Looking for the best ARK server hosting? Cost is a constraint? What if it comes free of cost? In this blog post, we will discuss top 9 best free ARK server in 2023. Go through the features, advantages, disadvantages and other details to decide the most reliable and the fastest ARK server hosting in 2023. Stay tuned!
ARK: Survival Evolved is a popular game worldwide. This multiplayer game was launched in 2017. The game is pivoted around working, building, hunting etc with other players for survival on a deserted island.
The game includes an open-world map that the players can navigate by riding a prehistoric animal or even walking. You can play ARK from a first-person or a third-person perspective.
What is ARK?
ARK is a popular action-adventure themed survival game. The game takes you to an island inhabited by prehistoric animals like dinosaurs and wild species.
The multiplayer platform requires the participants to defend themselves against other players and dangerous creatures, collect resources and construct structures for survival. The epic battle echoes Darwin’s “Survival of the Fittest”.
The challenge for the players is to survive as long as possible by fighting off the enemies coming their way. You need to wield your weapons and wisdom to survive. You must gather tools to build a base for your protection.
The game allows you to choose your preferred characters and work your way to emerge as the longest surviving player. Like other video games, ARK allows you to explore your new skills, materials, tools and weapons to even the playing field and gain great experience.
ARK Server
An ARK server is a server dedicated to only ARK: Survival Evolved. The server allows players to set up connection to a particular ARK game instance online. You can play the game with other players via ARK server.
The ARK server allows you to configure different options and settings easily and customize the gameplay experience. Hosting companies or individuals can host ARK servers to be run on different platforms, including Windows, MacOS and Linux.
Why do you need a dedicated server for ARK?
ARK is a thrilling game. You have to spend a lot of time for playing ARK so that you can advance from a new character with a spear in your hands to an innovative ranger bravely fighting with deadly animals such as dinosaurs.
If someone thinks that he/she will emerge as a winner after playing only a few minutes, the person is mistaken. ARK will eat a lot of your time, energy and resources before you are able to fight out a single enemy.
For the reasons stated above, you need a dedicated ARK server hosting for lag-free gaming experience. A powerful server is equipped with required features and hardware resources to accelerate your gameplay without worries.
Followings are some benefits of using an ARK server:
Full server control: A dedicated server puts all the controls in your hands. You can configure the game and customize how to proceed to set your preferences and enhance your overall gaming experience.
No lags: Without a dedicated server hosting, you put a lot of burden on your PC’s operating system, which will cause lags. However, server hosting takes the pressure out of your system and as a result, you can enjoy super-fast, lag-free game play.
24/7 game availability: Having a server on your console or computer puts multiple game restrictions. If the host switches off the device, it ends the game immediately. But with a dedicated server hosting, your co-players can still stay logged in and continue playing.
Moreover, you don’t need to do server setting once again and can ensure other players are connected. It will save you from frustration and waste of your time.
Control to choose players: On a random server, you cannot choose the other players and are more likely to play with strangers. Moreover, there is a high chance for you to be kicked out at any point. You have no control over your progress in the games.
A hosting server gives you freedom to choose the persons you love to play with. You can invite your relatives or friends to take part in the game. Playing with them will make your experience more interesting and immersive.
What features will you look for in a gaming server?
Gaming servers are dedicated to only games. These servers are used only to host multiplayer games on the internet. These servers have different features and options and also allow for customizing gaming experience. The range of customization includes:
Configurations & Settings: Gaming servers usually enable players to customize a range of configurations and settings to modify the gameplay experience as per the players’ preferences. It may include other options such as, server name, password, player limit and gameplay-related settings (for example, resource availability and difficulty level).
Content and Mod: Some gaming server hosts allow you to add custom mods and contents to the game, including game characters and weapons.
Backup and Recovery: Some gaming server hosts also provide backup and recovery services to ensure protection against server downtime or data loss.
Player Permissions and Access: Gaming servers often let you manage player permissions and access, by creating groups and ranks, and revoking or granting permissions for specific features and actions.
Technical Support: Many gaming server hosts provide technical support for troubleshooting issues.
Server Management and Monitoring: Many gaming servers offer tools to help manage and monitor their servers, including usage reports and performance, and notification alerts for prospective issues.
You should consider these options and features when choosing a gaming server that can serve your purpose to a T.
What should you consider when looking for the best ARK server hosting?
Here are some important tips to guide you:
Hardware: Check out how much primary memory and storage space the hosting service provider offers. Make sure their offer meets the minimum server requirements and they do not compromise with hardware quality.
Compatibility: Ensure that your hosting service is compatible with your device. For example, PC device, XBOX console, PS4 console etc.
