Best ARK server hosting: how to choose

Three ways to run a ARK server

Before you compare hosts, it’s worth knowing you might not need one. Here is how the three ways to play ARK with friends compare.

What to look for in a ARK host

These are the things that matter for ARK in particular. Each one says why, links the guide with the details, and says honestly what Wilderack does about it. The checks that matter for every game, from ping to refunds, are in our guide to choosing a game server host.

1. RAM for a heavy server

   An ARK server needs 12 GB for a few friends on The Island without mods and 16 GB for most groups. Big maps, many mods or a busy server full of tames need 24 to 32 GB. ARK Survival Ascended server performance and RAM

   YesOn Wilderack: Plans are sold by RAM, not player slots. We recommend World tree 16 GB always-on, and Grove 12 GB always-on suits a few friends without mods.

2. A server console players can find

   PlayStation and Xbox players can only join from the in-game list of unofficial servers. A server that sleeps drops out of that list, and nobody on a console can join it. How to make an ARK Survival Ascended dedicated server

   YesOn Wilderack: ARK servers stay awake by default. If your whole group plays on PC, you can turn sleep on in Settings.

3. Crossplay that stays on

   A PC-hosted server takes players from Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S together, as long as crossplay is on and every mod comes from CurseForge. How to connect to your ARK Survival Ascended server

   YesOn Wilderack: Servers let every platform join unless you change that in Settings.

4. CurseForge mods by project number

   ARK: Survival Ascended doesn’t use the Steam Workshop. Each mod is a CurseForge project, the server downloads it by its number on every start, and players get it when they join. Premium mods are bought by each player. How to add mods to your ARK Survival Ascended server

   YesOn Wilderack: Add mods by their CurseForge project numbers in Settings. The server downloads and updates them each time it starts.

5. Restarts and limits for a growing world

   Tames, buildings and wild creatures pile up as a world grows, and a long-running server slowly uses more memory. A daily restart and tame limits keep it smooth. ARK Survival Ascended server performance and RAM

   YesOn Wilderack: Add the Daily restart with warnings preset in Schedules. Tame limits are in the server’s GameUserSettings.ini, in Files.

6. Backups and your own world

   An ARK world is a .ark file for each map, plus files for every player and tribe. A PC single-player world can move to a server. A console world can’t, because consoles don’t give access to saves. ARK Survival Ascended server backups and saves

   YesOn Wilderack: Backups every 10 minutes while the server runs and before every risky step. Bring a PC world in Games, Bring your world.

7. Admin commands you can use

   Running an ARK server happens through admin commands as much as through settings: fixing a stuck tame, clearing wild creatures with DestroyWildDinos, kicking and banning. ARK Survival Ascended admin commands

   YesOn Wilderack: Your server comes with its own admin password, which you can read in the panel, and the panel’s Console runs commands without joining. Our admin commands guide lists the ones owners use most.

What a cheap ARK server costs

A cheap server is one with enough memory for your group, not the lowest price on a page. These are the plans we sell for ARK, with the group size each one suits.

Monthly plans renew at the price shown, and you can cancel any time. A 3-day pass is a one-time payment that doesn’t renew. Prices in US dollars + applicable taxes.

There is no truly cheap ARK server: Grove 12 GB always-on is the smallest plan that runs one well, for a few friends on The Island without mods. Most groups want World tree 16 GB always-on, and big maps with many mods need more.

ARK servers have to stay on to stay on the public server list, so they never nap. That uses the memory around the clock, which is why always-on plans cost more.

Where Wilderack falls short

No host is right for every group. These are the reasons we might not be the one for yours.

• ARK orders aren’t open yet. ARK: Survival Ascended's server license allows personal, non-commercial use only, and its publisher lets just one company rent ARK servers. ARK opens on Wilderack only if we obtain a commercial hosting license.
• We can’t rent servers that run on a PlayStation or Xbox. Your server runs on a PC, and console players join it through crossplay.
• No region is open yet: US East and Europe are coming soon. Groups in Asia, Oceania or South America will have higher ping than with a host nearby.
• We are new, so we can’t show you years of uptime yet. A 3-day pass is the cheap way to try us first.

How we checked

The facts about ARK come from our own ARK guides, which our team checks against Studio Wildcard’s documentation and patch notes, listed under Sources below. The facts about Wilderack come from our plans and the panel. Prices are read from our price list when this page is built, so they match the plans page. If something here is out of date, email support@wilderack.com and we will fix it.