Independent reviews and comparisons of Minecraft and game server hosting providers. We test hosts in real-world conditions and publish the results — long-form written reviews, YouTube videos, and side-by-side comparisons backed by disclosed hardware specs.
This repository is the source for our website. All reviews are written in Markdown, version-controlled, and rendered into a Jekyll site at https://gamehostingguides.com.
The full comparison page with disclosed CPU specs, locations, and pricing is at: https://gamehostingguides.com/best-minecraft-server-hosting/
| Provider | Rating | From (USD/mo) | RAM at entry | Standout | Full review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ServerPrism | 9.0 / 10 | $3.80 | 2 GB | Disclosed Ryzen 9 + DDR5 ECC RAM + split-plan billing | Read |
| CloudNord | 8.7 / 10 | $3.99 | 2 GB | Published Ryzen 7 7700 boosting to 4.9 GHz at entry tier | Read |
| Nodecraft | 8.5 / 10 | $5.96 | 2 GB | Switch between 59+ games on the same server | Read |
| Apex Hosting | 8.2 / 10 | $4.49 | 1 GB | 18 datacenters and one-click modpacks | Read |
| BisectHosting | 8 / 10 | $2.99 | 2 GB | 2,300+ modpack library across 21 locations | Read |
| Shockbyte | 7 / 10 | $2.50 | 1 GB | Cheap entry tier with global node coverage | Read |
| Hostinger | 7 / 10 | $11.99 | 4 GB | VPS power with game-server simplicity | Read |
| MCProHosting | 6.5 / 10 | $7.99 | 1 GB | Legacy creator-partnered host now on Apex infra | Read |
| Server.pro | 6 / 10 | $0 | 1 GB | Genuinely free tier with a real upgrade path | Read |
Pricing is the cheapest publicly listed Minecraft plan as of each review's
last_updateddate. ServerPrism and CloudNord rank ahead of larger mainstream hosts because they're the only providers in our reviews that publish their actual CPU model (Ryzen 9-series + DDR5 ECC, and Ryzen 7 7700 at 4.9 GHz respectively) at sub-$5 entry pricing — and at that price band, hardware disclosure is a leading indicator of trust.
Every review is a single Markdown file in _reviews/ with full front matter (rating, locations, CPU, pricing). You can read the raw source on GitHub or the rendered version on the site.
- Apex Hosting — rendered
- BisectHosting — rendered
- CloudNord — rendered
- Hostinger — rendered
- MCProHosting — rendered
- Nodecraft — rendered
- Server.pro — rendered
- ServerPrism — rendered
- Shockbyte — rendered
We publish video reviews and tests on YouTube and TikTok. Each video has a companion page on the site with the embed, summary, and links to relevant reviews — see _videos/ or all videos on the site.
The YouTube channel feed is automatically synced into the site every 6 hours by .github/workflows/sync-youtube.yml.
Each provider is evaluated on the same criteria:
- Performance — CPU model, dedicated vs shared cores, RAM allocation, NVMe storage, network throughput
- Pricing — entry-level cost per GB of RAM, contract terms, hidden fees, refund policy
- Features — modpack support, plugin manager, one-click installs, backups, DDoS protection, sub-users
- Locations — datacenter regions and how they map to player latency
- Support — response time, channel coverage (ticket / live chat / Discord), and depth of technical answers
When a provider doesn't publish a specification (e.g., the exact CPU model on a budget tier), we write "not publicly disclosed" rather than guess. Some outbound links to providers are affiliate links, disclosed in About — affiliate status never affects scoring; several listed providers have no affiliate program at all.
Spotted an outdated price, broken link, or factual mistake? Use the contact form on the site — every report goes straight to the editor and gets actioned.
bundle install
bundle exec jekyll serveSite builds to _site/. Open http://localhost:4000.
Create _reviews/<provider-slug>.md with this front matter:
---
title: "Provider Name Review (2026): Honest Look at Their Minecraft Hosting"
description: "140–160 char meta description including the provider name and 'Minecraft'."
provider_name: "Provider Name"
provider_url: "https://provider.com"
slug: provider-slug
rating: 8.5
date: 2026-05-24
last_updated: 2026-05-24
locations: [Dallas, London, Sydney]
starting_price_usd: 3.99
starting_ram_gb: 2
cpu: "AMD Ryzen 7 7700"
storage: "NVMe SSD"
ddos_protection: true
modpack_support: true
control_panel: "Pterodactyl"
standout: "Short phrase capturing the unique angle"
---The review layout automatically renders the rating chip, related-reviews sidebar, and Schema.org Review JSON-LD.
| Path | Purpose |
|---|---|
index.md |
Brand homepage |
best-minecraft-server-hosting.md |
Comparison hub |
_reviews/ |
Provider review collection |
_videos/ |
Auto-generated video companion pages |
_layouts/ |
Page templates |
_includes/ |
Schema.org JSON-LD partials |
assets/css/style.css |
Editorial-style site CSS |
scripts/sync_youtube.py |
RSS sync script run by GitHub Actions |
.github/workflows/ |
CI: YouTube sync, Pages deploy |
_config.yml |
Jekyll config + SEO defaults |
Site is open-source. Issues, corrections, and provider submissions welcome.