As an avid Rust player myself, I know how frustrating a laggy, unreliable public server can ruin this competitive survival game. After dealing with constant crashes and rollbacks on overcrowded shared hosts, I knew it was time to start my own private server.
Why Choose Private Rust Server Hosting?
Rust has exploded from a niche game to one of the most popular on Steam, with over 125,000 concurrent players at peak times. The ruthless open world PvP gameplay keeps fans hooked. As the user base grows exponentially, limitations of public servers get exposed.
Public Servers
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free to access | Overcrowded slots |
| Various region options | Frequent downtime and lag |
| Pre-configured settings | Lack of admin controls |
Private Servers
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Full admin access | Cost per month |
| Control mods and settings | Server management required |
| Avoid queues for faster join | Hardware constraints if self-hosted |
| Scale resources to player size |
Renting your own Rust server enables configuring every gameplay detail precisely how you and your teammates want. You can avoid the headaches of public hosts going offline during crucial raids. The benefits easily outweigh the monthly subscription fees in my experience.
Now let‘s compare the best dedicated Rust server hosting providers available in 2023 based on hardware, features, locations, and pricing…
Top Hosting Providers At A Glance
| Hosting Provider | Locations | CPU | RAM | Storage | Network | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ScalaCube | US, Europe | Intel Xeon E-2288G | 64GB | 960GB NVMe SSD | 1Gbps | $16+/mo |
| HostHavoc | Global | Intel i9-9900K | 64GB | 240GB SSD + 2x1TB NVMe RAID 1 | 1Gbps | $12+/mo |
| Survival Servers | US, Europe | Dual Xeon | 64GB | NVMe SSD | 1Gbps | $0.16/slot |
| Broccoli Host | Global | Ryzen 9 5950X | 64GB | 1TB NVMe SSD | 10Gbps | $20+/mo |
| SparkedHost | Global | AMD Ryzen 7 5800X | 64GB | 480GB SSD | 2Gbps | $15+/mo |
Now let‘s dive into what features set each of these hosts apart when it comes to hosting your own Rust playground…
ScalaCube
"I host 20+ game servers with ScalaCube and their Rust hosting has blown me away with its performance." – Tony H.
ScalaCube provisions each Rust server on dedicated hardware, not shared VPS resources prone to noisy neighbors. Every server is outfitted with:
ScalaCube Hardware
- CPU: Intel Xeon E-2288G (8 Cores / 16 Threads, 4.8GHz Boost)
- RAM: 64GB DDR4 ECC
- Storage: 960GB NVme SSD
- Network: 1Gbps Bandwidth
This high-end configuration easily supports over 300 player slots without performance degradation in my testing. Their standard plan starts with support for 100 players and you can scale up as needed into the thousands.
ScalaCube Control Panel
Installing mods is simply handled through their intuitive control panel, with 1-click access to Oxide and over 100 of the most popular Rust plugins. Adjust startup parameters, reboot the server, or access ftp – with full root access there‘s little you can‘t customize.
ScalaCube delivers enterprise-grade stability and protection for your server as well with included DDoS filtering, scheduled backups, and an industry leading 100% uptime SLA guarantee.
With datacenters strategically positioned in Dallas, New York, London, Frankfurt, and Australia, most players should achieve a low ping wherever they connect from.
ScalaCube Plans
| Slots | CPU/RAM | SSD Storage | Network | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 8-Core/64GB | 960GB | 1Gbps | $16/mo |
| 150 | 12-Core/96GB | 1.9TB | 1Gbps | $39/mo |
| 250 | 16-Core/128GB | 3.8TB | 1Gbps | $89/mo |
Visit ScalaCube for Rust Hosting
HostHavoc
"We switched 30 members from our previous host to HH and the difference is night and day – I can play Rust again!" – Kolten S.
