Game & server hosting guides
Honest comparisons, server explainers and hosting guides — written by the team behind 10,000+ servers.
The best plugins for a hardcore SMP: voice chat, revive and anti-grief
A hardcore SMP only needs a handful of plugins, but they have to be the right ones: voice chat, rolling back griefing, a fair revive rule, a map and a Discord link. Plus a list of plugins you should definitely not install.
7 Sep 2026
Which Java version does your Minecraft server need? (Java 25 for 26.x)
"UnsupportedClassVersionError" or a server that stops right after starting: nine times out of ten the wrong Java version is running. Since 26.1 Minecraft requires Java 25, while older versions want Java 17 or 8. Here is the complete table, plus how to check and switch versions.
4 Sep 2026
Project Zomboid Build 42: setting up a server with friends
Since Build 42.20 reached the stable branch in July 2026, multiplayer in Project Zomboid is complete: animals, basements, new crafting and a rebuilt server backend. Here is how to set up a server with friends, choose sandbox settings and stop a Workshop mod from breaking your world.
4 Sep 2026
Mods or plugins: the difference, and what your Minecraft server needs
Mods and plugins sound the same but are not. Plugins change the server without players installing anything; mods change the game itself and require a modpack on every player's side. The choice determines your server software, your RAM and who can join.
4 Sep 2026
Making money with your Minecraft server: what the EULA allows
A Minecraft server costs money; many owners earn it back with ranks, cosmetics or donations. Mojang allows that, under conditions: no gameplay advantage for paying players, no capes, the same chance for everyone. What is allowed, what is not and how to set it up.
4 Sep 2026
Server rules and moderation: the plugins that protect your community
A server grows until it meets one griefer, one argument in chat and one moderator who goes too far. What you need then is the right tools: a log that can roll anything back, a fair and visible ban system, and roles that give exactly enough power.
4 Sep 2026
Server location and ping: why the Netherlands is a strong hub
Two servers can differ by tens of milliseconds in ping, purely because of where they stand and how the data centre is connected. For shooters and PvP that is the difference between hitting and missing. What determines ping, why the Netherlands is a favourable hub and how to measure it.
4 Sep 2026
Enshrouded dedicated server: the settings that make the difference
An Enshrouded server runs on the Default preset, but the gains are in enshrouded_server.json: factors for enemy damage and health, day and night length, durability, tombstone behaviour and the player limit. These are the settings that decide whether your group keeps going.
4 Sep 2026
Counter-Strike 2 server setup: GSLT, subtick and plugins explained
A Counter-Strike 2 server is online in a minute, but the questions come afterwards: do you need a GSLT token, what happened to 128 tick, which plugins still work and how do you keep the server for your own team? This article answers them in the order you meet them.
4 Sep 2026
Cheap Minecraft hosting: what actually matters when you compare
The cheapest Minecraft hosting is rarely the plan with the lowest number on the pricing page. Price per gigabyte of RAM, the CPU underneath, backups, DDoS protection and how fast support answers decide what a server really costs. These are the seven points that make the difference.
4 Sep 2026
7 Days to Die co-op server settings: blood moons, loot, difficulty
A 7 Days to Die server with friends stands or falls on a handful of settings in serverconfig.xml: how long a day lasts, how often the horde comes, how much loot there is and how fast zombies run. These are the values you want right before the first blood moon.
4 Sep 2026
Minecraft 26.3 and your server: breaking changes and when to update
26.3 was released on 15 September 2026. For server owners the story is not the new blocks but the breaking changes in datapacks and recipes — and which server software is stable already: Fabric yes, Paper still experimental.
3 Sep 2026