Kegan MooneyHosting your own Ark server can be a nightmare at times. With so many settings and command lines you can change, it’s easy to get stuck with issues on your server.
Having the right hosting can help alleviate some of those issues. We’ve tested some of the best Ark server hosting companies for 2021 to help you get your server up and running without issues. With ARK 2 due to hit the gaming market soon (hopefully), it’s worth getting familiar with Ark server hosting so you can be ready when it’s released.
Before we dive in and look at the best Ark server hosts, here’s a quick overview of our recommendations:
Whether you’re an Ark beginner looking to host your first Ark: Survival Evolved server, or you’re a seasoned pro, we’ve tried and tested the companies below to give you a deeper insight into how they perform.
Because Ark is such a high-performance survival game, we only recommend server hosting companies that can handle the game and multiple mods/plugins. We also have some exclusive discounts for Unboxed Reviews readers, including free Ark server hosting trials!
1. Arkservers.io (Cheapest Per Player)
These guys are great not only because they are cheap, which makes setting up a cluster extremely affordable, but their control panel is so easy to use too.
You can simply copy all the settings, mods, and scheduled tasks from one server to another, which takes seconds to complete. I might be wrong, but with years of renting from Ark server hosting companies and even working for several of them, I’ve never seen features like this anywhere else.
Installing mods can be done at the click of a button. Simply search for the mod you would like to install and press the install button. The control panel will do the rest for you.
Ark Servers Free Trial & Discount
We work with Arkservers.io to bring you the best discounts. The current promotion boasts a free 7 days no-obligation trial. There’s a discount of 20% off your first month with the code UNBOXEDREVIEWS. If you are looking for a solid Ark server hosting company, look no further.
2. Host Havoc (Best for Powerful Features & Plugins)
With servers in 11 locations across the globe, Host Havoc has some impressively dedicated servers, from which your server would run. You can see detailed stats on their hardware page.
Cross Ark chat can be enabled with the click of a button. This is a relief as these plugins can be a nightmare to get working. This allows players on your Ark server to chat with other players in-game across different servers. For example, if you are playing on The Island and your friends are on The Center, you can chat with them as long as they are hosted on the same server
Not only do they have cross-Ark chat, but their servers are Windows-based, which means you are able to install and use plugins. These plugins offer features such as ORP and currencies, without the need for more mods, you can find a list of plugins here.
While mods can be fun to use, it can get extremely frustrating for players wanting to join a server with multiple mods. It takes a long time to load a server, which could deter players from joining your Ark server.
Just like arkservers.io, Host Havoc also has a built-in mod installer, allowing users with less experience to simply add and configure a mod with the click of a button. But, of course, you can manually add mods and plugins via FTP too. Installing Structures Plus took me a matter of seconds.
Until recently I had overlooked Host Havoc. After trialing out their services, I can honestly say they are well on their way to becoming my favorite Ark server hosting company. With Ark servers from $0.30 per slot, you can’t go wrong.
Host Havoc not only boasts tons of easy-to-use features, mods, and settings, but they have also built in a one-click backup and restore function onto their Ark server hosting control panel. This makes them one of the safer options for your hard work.
3. GTX Gaming (Best for Powerful Servers & Locations)
Founded in 2008 GTX Gaming is one of the largest Ark Server Hosting companies out there. Not only do they have servers all over the world, but they also boast some of the most powerful servers available. This gives you top performance for your money.
Their support staff is extremely quick to get issues resolved, and are very professional, polite, and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them enough. Even the company owner often takes time out of his busy schedule to help with support.
Their control panel is based on Tcadmin. However, theirs has been heavily modified to perform and look better than the standard skin you get with most game hosting companies.
Another reason to choose GTX Gaming is its compatibility with plugins. While all Ark server hosting companies support mods, not all of them support plugins. Any running Linux servers seem to have a very hard time getting plugins to work.
With GTX Gaming you can have your server set up with plugins in no time. But unlike arkservers.io where everything is done for you, some level of experience is needed with GTX Gaming to get mods and plugins set up. But if you can get through the learning curve, it’s well worth it.
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