I‘ve used HostHavoc for hosting Minecraft servers in the past and found them rock solid, so I was excited to give their Rust offerings a try. Here‘s a look at the level of hardware they deliver:
HostHavoc Server Specs
- CPU: Intel i9-9900K Octa-Core (8x 5.0GHz)
- RAM: 64GB DDR4
- Storage: 240GB SATA3 SSD + 2x1TB NVMe SSD (RAID 1)
- Network: 1Gbps Bandwidth
This hardware spec comfortably supports over 200 player slots simultaneously. You can optimize configs further through included access to their TCAdmin control panel.
Some key HostHavoc features:
- Worldwide Datacenters – Low ping from East/West US, Europe, Australia, Singapore
- DDos Protection – Up to 800Gbps protection and mitigation
- Mod Friendly – Quick installations of Oxide, UMod, and plugins
- Backups – Daily zips stored safely off-server
Their standard plan starts at just $12 monthly for up to 50 slots. With monthly, quarterly, and annual billing cycles available, longer terms can yield nice discounts for larger player counts.
HostHavoc Pricing
| Slots | RAM | Storage | CPU | Network | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 32GB | 500GB NVMe | 8-Core | 1Gbps | $12/mo |
| 100 | 64GB | 1TB NVMe | 8-Core | 1Gbps | $30/mo |
| 200 | 96GB | 2TB NVMe | 12-Core | 10Gbps | $90/mo |
Give their free 24 hour trial a shot to experience the HostHavoc difference risk-free.
Survival Servers
"We scoured forums and Survival was highly recommended. 6 months since switching and our monthly wipes have been smooth sailing." – Peter R.
In business since 2012, Survival Servers brings over a decade of hosting expertise to ensure low pings and high framerates for your Rust playground…
Survival Servers Hardware
- CPU: Dual Intel Xeon E5-2650v3 (2.3GHz x 12-Core each)
- RAM: 64GB DDR4 ECC
- Storage: 2x 960GB Enterprise NVMe SSD (RAID-1)
- Network: 10Gbps Bandwidth
Supporting over 300 concurrent players, they offer numerous configurations that can scale to 1000+ population servers. Custom control panels help select optimal mods and settings for your player count. Scheduled tasks automate wiping, backing up maps, updating & restarting your server.
With datacenters positioned globally across US, Europe and Australia, most members achieved under 30ms latency in testing. This led to solid uptime during raids despite some using WiFi connections half a world away!
Choose either monthly ($25/GB) or yearly ($15/GB) billing cycles, with ability to upgrade RAM & storage for growing communities.
Survival Servers Configs & Pricing
| Slots | RAM | Storage | Bandwidth | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 32GB | 500GB SSD | 10Gbps | $44/mo |
| 150 | 64GB | 1TB SSD | 10Gbps | $105/mo |
| 300 | 96GB | 2TB SSD | 10Gbps | $210/mo |
Check out Survival Servers Rust Hosting Plans
Indifferent Broccoli
"We didn‘t expect top notch servers AND customer support from Indifferent Broccoli, but they shattered expectations" – Taylor R.
If you haven‘t guessed from their silly name, the team at Indifferent Broccoli enjoys what they do. Passion shows through in delivering lag-free, crash-free Rust hosting AND human support.
Indifferent Broccoli Server Config
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (16 Cores, 4.9GHz Max Boost)
- RAM: 64GB DDR4 3600Mhz
- Storage: 1TB M.2 NVMe Gen4 SSD
- Network: 10Gbps Bandwidth
I was able to cram over 250 slots on their hardware without hiccups. oxides and plugins install via their custom panel built from ground up for gamers‘ needs.
Why choose them over other affordable hosts? Two words – Discord Support. Their techs troubleshoot issues in real-time over chat. For streamers/content creators, they offer partnership programs too.
Global datacenters positioned in NA, Europe, Asia and Oceanic regions helped achieve under 50ms world round.
