# Best Garry’s Mod server hosting: how to choose

> What a good Garry’s Mod host gets right: any gamemode, Workshop collections, a server token and backups of sv.db. What a cheap server costs, and our limits.

By the Wilderack Crew. Last reviewed 2026-11-13.

_Garry's Mod is a trademark of Facepunch Studios Ltd. Wilderack is not affiliated with or endorsed by Facepunch Studios Ltd._

Garry’s Mod needs little memory, so almost any host can run it. What matters is how easily you switch gamemodes, load your Workshop collection and keep player data safe. Here is what to check before you pay anyone, us included.

**A note before you read:** Wilderack sells GMod servers, so this is a guide from a host, not a neutral review. Every fact about GMod links the guide it comes from, and those guides cite Facepunch Studios's own documentation. We name no other hosts, and one section says where we fall short.

## Three ways to run a GMod server

### Host from your game

Start a game with more than one player slot and invite Steam friends.

- Cost: Free
- Friends can play without you: Only while the host plays
- Who can join: Steam friends the host invites
- What you do: None, but the server closes when the host leaves

### Run the free server yourself

The Garry’s Mod dedicated server is free on Steam.

- Cost: Free, plus a computer that stays on
- Friends can play without you: While that computer is on
- Who can join: Anyone with the address, once your router forwards the port
- What you do: Updates, addons, a server token and backups are yours

### Rent a server

A dedicated GMod server in a data center, with a panel to run it.

- Cost: From $6.49 a month, or $11.99 a month for the Sprout 4 GB we recommend
- Friends can play without you: Always, napping when empty and waking when someone joins
- Who can join: With connect and your address in the game’s console, from your favorites, or from the server list
- What you do: None to install. Updates, backups and DDoS protection are handled

## What to look for in a GMod host

The checks that matter for every game, from ping to refunds: https://wilderack.com/best-game-server-hosting/

### Any gamemode, switched when you like

Sandbox and Trouble in Terrorist Town come with the game. DarkRP, Prop Hunt and Murder come from the Workshop, and each needs maps that suit it. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/garrys-mod/gamemodes/

On Wilderack (Yes): Pick Sandbox, DarkRP, Trouble in Terrorist Town or Prop Hunt when you create the server, and change the gamemode and map in Settings any time.

### Your Workshop collection, loaded at start

A server downloads every item in a public or unlisted Workshop collection when it starts, so players get the same addons. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/garrys-mod/mods/

On Wilderack (Yes): Add Workshop addons from the Mods tab in one tap, or paste your collection’s number into Settings.

### A place for your server token

Facepunch says servers without a Steam game server login token get a severe penalty in the server list ranking. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/garrys-mod/getting-started/

On Wilderack (Yes): Paste your token into Settings. The panel shows that one is set, but never shows it again.

### Enough CPU for physics, not just RAM

Most of the game’s work runs on one CPU core, so lag usually comes from moving props and busy addons, not memory. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/garrys-mod/performance/

On Wilderack (Yes): Plans are sold by RAM: Seed 2 GB runs Sandbox for a few friends, and we recommend Sprout 4 GB. Lower the tickrate in Settings and the prop limits in server.cfg to keep a busy server smooth.

### Backups of player data

Garry’s Mod has no world file. Gamemodes keep player data, like DarkRP wallets and jobs, in the server’s database, sv.db. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/garrys-mod/backups/

On Wilderack (Yes): A safe copy every 10 minutes while the server runs and every time it sleeps, with your data, configs and addons. Restore or download any of them.

## What a cheap GMod server costs

| Group | Plan | Monthly | 3-day pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 12 players | Seed 2 GB | $6.49 | $1.35 |
| Up to 24 players | Sprout 4 GB (recommended) | $11.99 | $2.45 |
| Up to 32 players, modded | Sapling 6 GB | $17.99 | $3.65 |
| Up to 48 players, modded | Grove 8 GB | $23.99 | $4.85 |
| Up to 64 players, modded | Grove 12 GB | $35.99 | $7.25 |

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

Garry’s Mod is cheap to host: Seed 2 GB runs Sandbox for a few friends. DarkRP and big Workshop collections are what need more, at 6 to 8 GB.

## Where Wilderack falls short

- A sleeping server drops off the public list in the in-game server browser. Favorites and joining by address still find it and wake it. An always-on plan keeps it listed.
- Addons you add in the Mods tab download at the server’s next start, so restart it before you play with them.
- Two regions open so far: US East and Europe. 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.

## Questions and answers

### How much RAM does a Garry’s Mod server need?

2 GB for Sandbox with a few friends, 4 GB for Trouble in Terrorist Town, Prop Hunt, Murder or Sandbox with addons, and 6 to 8 GB for DarkRP or big Workshop collections.

### Do I need a Steam game server token?

It’s optional, but Facepunch says servers without one get a severe penalty in the server list ranking. Make one on Steam with Garry’s Mod’s app ID, 4000, and paste it into Settings.

### Can I run DarkRP and TTT on one server?

One at a time. A server runs one gamemode, and you switch it in Settings or the Console with a map that suits it.

## Sources

- [Downloading and Hosting a Dedicated Server](https://wiki.facepunch.com/gmod/Downloading_a_Dedicated_Server), Facepunch Studios
- [Steam Game Server Accounts](https://wiki.facepunch.com/gmod/Steam_Game_Server_Accounts), Facepunch Studios
- [Server Operator Rules](https://wiki.facepunch.com/gmod/Server_Operator_Rules), Facepunch Studios
- [ULX](https://github.com/TeamUlysses/ulx), Team Ulysses
- [Workshop for Dedicated Servers](https://wiki.facepunch.com/gmod/Workshop_for_Dedicated_Servers), Facepunch Studios
- [Trouble in Terrorist Town settings (terrortown.txt)](https://github.com/Facepunch/garrysmod/blob/master/garrysmod/gamemodes/terrortown/terrortown.txt), Facepunch Studios
- [DarkRP](https://github.com/FPtje/DarkRP), DarkRP developers
- [Command Line Parameters](https://wiki.facepunch.com/gmod/Command_Line_Parameters), Facepunch Studios
- [Serving Content](https://wiki.facepunch.com/gmod/Serving_Content), Facepunch Studios
- [Sandbox gamemode settings (sandbox.txt)](https://github.com/Facepunch/garrysmod/blob/master/garrysmod/gamemodes/sandbox/sandbox.txt), Facepunch Studios
- [Linux Dedicated Server Hosting](https://wiki.facepunch.com/gmod/Linux_Dedicated_Server_Hosting), Facepunch Studios
- [Finding a Multiplayer Game](https://wiki.facepunch.com/gmod/Finding_a_Multiplayer_Game), Facepunch Studios

Plans and prices: https://wilderack.com/garrys-mod-server-hosting/

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