Slots: Look for a hosting that allows all players to play for a competitive price. Choose the slots according to the number of players you want to accommodate.
Support: Providing 24/7 support has become an Industry standard for hosting companies. If live chat is not available, make sure the hosting service provider offers an extensive knowledge base or a ticketing option.
Security: A good game hosting provider always offers free DDoS protection and backups. Automatic backup and updates should be your priorities.
Mods: A well-known hosting provider needs just a single click to install and update modded ARK servers.
Check if the hosting provider supports mods and DLCs (downloadable contents) to download more maps and improve the gameplay. Free ark server hosting with mods should be your top priority.
Server Locations: Having multiple server locations is beneficial. If the hosting company allows users to switch locations, it is better.
A pragmatic choice is to go with a hosting server having one of its locations close to where you live as it will ensure faster gameplay.
Dashboard: Choose a customizable and easy-to-use dashboard. This way, you can focus on your gameplay with your choicest settings sans complexities.
Price: Choose a host that has easy-to-understand and transparent pricing packages and that includes no hidden charges.
Free Trial and Refund Policy: A reputed ARK server provider offers a free trial or a money-back guarantee. If none of these is offered, switch to other options.
Are there any limitations of a free ARK Server?
Free ARK: Survival Evolved servers, though a great option, have some serious limitations that are conspicuously absent in paid servers. These limitations are subject to the kind of hosting provider you have chosen.
However, there are some common limitations irrespective of the hosting server in use. These include:
Limited Resources: Due to limited resources, free ARK servers are more prone to lag and may not be up to the mark compared to the paid servers. By resources, we mean CPU, RAM, storage capacity etc.
Limited Player Slots: Many free ARK servers allow fewer players. Hence, if you have a large group of players, a free ARK server will not suffice your needs.
Limited Features: Free ARK servers usually have fewer customization options and features compared to paid servers. For example, you may not be able to get access to advanced server settings or use certain plugins or mods.
Usage Restrictions: With free ARK servers, you may have some usage restrictions. For example, you can allow only a few players at a time or set limitations on the amount of time for using the server.
Advertising: You may have to show advertisements on your server in exchange for free hosting.
You should review the terms of service, conditions and limitations of any free ARK server hosting provider when choosing one in order to make sure that it will serve your needs and purposes.
The best option to avoid the limitations of a free ARK server is to use a paid server. Paid servers usually provide a wider range of customization options, features and resources. Moreover, they usually do not have the same usage limitations or advertisement requirements, unlike free servers.
If you want to upgrade to a paid ARK server, make sure to choose the best ARK server hosting provider so that you have the kind of resources and features you require.
Many hosting providers offer ARK servers including dedicated game servers and cloud servers. Always compare the available features and pricing from different hosting providers to choose one that suits your needs and budget.
Remember that if you want to upgrade to a paid ARK server, you have to pay a monthly or annual subscription fee. However, great features and excellent performance will offset your expenses for a paid server. Moreover, with a paid server, you will be able to host a large group of players.
Best ARK Server Hosting Providers
A dedicated ARK server provides lag-free gaming experience that is wished and loved by all hard-core gamers. It allows you to host and play ARK in a reliable ambiance where you can customize your game settings and also dictate how to run the game.
We have compiled a rooster of 9 best ARK hosting providers and their features, pros and cons. Go through them and decide which of these will work best for your needs.
Best for ARK Server Hosting – Apex Hosting
It offers gratifying performance with impressive features such as easy server configuration, a free sub-domain and automated backups.
Apex hosting offers a 99% network SLA and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. You can ask for a refund if the server fails to fulfil the guaranteed promises.
Spec Sheet:
- All expansions available
- DDoS protection
- Modding Support
- Powerful server console
- High quality hardware that includes a powerful 3.0 ghz+ processors along with a protected one gbps+ network that offers the lowest ping
Pros:
- Takes less than 5 minutes to setup the server
- One-click modpacks
- Premium hardware
- Low latency
- MYSQL database access and full FTP
Cons:
- No free, dedicated IP address included
Other Details:
- Refund Policy: 7-day money-back guarantee
- Customer Support: 24/7 live chat, knowledge base and ticketing
- Data Centres: 18 servers located in the UK, the US, Russia, Australia, Europe, Brazil, Israel, Turkey, Singapore and Japan
- Supported Platform: PC
- Control Panel: Multicraft
Best for User-Friendly Control Panel – BisectHosting
Another great hosting option for ARK server! Quick setup and great features make this hosting an ideal choice. You will get ARK clustering and all map support.
