, you awaken aboard Talos I, a space station orbiting the moon in the year 2032.
- You are the key subject of an experiment meant to alter humanity forever - but things have gone terribly wrong.
- The space station has been overrun by hostile aliens and you are now being hunted.
Understand the provider-list caveat
The official Vintage Story Wiki’s provider list is a directory, not a certification scheme. Provider pages describe their own features and performance. Check current status, support response expectations, cancellation rules and refund terms directly, because these details can change independently of the advertised starting price.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Self-hosting: no server rent, but real operating costs
Self-hosting can be the lowest cash-cost route when you already own a suitable computer and a reliable internet connection. The official hosting guide distinguishes local hosting, paid internet hosting and free internet hosting. The free route may require a technically capable owner, a strong connection and a computer left on whenever players need access.
Hardware guidance
The official self-hosting page gives a rough conservative recommendation for a normal survival world: Windows or Linux, 1 GB of base memory plus 300 MB per player, and four CPU threads. It lists CPU frequency as “1 GHz base + 150 MHz per player.” The current Wiki dedicated-server guide instead states “1 GHz base + 100 MHz per player.” Because the two official pages differ, use the self-hosting page’s figures as a planning reference and check the current guide before buying hardware; do not treat either set as a guarantee.
Using the memory rule only as a rough estimate, four players would imply about 2.2 GB (1 GB plus 1.2 GB), while eight would imply about 3.4 GB. Leave additional headroom for mods, a large or mature world, operating-system services and backups. Modded play and busy areas can exceed conservative baseline guidance.
Best Value
- 3-Piece Premium Metal Puzzle Set for Adults 15+: This curated bundle has 3 unique vintage metal disentanglement puzzles for teens and adults craving brain challenges. Precision-cast high-strength alloy brings solid weight and smooth burr-free edges, no cheap plastic parts at all.
- Durable Anti-Rust Build for Long-Term Play & Collection：Premium electroplated vintage metal coating resists scratches, fading and rust after months of repeated twisting. The sturdy structure won’t bend or break easily, making it a long-lasting collection piece for countless play sessions.
- Boost Spatial Logic & Focus in a Screen-Free Way：This 3D IQ game trains your patience, spatial imagination and reverse thinking as you twist and explore hidden mechanisms. Gradual difficulty keeps you engaged for hours, melting work stress and keeping your mind sharp.
- Pocket-Sized Fun for Travel, Parties & Gatherings：Compact and lightweight enough to slip into your bag or jeans pocket, it lets you enjoy brain teasers on commutes, trips or family game nights. It livens up group interactions and pulls everyone away from mindless scrolling.
- Thoughtful Gift for Puzzle Lovers & Special Occasions：With clear illustrated instructions, this challenging disentanglement set is perfect for birthdays, anniversaries and holiday gifting. It’s more than a game — a fun, memorable way to share quality time with friends and partners.
Costs that replace the hosting bill
- A computer capable of sustained CPU and memory load.
- Storage for the world, logs and multiple backup generations.
- Electricity for an always-on machine.
- Router configuration, firewall rules and possibly port forwarding.
- A stable upload connection and a plan for outages.
- Time to apply game updates, diagnose crashes and restore saves.
A mini PC or other low-power small-form-factor computer can be a practical self-hosting category, but no particular model has been tested or shown to meet a compatibility benchmark here. Compare its CPU performance, memory capacity, storage reliability, operating-system support and expected always-on power draw with the current Vintage Story requirements before purchasing.
Choose by answering these six questions
- How often will the world run? If the group plays only occasional sessions and can stop the server, model an hourly plan first. If people expect drop-in access, compare an always-on monthly plan.
- How many concurrent players are there? The official plan stops at eight. Larger groups need a different service or self-hosting capacity.
- Do you need mods or an existing world? The official plan supports neither third-party mods nor world uploads, so select a service that explicitly documents both capabilities.
- Where are the players? Choose a data-center region near most players. Central Europe is fixed for official hosting; other providers may advertise additional regions, but verify the actual location.
- How much administration can one person handle? Renting shifts hardware and network maintenance to a provider. Self-hosting shifts uptime, security, updates and recovery to the owner.
- What happens when something breaks? Require a documented backup schedule, restore process and support channel before treating a low price as “good.”
Pre-purchase checklist
- Write down the advertised price, currency, billing period and renewal price.
- Confirm the exact RAM tier and whether the starting rate is for a smaller configuration.
- Check taxes at checkout for your billing country.
- Verify player capacity and the game versions supported.
- Test or confirm the region relative to the group’s location.
- Ask whether mods, custom server files and world uploads are allowed.
- Download a world backup and confirm that it can be restored before inviting players.
- Read cancellation, refund and data-deletion terms.
- For hourly plans, verify that stopping ends billing and that the world is saved first.
- For self-hosting, document firewall, port-forwarding and backup procedures before opening the server.
Common ways a “cheap” server becomes expensive
Choosing by sticker price alone
Different currencies and resource tiers make €3.20, $4.50 and €0.02 per hour incomparable until you normalize runtime, memory, taxes and features.
Ignoring geography
A distant region can create avoidable latency. The lowest advertised fee is not useful if the location is poor for the people actually playing.
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World retention after stopping is not the same as independent, restorable backups. Obtain the schedule and restoration method in writing.
Outgrowing the official limit
The official service’s eight-player ceiling and vanilla restrictions should be checked against your planned group and mod list before a world is created.
Calling self-hosting free
No subscription does not mean no cost. Hardware depreciation, electricity, broadband, maintenance and the owner’s time all affect the practical total.
Bottom-line choice
Godlike.Host is listed first on this page: its Vintage Story servers come with a game panel, free backups with restore and a choice of 10 locations, so check its current plans next to the other options. Pick official hosting for the simplest vanilla experience when eight players or fewer are in Central Europe and a fixed 10 EUR per 30 days fits your schedule. Pick hourly hosting when actual runtime is low and the group reliably stops the server. Pick a monthly third-party plan when you need mods, world migration, broader regional choice or continuous availability, but compare like-for-like resources and verify every operational promise. Self-host only when someone is prepared to provide suitable hardware, networking, backups and ongoing maintenance.
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