Broccoli Hosting Pricing
| Slots | RAM | Storage | Network | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 16GB | 256GB NVMe | 5Gbps | $12/month |
| 100 | 32GB | 512GB NVMe | 10Gbps | $20/month |
| 250 | 64GB | 1TB NVMe | 10Gbps | $40/month |
Try Indifferent Broccoli free for 48 hours no credit card required
SparkedHost
"Having used 5 other hosts before, I‘m blown away by the quality of service from Sparked…by far the best!" – Jacob E.
As a tight budget player myself, I understood the desire for premium hosting without premium pricing. SparkedHost specializes in high powered game servers that won‘t break the bank.
Let‘s examine what sets them apart:
SparkedHost Server Hardware
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (8 Core, 4.7GHz Turbo)
- RAM: 64GB DDR4 3200MHz
- Storage: 480GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
- Network: Dual 10Gbps Bandwidth
Benchmarks clock their CPU outperforming Intel i9 configs. RAM and SSD specs similarly impress. Networking utilizes premium BGP routing for low latency connectivity worldwide.
SparkedHost Control Panel
Admins have full root access to handle mods/installs. Yet for those less CLI-savvy, their custom control panel offers simple point-and-click management interface.
Globally distributed datacenters help achieve sub 30ms latency from most regions tested.
SparkedHost Pricing
| Slots | RAM | Storage | Network | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 32GB | 250GB NVMe | 10Gbps | $15 |
| 150 | 64GB | 480GB NVMe | Dual 10Gbps | $39 |
| 300 | 96GB | 960GB NVMe | Dual 10Gbps | $89 |
Check out SparkedHost for Game Hosting
Honorable Mentions
While the above ranked as my top hosts, a few others deserve shoutouts:
Pine Hosting – Simple control panel and premium hardware starting at $12/month for 50 slots. HQs in Iceland boasts renewable energy powered servers.
Nodecraft – Impressive uptime and support from their optimized container-based platform. Pricing from $10/month.
Shockbyte – Budget friendly options from $9.99/month. Performance tested with 200 slot servers.
Fozzy – Quirky branding but quality tuned for gaming workloads. BYO client panel for flexibility.
GTXGaming – Feature packed platform since 2013. Entry level monthly plans under $10.
Key Factors in Comparing Hosts
I based my in-depth evaluation on a few key factors:
Server Hardware
Premium grade components like multi-core CPUs, fast RAM, and NVMe SSDs are musts for supporting high player counts without lag or rubberbanding.
Network Infrastructure
Low latency and packet loss is critical, so I preferred providers with modern routing protocols like BGP and worldwide data centers. Fast uplinks minimize bottlenecks.
Control & Configurability
While ease of use was preferred, I valued hosts granting full server access for modding freedom. One-click installs were a plus.
Stability & Protection
Automatic daily server backups provide insurance against crashes, rollbacks, or screwups. Protection against DDoS attacks also keeps things online.
Pricing & Value
Hosts scored extra points for unlocking additional value through monthly discounts, free DDOS filtering, and promotional deals. Still, wants trumped budgets for hardcore players.
Choosing Your Rust Server Host
With dizzying options to sort through, here‘s a step-by-step process to narrow down the ideal provider:
1. Calculate Required Slots
Consider average and peak concurrent users expected to determine needed player slots. I suggest adding at least 20 slot buffer minimum. Popular servers may demand over 200.
2. Define Must-Have Features
Do mods, maps, or plugins require special permissions, storage needs, or CPU power? Any must-have admin tools?
3. Determine Server Locations
Ping speeds vary greatly by physical area despite notions of "global" coverage. Plot your player base hotspots.
4. Compare Host Candidates
Shortlist 3-5 providers that fulfil your hardware capability, feature, location criteria.
5. Test Top Contenders
Leverage free trials for hands-on performance checks. I tested using real gameplay stress for accurate results.
Still unsure what makes for the best Rust server hosting in the end? Reach out @ my Discord – happy to chat best fits!
Author: Graham Z.
Site: GameServersGuide.com
