Best Garry’s Mod server hosting: how to choose

Three ways to run a GMod server

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

What to look for in a GMod host

These are the things that matter for GMod 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. 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. Garry's Mod gamemodes: Sandbox, TTT, DarkRP and more

   YesOn Wilderack: 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.

2. 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. Garry's Mod addons and Workshop collections

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

3. 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. How to make a Garry's Mod dedicated server

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

4. 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. Garry's Mod server performance and lag guide

   YesOn Wilderack: 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.

5. 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. Garry's Mod server backups and moving your server

   YesOn Wilderack: 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

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 GMod, 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.

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.

Part of why the price is low: your server naps when nobody is playing, so you don’t pay for hours of an empty world. Your world and settings stay exactly as you left them.

Where Wilderack falls short

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

• 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.

How we checked

The facts about GMod come from our own GMod guides, which our team checks against Facepunch Studios’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.