Written by: Andrew Wandola
Edited by: Lillian Castro
Reviewed by: Christina Lewis
ARK is one of the most popular survival games of all time, with a loyal gaming community of more than 24 million players. The game has everything you’ll ever want in an epic survival title, including adventure, engagement, thrill, and interactivity.
But to experience the true potential of ARK gameplay, you’ll need the right hosting environment. And since ARK is a very popular, resource-intensive game, most hosts will charge you a fee to house it on their servers.
The truth is that the best free ARK server hosting doesn’t exist. Those that offer quality ARK hosting will charge a small fee. But that doesn’t mean you have to drain your wallet to enjoy playing ARK online. Here are some cost-effective alternatives.
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Best Free ARK Server Hosting
A standard ARK game requires 8GB of memory, at least 20GB of disk space, and two CPU cores at a minimum. No single web host out there will provide those resources for free, but thanks to the popularity of the game and the huge demand, many ARK server hosts offer incredibly affordable plans. Let’s take a look at some of the most affordable options out there.
1. PingPerfect: 48-Hour Free Trial
PingPerfect will let you try its ARK hosting server for free for the first 48 hours. If you’re impressed with the performance, you’ll need to submit a support ticket to have them upgrade your plan from the free trial before the end of the 48-hour trial period.
A quick look at some of its key features shows exactly why it’s worth the try. Here, you’ll have access to an easy-to-use game panel (available on mobile and desktop), multiple servers across the globe, in-house backups, enterprise hardware, and DDoS protection. For less than the price of a standard Netflix subscription, can host your ARK game on one of the most powerful ARK servers out there.
2. Indifferent Broccoli: 48-Hour Free Trial
Like PingPerfect, Indifferent Broccoli also offers a 48-hour free trial. I know you’re probably stuck on the name, but that’s not the only interesting thing about this web hosting provider. For starters, the pricing depends on the number of players on your server.
You can choose between eight, 16, and 64 player slots, each with a unique yet affordable hosting plan. Although this host caps the number of players you can have on your server, the same doesn’t apply to the amount of memory available for each player, which makes it even more powerful.
3. Sparked Host: 24-Hour Free Trial
Sparked Host has a budget plan you can use if you want to enjoy ARK gameplay without draining your wallet. The cheapest base plan accommodates between five and 10 players, perfect for gaming with your close friends or family.
This host also features powerful hardware, including AMD Ryzen processors, NVMe SSD storage, and DDR5 memory (RAM). If you’re not ready to commit to a long-term contract, this host provides a 24-hour free trial, allowing you to experience how it feels to host ARK on its servers.
4. DatHost: 7-Day Money-Back Guarantee
DatHost offers a generous 7-day money-back guarantee for its ARK server hosting plans. While it doesn’t have a truly free trial, as some other hosts do, it still gives new customers a risk-free way to try its services. If you aren’t happy with DatHost, you can request a full refund. That’s a full week of enjoying ARK gameplay on its powerful servers.
DatHost
- Unlimited player slots and usage
- 7-day money-back guarantee
- One-click mod installer & DDoS protection
- Auto-updates and daily backups
- Get started now »
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DatHost offers many other benefits, including unlimited player slots and usage, flexible payment options (monthly, quarterly, or yearly), and access to up to 20 servers in 15 countries. On top of that, it supports any ARK mods or plugins.
5. Host Havoc: 3-Day Money-Back Guarantee
A three-day money-back guarantee is what you receive if you want to test out HostHavoc’s ARK hosting environment. But that’s more than enough, if you ask me, and the host has a flexible payment system, which makes it affordable.
Host Havoc
- Supports up to 100 player slots
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- DDoS protection and 24/7 tech support
- 3-day money-back guarantee
- Get started now »
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The host charges a small fee for at least 30 to 100 player slots. This system is quite reasonable because you pay for the number of player slots you choose, not for space you don’t need. And if you’re in a hurry to get started with your favorite game, this server offers an instant setup process.
6. GTXGaming: 24-Hour Money-Back Guarantee
GTXGaming also uses the per-slot payment model, making it accessible and affordable for individual players or smaller teams. Its money-back guarantee only lasts 24 hours, so keep that in mind if you decide to take it for a test drive.