It allows you to set up a server in the exact way that simultaneously supports multiple servers. It provides ARK clustering. In other words, you can link multiple servers to enable transfers of multiple game characters.
Spec Sheet:
- Quick setup
- Full Mod Support
- Regular Backups
- All Map Support
- SSD drives ensure quick map loading and saving
- Auto-update can be enabled on your server to make sure it is up to date whenever it is restarted
Pros:
- User-friendly control panel
- Fee DDoS protection
- 24/7 monitoring
Cons:
- Provides no Network SLA
Other Details:
- Refund Policy: 72-hour refund policy
- Customer Support: 24/7 live chat, knowledge base and Discord
- Data Centres: 16 servers located throughout the world
- Supported Platform: PC (Epic and Steam Games)
- Control Panel: Custom control panel
Best for Uptime Guarant – ShockByte
ShockByte is a popular game server host that offers hosting for Valheim, Terraria, Minecraft and many more, in addition to renting ARK servers. Their ARK server plans offer DDoS protection, free migration from your old hosting provider, automated backups and guarantee security features.
At ShockByte, the team is dedicated to providing users with 100% uptime guarantees so that you will have peace of mind that your server is always up and running irrespective of what happens.
Spec Sheet:
- Instant Setup
- Automatic updates
- Low latency
- Fully configurable
- Full FTP access
- Free subdomain
- Mod and Map Support – servers support and update the latest contents automatically from all expansions such as Custom Maps, DLC Maps, Expansion Packs and Steam Workshop mods.
Pros:
- Free MySQL Database
- Great Network SLA
- Free Dedicated IP
Cons:
- 125 slots (max)
Other Details:
- Refund Policy: 3-day refund policy
- Customer Support: 24/7 live chat, knowledge base and Discord
- Data Centres: Hosting servers located in Asia Pacific, North America and Europe
- Supported Platforms: PC/Linux
- Control Panel: Multicraft
Best FREE ARK Server Hosting – ScalaCube
Besides renting dedicated servers for Minecraft, Hytale, Rust, Terraria, Valheim and Project Zomboid games, ScalaCube also offers a free ARK hosting plan. All hosting plans have DDoS protectioin and round-the-clock uptime. It means your server is always available and playable.
Spec Sheet:
- ARK official mods
- Modify sever configurations
- Steam workshop mods
- SSD drives
- Full FTP access
- Change maps
- Fast download speed
- Stable ping times
- Custom launch parameters for your ARK server customization
Pros:
- Free domain
- Quick server setup
- Website enlists many helpful tutorials on server hosting
Cons:
- No uptime guarantee
Other Details:
- Refund Policy: Onetime refunds not available
- Customer Support: Knowledge base and 24/7 ticketing
- Data Centres: Several global servers located in North America, Europe and the UK
- Supported Platforms: PC (Epic and Steam Games)
- Control Panel: Custom
Best for PS4 Servers – Survival Servers
Established in 2013, this hosting provider quickly became a reputed brand because of its wide range of features and competitive pricing. Some of its remarkable features include automated server restarts and ultra-fast NVMe SSD drives.
Furthermore, they also provide the most advanced version of mod support. Survival servers are compatible with PlayStation 4.
They offer a 10%, 15% and 20% guarantee on quarterly, semi-annual and yearly subscription respectively.
Spec Sheet:
- DDoS protection
- Server control via FTP access
- Access to 3rd party tools
- Install plugins and mods
- Simple registration and setup
- All steam workshop mods or maps
- Game server config manager tool
- Highest Single Thread Benchmark Intel/AMD CPUs
- Host ARK Official Mods
- Custom Launch Parameters
- Procedural Map Generator
- Cluster Game Server Option
- Server Status – Start/Stop/Restart
- File manager
Pros:
- Availabilty of a high number of slots
- Server pass locking
- Switch server locations
- No clear info about an uptime guarantee
Other Details:
- Refund Policy: 72-hour money-back guarantee
- Customer Support: Community forum, email and ticketing
- Data Centres: Servers located in Singapore, Europe and the US
- Supported Platform: PC and PS4
- Control Panel: Custom in-house control panel
Best for Selection of Games – HostHavoc
This ARK hosting service provider is created to deliver an easy and funny gaming experience. They offer the most powerful and the latest servers. HostHavoc has a great support team known for quick responses in less than 10 minutes.
Furthermore, they also provide 30 different game servers with daily data backups, DDoS protection and API plugins. The hosting provider offers a discount if you sign up with them for an extended period.
