Best Squad server hosting: how to choose

Three ways to run a Squad server

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

What to look for in a Squad host

These are the things that matter for Squad 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. Offworld’s rules on hosting

   Squad’s license rules out running servers commercially, Offworld names the hosting companies it trusts, and its licensing rules don’t accept servers in virtual machines. How to make a Squad dedicated server

   Not yetOn Wilderack: We open Squad only once Offworld makes us a hosting partner and approves our hardware. Until then, Squad orders stay closed.

2. Fast cores for 100 players

   The server runs most of a match on one main thread. When it falls behind, players see rubber-banding and late hits. Squad server requirements and performance

   With a catchOn Wilderack: Plans are sold by RAM, not player slots. We recommend Grove 12 GB always-on, and Grove 8 GB always-on suits seeding or 50 players. We’ll measure full matches on our machines before we open.

3. Workshop mods

   Mods come from the Steam Workshop, load from SquadGame/Plugins/Mods, and every player needs the same ones. Map mods only play once their layers are in your rotation. How to add mods to a Squad server

   YesOn Wilderack: Add Workshop IDs in Settings and the server downloads them on each start, with no Steam login. Set the load order in Settings too.

4. Admins and bans you can’t lose

   Admins.cfg holds your admin groups and Bans.cfg every ban given in game. Losing Bans.cfg lets banned players back in. Squad server backups and moving a server

   YesOn Wilderack: Backups every 10 minutes while the server runs, with every config file, and earlier versions of each file in Files.

5. Rotation and rules without the file

   Server.cfg sets the queue, reserved slots, tags and how the next layer is picked. A typo in a layer ID makes the server skip it. Squad server config reference

   YesOn Wilderack: Name, queue, reserved slots, tags, rotation mode and team switching are in Settings.

6. A server that stays listed

   Players find Squad servers in the browser, and a server that isn’t running drops out of it. How to join your Squad server

   YesOn Wilderack: Squad servers stay on all the time, on always-on plans.

What a cheap Squad 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 Squad, 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.

A cheap Squad server is a small one: Grove 8 GB always-on runs seeding and matches up to about 50 players. Full 100-player matches need Grove 12 GB always-on, and big mods want more.

Squad 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.

• Squad orders aren’t open yet. Squad's license rules out running it commercially, Offworld Industries names the hosting companies it trusts, and its licensing rules don't accept servers in virtual machines. Squad opens on Wilderack once Offworld makes us a hosting partner.
• We can’t offer licensed Squad servers until Offworld approves our hardware. Until then, a Squad server on Wilderack would be listed under Custom Servers.
• 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 Squad come from our own Squad guides, which our team checks against Offworld Industries’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.