GTXGaming
- High CPUs and instant setup
- 24/7 tech support and DDoS protection
- Automatic mod updates and offsite backups
- 24-hour money-back guarantee
- Get started now »
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Affordability aside, GTXGaming is a feature-rich host with servers around the globe. Some of its key features include game switching, automatic mode updaters, mod support, DDoS protection, offsite backups, and an ARK map generator tool to help you create your own random maps.
Best Almost-Free ARK Server Hosting
Another great way to save money is to look for ARK Survival Evolved server hosts that are so cheap they’re practically free. Here are our top picks.
7. ZAP-Hosting
- Instant server setup and mod support
- All ARK maps come pre-installed
- Fully customizable gameplay through the control panel or FTP
- Option for lifetime hosting
- Get started now »
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Zap-Hosting’s pricing model is a game changer for ARK enthusiasts. You can either subscribe to a monthly plan, which is still affordable, or opt for a one-time fee.
The best thing about the one-time fee is that it gives you lifetime access to the ARK server you purchased. Yes, you read that right. And there’s no catch, you can choose your preferred server location, game server slots, and resources (CPU, memory, and storage).
8. Survival Servers
- DDoS protection and fast NVMe SSDs
- Easy mod and plugin installation
- Custom proprietary control panel
- Full FTP access and server passlocking
- Get started now »
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Survival Servers usually offers plenty of great deals and discounts, so you should keep an eye on them if you want to spend less and get the most out of your ARK server hosting environment. Even without the discounts, its hosting packages are still affordable.
As with other hosts we’ve covered, you can pay per slot or a fixed monthly fee. No matter which option you choose, you’ll enjoy a host of features and functionalities, including DDoS protection, full FTP access, location switching, server pass locking, mod support and installation, and a custom ARK server manager (control panel).
9. Fozzy
- Support for up to 150 player slots
- Easily install mods from the Steam Workshop
- DDoS protected servers
- Choose from six datacenter locations
- Get started now »
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You can play ARK on Fozzy for three days free of charge, and if you don’t like the hosting environment, you’ll get your money back with no questions asked. But judging from its hosting infrastructure, it’s unlikely that you’ll want your money back. Its servers provide 16 cores of processing power, 128GB of memory, and 900GB of SSD storage.
You’ll also choose your preferred server location in the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, or Luxembourg. Fozzy will give you an additional discount if you can complete a short ARK-related quiz.
10. ShockByte
- Automatic updates and backups
- Support for mods, expansions, and crossplay
- Instant setup and 100% uptime guarantee
- FREE subdomain and full FTP access
- Get started now »
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ShockByte can host anywhere from 30 to more than 125 player slots. Of course, the pricing depends on the number of player slots you choose. No matter how many you choose, each player slot costs less than $1.
Pricing aside, the host offers mod and clustering support, automatic backups and updates, DDoS protection, and a 100% uptime guarantee. On top of that, you’ll receive a free subdomain and your own choice of server location.
11. Apex Hosting
- Support for unlimited player slots
- Advanced DDoS protection and low latency
- 24/7 tech support and instant setup
- FREE subdomain and full FTP access
- Get started now »
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The basic plan at Apex Hosting doesn’t come with the most powerful resources, but it works best for a small group of players, preferably between one and five. You’ll get 4GB of memory to get your feet off the ground.
You can scale up to 8GB, which is the recommended minimum for seamless ARK gameplay. There is no doubt that Apex Hosting is a great host, but if you’re looking into adding more player slots, which means more resources, you may want to look elsewhere. On the contrary, if you’re just getting started and don’t need a lot of resources, Apex Hosting will get the job done. It also offers excellent customer support, which is ideal for beginners.
12. ServerBlend
- Up to unlimited player slots
- Powered by high-performance dedicated servers
- Worldwide datacenter locations and low ping
- 7-day money-back guarantee
- Get started now »
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ServerBlend describes itself as a five-star game server host, and rightfully so. Customers receive a seven-day money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose when you sign up for this host.
Each plan hosts a minimum of 30 player slots (you can upgrade to unlimited player slots) and comes with DDoS protection, one-click ARK Survival server plugin installation, and mod support. Even better, this host has servers in Canada, the United States, Poland, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia.
