# Best WARDOGS server hosting: how to choose > What to check before renting a WARDOGS community server: an approved host, admin tools, ping limits and room for 100 players. Where we fall short. By the Wilderack Crew. Last reviewed 2026-11-13. _WARDOGS is a trademark of Team17 Digital Ltd. Wilderack is not affiliated with or endorsed by Team17 Digital Ltd._ WARDOGS community servers come only from hosts BULKHEAD has approved, so that comes first. After that, what makes a community server worth it is how well its admins can run it. Here is what to check before you pay anyone, us included. **A note before you read:** Wilderack sells WARDOGS servers, so this is a guide from a host, not a neutral review. Every fact about WARDOGS links the guide it comes from, and those guides cite Team17's own documentation. We name no other hosts, and one section says where we fall short. ## Three ways to run a WARDOGS server ### Play on BULKHEAD’s servers Press Deploy and join a match on one of BULKHEAD’s own servers. - Cost: Free with the game - Friends can play without you: Always, run by BULKHEAD - Who can join: Anyone - What you do: None, but you can’t set rules, bans or a ping limit ### Play on a community server Press Deploy, choose Community and pick a server. - Cost: Free - Friends can play without you: Always, run by its owner - Who can join: Anyone who finds it in the browser - What you do: None, but the owner sets the rules and admins ### Rent a server A dedicated WARDOGS server in a data center, with a panel to run it. - Cost: From $35.99 a month, or $53.99 a month for the Grove 12 GB always-on we recommend - Friends can play without you: Always on - Who can join: From Deploy and Community in the server browser, by searching for the server’s name - What you do: None to install. Updates, backups and DDoS protection are handled ## What to look for in a WARDOGS host The checks that matter for every game, from ping to refunds: https://wilderack.com/best-game-server-hosting/ ### A host BULKHEAD approved Only BULKHEAD’s approved hosting partners get the server build, and the game’s terms ban private servers run any other way. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/wardogs/getting-started/ On Wilderack (Not yet): We open WARDOGS only once BULKHEAD and Team17 approve us as a hosting partner. Until then, WARDOGS orders stay closed. ### Admin tools Community admins ban cheaters on the spot, keep reserved slots, show a Server Rules popup and control RCON with AllowedHosts. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/wardogs/config-reference/ On Wilderack (With a catch): The panel’s console will use RCON for you. We’ll list every setting once we have the server build. ### Room for 100 players A full match has 100 players, vehicles, artillery and buildable defenses, so the server needs fast cores and memory. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/wardogs/performance/ On Wilderack (With a catch): Plans are sold by RAM. We plan Grove 12 GB always-on for full matches and Grove 8 GB always-on for up to about 50 players, and will measure both before we open. ### A region near your players Players above a server’s ping limit for a while are kicked. BULKHEAD’s own servers use 250, and community admins set their own. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/wardogs/how-to-connect/ On Wilderack (Yes): Pick the region closest to most of your players when you create the server, then set a ping limit that fits them. ### Bans and settings you keep A ban list is the record of every cheater removed, and players’ progress lives with BULKHEAD, so the server’s own setup is what needs keeping. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/wardogs/backups/ On Wilderack (Yes): Backups every 10 minutes while the server runs and before every risky step. ## What a cheap WARDOGS server costs | Group | Plan | Monthly | 3-day pass | |---|---|---|---| | Up to 50 players | Grove 8 GB always-on | $35.99 | $7.25 | | Up to 100 players | Grove 12 GB always-on (recommended) | $53.99 | $10.85 | 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. A cheap WARDOGS server is a smaller one: Grove 8 GB always-on is our plan for matches up to about 50 players. Full 100-player matches need Grove 12 GB always-on. ## Where Wilderack falls short - WARDOGS orders aren’t open yet. WARDOGS community servers come only from BULKHEAD's Approved Hosting Partners, which also get the server files: there is no public download. WARDOGS opens on Wilderack once BULKHEAD and Team17 make us an Approved Hosting Partner. - We haven’t run the WARDOGS server build yet, so our plan sizes are estimates until we measure real matches. - 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. ## Questions and answers ### Can I host a WARDOGS server myself? Not today. There’s no public server download. Community servers run only through BULKHEAD’s approved hosting partners. ### Do players keep their progress on community servers? Yes. Cash, levels and unlocks live on BULKHEAD’s own servers, so they carry over, and community servers pay a small cash bonus. ### How much RAM does a WARDOGS server need? We plan at least 8 GB for matches up to about 50 players and 12 GB for full 100-player matches, and will confirm both on our own machines before we open. ## Sources - [The 11th Reason NOT To Buy WARDOGS](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1867240/view/1842846814456311), BULKHEAD - [Scheduled Maintenance and Patch 0.11](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1867240/view/1843481262698449), BULKHEAD - [Season 03 Patch Notes](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1867240/view/1849192144179736), BULKHEAD - [WARDOGS EULA and Addendum](https://www.wardogs.com/eula), Team17 and BULKHEAD - [Update 0.1.2](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1867240/view/1845383656376490), BULKHEAD - [Season 02 Patch Notes](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1867240/view/1846651706674560), BULKHEAD - [WARDOGS on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1867240/WARDOGS/), Valve - [WARDOGS Early Access and Beyond](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1867240/view/1828894815567544), BULKHEAD Plans and prices: https://wilderack.com/wardogs-server-hosting/ --- Canonical page: https://wilderack.com/best-wardogs-server-hosting/ How we write and check our guides: https://wilderack.com/company/editorial-policy/ Corrections: support@wilderack.com