Spec Sheet:
- Convenient to use
- Instant server setup
- Easy and quick configuration
- Advanced server settings
- Steam workshop availability
- File Manager and FTP access
- Switch games anytime
- Powered by NVMe SSDs
- Great Game Selection (30)
- 2-facor authentication to allow you to secure your account with the Google Authenticator
- 99.9% Network SLA – performance credit assured in case, uptime guarantee not fulfilled
Pros:
- Support for all downloadable contents and mods
- Command line manager
- Automatic ARK clustering
Cons:
- Some maps demand more memory space
Key Features:
- Refund Policy: 3-day money-back guarantee
- Customer Support: Knowledge base and 24/7 ticketing
- Data Centres: 10 global servers located in the US, Europe and Australia
- Supported Platforms: PC (Steam, Epic Games)
- Control Panel: TCAdmin
Best for SSL Encrypted Connection – Nitrous Networks
They are one of the most famous game hosting providers. They started their journey in 2010. The hosting provider specializes in Minecraft server hosting and allow you to choose from more than 20 different games, including ARK.
Their plans have a secure payment system to be run on free web hosting and SSL-encrypted connection.
Spec Sheet:
- Free MySQL
- Supports all mods
- Instant setup
- Premium connectivity
- Free MySQL
- Free Mumble Voice Server – server will match your chosen slots
- Free Enjin Premium – you are allowed to try it for 45 days
Pros:
- Free website hosting
- Bitcoin accepted as payment
- Great user reputation on Trustpilot
Cons:
- Uptime guarantee not included
- No auto backups
Key Features:
- Refund Policy: 7-day money-back guarantee
- Customer Support: 24/7 ticketing
- Data Centres: 6 servers in the US, the UK, Europe and Canada
- Supported Platforms: PC
- Control Panel: TCAdmin
For Best Variety of Mods and Maps – ARKServers.io
ARKServers.io has specialization in providing rental ARK server to gamers throughout the world. You can install their extensive mod support selection to your ARK game.
They also offer a free trial option to allow users to test their commitment-free services for eight hours. Furthermore, you can also choose game servers such as Rust, Valheim. and 7 Days to Die.
Spec Sheet:
- Instant setup
- DoS (Denial of Service) protection
- ARK cluster server hosting
- FTP access
- Powerful configuration – easily accessible FTP access and fully documented game settings
- All expansions available – Aberration, Ragnarok, Primitive Plus and more
- Automatic upgrades – Steam will update your game content automatically and as soon as you update your game, their software will update your server
- Guaranteed CPU – Servers are scalable to meet your demands and you don’t have to pay for additional CPU resources
Pros:
- 1-click install over 1800 mods, and maps
- Automatic backups
- Low ‘ping network
- Actions scheduled for automatic occurrences
Cons:
- No DDoS protection
- Extra payment for server location in Australia
Key Features:
- Refund Policy: 24-hour money-back guarantee and 8-hour free trial
- Customer Support: 24/7 email, knowledge base and Discord
- Data Centres: Servers located in North America, South America, Australia and Western Europe
- Supported Platforms: PC and Mac
- Control Panel: Custom
Best for Server Hardware – GTX Gaming
GTX Gaming provides several powerful and exciting features to ensure that you make the most of your gaming experience. They have a custom control panel to offer functions that make ARK server hosting easily accessible.
Within minutes of your registration, your account is set up and after that, you will be able to generate your cost-travel and maps. For long-time committed subscribers, GTX Gaming offers up to 15% discount.
Spec Sheet:
- Steam workshop
- Automatic time messages
- Anytime game switching
- Beyond API plugin support
- All maps and downloadable contents supported
- Automatic mod updates – an automatic detection tool to identify new tools and install the most advanced version
Pros:
- Free DDoS protection
- Enterprise hardware
- Worldwide coverage
- Offsite backups
Cons:
- No live chat
Key Features:
- Refund: 24-hour refund
- Customer Support: 24/7 ticketing, knowledge base, email and discord
- Data Centres: 11 ARK servers located in the US, the UK, Canada, Europe, Australia and Malaysia
- Supported Platforms: PC
- Control Panel: Custom
Frequently Asked Questions
How to host and play ARK?
Follow these steps:
- Download and open SteamCMD. You will be able to create and update ARK server installation.
- Once it is done, keep on downloading ARK dedicated server files.
- Set up your server and customize it. For example, specify your preferred map, the number of players to be included, the difficulty level and other customizable features.
- If your server is running, the next step will be to play the game and check if your server is connected and working.
You can now host and play ARK!
Wrapping Up!
ARK: Survival Evolved is an adventure-styled game. With every advance in the game, it becomes more thrilling and entertaining. Do not allow poor networks to disturb your games through inconveniences and lags. Instead, choose a good ARK server hosting solutions to enjoy every moment of this rousing game.