13. ScalaCube
- Instant server setup and 24/7 uptime
- FREE domain name
- DDoS protected servers and full FTP access
- Lightning-fast SSD drives
- Get started now »
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ScalaCube wraps up our list of 13 of the best ARK server hosting providers thanks to its powerful resources, which include at least 32GB of memory, eight CPU cores, and 320GB of SSD storage. That’s what you get with the base plan, which can hold up to 20 player slots.
What I like the most about this game server hosting provider is that it has servers in Asia, particularly Singapore and India, which is quite impressive given that most hosts I’ve reviewed have servers mainly in North America and Europe.
What Is ARK Hosting?
ARK hosting refers to a hosting environment equipped with the tools, features, and resources required to host the popular survival game ARK. The standard hosting requirements for ARK are:
- 8 GB of memory
- 2 CPU cores
- 20 GB of disk space
That’s what most ARK servers offer, but of course, you can always scale up depending on the number of player slots you need. A good ARK server will also give you mod support, ample player slots, and DDoS protection to keep your server safe from attacks. I’ll dive into this more below.
What Are the Key Features of Best Free Ark Server Hosting?
Choosing the best Ark server involves a lot more than picking a free host. While it’s tempting to choose a host that doesn’t charge a monthly fee, you may be kicking yourself later if the provider doesn’t live up to your expectations.
An Ark server (free or not) should at least have these features available:
- Dedicated server options for improved performance: If your gaming community grows and you want to add players, having access to a dedicated Ark server means you won’t have to switch providers. A dedicated server provides the highest level of control and resources.
- Control panel capabilities for easy server management: Unless you want to spend more time fussing with your server than you do playing Ark, a user-friendly control panel is a must. A control panel lets you monitor server usage and add more players through a simple graphical user interface (GUI).
- DDoS protection to safeguard against threats: Gaming servers are the number one target of DDoS attacks. Having DDoS protection is essential for any game server you purchase.
- Mod support for customizing your Ark server experience: What’s online gaming without support for customization? Make sure your host offers mod support — not all free hosts do.
While your host will include all sorts of other perks, these are the most critical features you should keep an eye out for.
Which Type of Server Is Best for ARK?
The most straightforward answer to this question is it depends on your unique requirements. For example, the more player slots required, the more resources your server should have.
Cloud servers are great for scalability and reliability. They offer a convenient pricing model and are highly flexible and redundant.
Virtual private servers, on the other hand, can accommodate moderate player slots, about 30, to be precise. These servers usually offer root access and provide greater control over your environment.
An ARK dedicated server should be your go-to option if you want more power, total control of your hosting environment, and high performance.
Keep in mind that dedicated servers are usually more expensive than VPS or cloud hosting.
Is ScalaCube a Good ARK Host?
Yes, because it stands out in the crowded field of ARK game server hosting. Besides Europe and North America, which are the default server locations for most gaming hosts, ScalaCube has expanded its territory into Oceania and Asia. You’ll find its servers in Australia, India, and Singapore.
This host is affordable and rich in resources. For example, its base plan gives you:
- 20 player slots
- Up to 32GB of memory
- 8 CPU cores (each with a clock speed of 3.4GHz)
- 320GB of SSD storage
With plans starting at less than $20 per month, few other providers meet ScalaCube’s price-to-value ratio.
Are Private ARK Servers Free?
Most products that come with the tag “private” aren’t free. Even those that claim to be free typically include some sort of catch. Free web hosts often place ads on your site or have strict limitations on resources to keep plans at $0.
The same applies to private ARK servers.
They may have some limitations that require a subscription to bypass. Others may offer free trials, money-back guarantees, and discounts. In most cases, that is the closest you’ll ever come to a free ARK server.
The logic behind this is that hosting and maintaining a game server, even a private one, requires a lot of resources. Hardware, electricity, internet bandwidth, and more, all come at a cost.
Skip a Free ARK Host and Choose a Cheap One Instead
The ARK server hosts we’ve reviewed may not fit your expectations of free hosting. No one in their right mind would turn down a free service unless it’s not worth it.
Sometimes, free may sound inviting, but not for resource-intensive games such as ARK Survival Evolved.
Free ARK server hosts, if they exist, will come with a lot of restrictions, such as limited server configuration, an influx of spammy ads, and low-security levels. To bypass that, you can find a premium host with affordable prices.
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