Where you host matters more than specs (early on)

7 Days to Die

At first I went down the usual rabbit hole—RAM, CPU, all that. That stuff matters, but honestly, the bigger question is: how much control do you want, and how much hassle are you okay dealing with? You’ve basically got three options:

  • game hosting providers
  • a VPS
  • your own PC

I tried a hosting provider first. It was super easy to set up—like, a few clicks and you’re done. But the moment something broke (and it did), I felt completely stuck. Limited access, limited control.

Switched to a VPS after that. More setup, yeah, but way less frustrating long-term. At least when something goes wrong, you can actually fix it.

Running it at home… I did that briefly too. It works, but only if your internet is solid and your PC is always on. Mine wasn’t, so it got old fast.

CPU matters more than people say

7 Days to Die

A lot of guides push RAM as the main thing. '8GB minimum,” etc. From what I’ve seen, RAM is rarely the first problem. CPU is. The server starts struggling when:

  • zombies pile up (especially blood moon nights)
  • multiple players are active at once
  • the world is doing too much at the same time

I remember one blood moon where everything just turned into a slideshow. RAM was fine. CPU was not. Roughly speaking (not exact, just what I’ve noticed):

  • 2–4 players → pretty forgiving
  • 5–8 → occasional spikes
  • 10+ → you really feel it unless the CPU is strong

If blood moon runs smoothly, you’re in a good spot. If not… you’ll know immediately.

Linux vs Windows — just be honest with yourself

7 Days to Die

I switched to Linux because 'that’s what everyone recommends.” It is lighter and cleaner once it’s running. But getting there? Took longer than I expected. Permissions issues, services not behaving, random little things. If you already know Linux, great—use it. If not, Windows might actually save you time, even if it’s heavier. There’s no point forcing yourself into Linux just because guides say so.

Setup is simple… until it isn’t

7 Days to Die

Using SteamCMD is standard. The basic install usually works. But I’ve had runs where:

  • downloads failed halfway for no clear reason
  • files installed but didn’t run properly
  • updates messed with configs

It’s rarely one big problem. More like a bunch of small ones that add up and waste an evening.

Config files — I ignored them at first (mistake)

I’ll be honest, I rushed through config the first time. That came back to bite me. Things like:

  • ServerMaxPlayerCount
  • world selection
  • server visibility

They matter more than you think. Especially player count—setting it too high can hurt performance even if you don’t fill all the slots. Also, some changes don’t apply until restart. Took me longer than it should have to realize that.

Ports… this is where I got stuck the longest

If people can’t connect, it’s almost always ports. I remember thinking I set everything correctly—and still nobody could join. Typical ports:

  • 26900
  • 26901–26902

Even when you do it right, you can still run into:

  • firewall issues
  • NAT problems
  • wrong IP binding

This part is honestly just trial and error sometimes. Not fun, but you get through it.

Mods: great, but don’t rush it

Mods are awesome. They can completely change the game. But they also break things. A lot. I learned the hard way:
installed a bunch at once → something broke → no idea which one caused it. Now I always:

  • start vanilla
  • add mods one at a time

Slower, but way less frustrating.

Backups — boring but necessary

I didn’t bother with backups at first. Then an update messed with the save. After that, yeah… I started doing it. You don’t need anything complicated. Just make a backup before updates. That alone can save you a lot of pain.

Hosting provider vs VPS (realistically)

From trying both: Hosting panels

  • easy
  • fast
  • frustrating when something breaks

VPS

  • more control
  • more responsibility
  • worth it if you plan to stick with it

There’s no perfect choice. Just depends how hands-on you want to be.

Stability over time is the real challenge

Getting the server running is one thing. Keeping it running smoothly over time is another. Stuff I’ve run into:

  • performance slowly degrading
  • logs getting huge
  • mods acting weird after a while

Honestly, the simplest fix that works more often than it should:
restart the server once a day Not elegant, but it works.

My Personal Best 5 7 Days to Die Server Hosts
HostDomain NameHost LinkPriceMin SlotsSlotsDDoSUs LocationsOther LocationsRAMNotesGuaranteeEstablishedVotes
g-portal.comg-portal.com$14.00101000YesN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A2017176
US Locations:
WashingtonNew YorkTexasCalifornia
Other Countries:
BrazilUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandJapanChinaAustraliaIndiaGermany
N/AN/A
godlike.hostgodlike.host$32.00N/A10YesN/AN/AN/A8GB Ram3020210
US Locations:
CaliforniaNew York
Other Countries:
UkraineGermanyPolandUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandFranceFinlandSingapore
N/A8GB Ram
bisecthosting.combisecthosting.com$12.00UnlimitedUnlimitedYesN/AN/AN/A4GB RAMN/A201446
US Locations:
WashingtonOregonCaliforniaTexasIllinoisGeorgiaFloridaNew YorkVirginiaNew Jersey
Other Countries:
CanadaUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandFranceNetherlandsGermanyPolandIndiaSingaporeAustralia
N/A4GB RAM
skynode.proskynode.pro$13.00N/A10YesN/AN/A4GBN/A1420170
US Locations:
CaliforniaTexasNew York
Other Countries:
NetherlandsGermanySingaporeAustralia
N/AN/A
gameservers.comgameservers.com$1.30840YesN/AN/AN/AN/A22000733
US Locations:
KentuckyLouisiana
Other Countries:
N/A
N/AN/A

Final thoughts

Hosting your own server isn’t hard, but it’s also not completely hands-off.

It’s more like:

  • set it up
  • run into small issues
  • fix them
  • repeat

If it’s just you and a few friends, don’t overthink it.

If you’re planning something bigger, invest in a good CPU early. That’s the one thing you’ll feel immediately if it’s not good enough.

Everything else… you can figure out as you go.