Game Server RAM Calculator

Rent too little RAM and your game server lags the moment your group logs in. Rent too much and you pay every month for memory nobody uses. This free game server RAM calculator estimates how much memory your server actually needs based on the game, your player count, your mods and how big your world has grown, then shows the cheapest plans that fit.

It covers Minecraft Java and Bedrock, Terraria, Valheim, Palworld, Rust, ARK, Project Zomboid, 7 Days to Die and Satisfactory. Pick your game below and you will have a sensible number in a few seconds.

How This Game Server RAM Calculator Works

Every game uses memory in two ways: a fixed amount just to load the world, and an extra amount for every player who joins and loads more of it. This calculator starts with a base figure for your game, adds memory per player, then adds extra for plugins or mods and for an established world with large builds. The result is rounded up to the plan sizes hosts actually sell, such as 2GB, 4GB or 8GB.

The base figures follow the sizing guidance hosts publish for their own plans and official server requirements where developers share them. HostHavoc, for example, rates a 1GB Minecraft plan for one to four vanilla players and says it is not recommended for modpacks, while Palworld's developer recommends 16GB for a full server. The calculator then shows the cheapest verified plans from our cheap game server hosting comparison that meet your recommended size.

How Much RAM Does Each Game Need?

Here is what the calculator recommends for a typical small group of six players on a new world, with no mods.

• Minecraft: Java Edition: 2GB recommended. Add 4GB or more for a modpack.
• Minecraft: Bedrock Edition: 1.5GB recommended. Bedrock is lighter than Java.
• Terraria: 1GB recommended. One of the lightest games to host.
• Valheim: 4GB recommended, more once your world grows.
• Palworld: 10GB recommended, with 8GB as the realistic floor.
• Rust: 8GB recommended for a small community server.
• ARK: Survival Ascended: 10GB recommended per map.
• Project Zomboid: 4GB recommended, more with mods.
• 7 Days to Die: 6GB recommended.
• Satisfactory: 16GB recommended, as factories get heavy fast.

Use the calculator above for your exact player count, because memory needs rise with every extra player who is online at the same time.

What Increases Your Server's RAM Needs?

• Players online at once: it is peak concurrent players that matter, not total members of your Discord.
• Mods and modpacks: a large Minecraft modpack can need several times the memory of a vanilla server.
• Plugins: Paper, Spigot and Oxide plugins each take a little memory, and dozens of them add up.
• World size and age: bigger explored areas and huge builds keep more data loaded.
• View distance: a higher view distance loads more of the world around every player.
• Extra worlds or maps: each additional world, dimension or ARK map in a cluster needs its own memory.

RAM Is Not the Only Thing That Matters

Many game servers, Minecraft in particular, run their main game loop on a single CPU thread. That means a fast modern CPU often fixes lag that more RAM never will. When you compare plans, look for current processors such as AMD Ryzen 9 or EPYC and NVMe storage, not just a bigger memory number. Location matters too: a server close to your players keeps ping low even on a small plan.

Example Calculations

• Four friends on vanilla Minecraft Java: 2GB recommended, 1.5GB minimum. A 2GB plan from GravelHost at $1.80 a month covers it, and DPHost takes 40% off the first order.
• Ten players on a large Minecraft modpack: about 8GB recommended. GravelHost's 8GB plan is $7.20 a month, and Hostinger's 8GB Game Panel is $9.49 a month on a two-year term.
• Eight players on Palworld: 10GB recommended, so a 16GB plan is the practical choice. Read our Palworld dedicated server guide for game-specific hosts.
• Six players on Valheim: 4GB recommended, which fits BisectHosting's 4GB plan or Hostinger's entry Game Panel.

Common RAM Mistakes When Renting a Game Server

• Sizing for today instead of next month: worlds grow, so leave some headroom.
• Counting total members instead of peak players: size for the busiest evening, not your whole Discord.
• Allocating all of the plan's RAM to the game: the server process and plugins need a little breathing room.
• Buying RAM to fix CPU lag: if memory use is low but the server still lags, the CPU or location is the problem.
• Ignoring the refund window: test with your full group in the first 72 hours, when most budget hosts still allow a refund.