Choosing a Hytale Server Host in Australia
Hytale is in early access and changes often, so it's new for every host, us included. That makes a few things matter more than they would for a game that's been out for years. This guide covers what to check before you rent a Hytale server in Australia, and how the main options compare.
MCHosts is our service, so we're obviously biased. We've tried to keep everything below factual and let you draw your own conclusions. Prices and details were checked at the time of writing and may have changed since.
Where the server sits
Everything you do in Hytale travels from your PC to the server and back. If the server is in Sydney and you're on the Australian east coast, that round trip takes roughly 10 to 40 milliseconds. If it's in Los Angeles or Europe, it takes 150 to 300.
Nothing about a control panel makes up for that distance. So the first thing to check with any host is whether you can pick an Australian location for Hytale, and whether it costs extra.
Who keeps it up to date
Hytale is updated regularly, and a player can only join a server that's on the same version as their game. The launcher moves a player's game to each new release unless they've chosen to stay on an older one. So a server left behind can't be joined by anyone who has updated.
Ask any host who does the updating. If the answer is you, then you're the person who finds out at 9pm that nobody can connect.
Our servers update themselves. We check for a new version every hour, and when one lands your server gives players ten minutes' warning in game, then saves and restarts on the new version. Hytale updates and restarts walks through the whole thing.
A big update can still break a mod until its author catches up. That part is out of any host's hands, so it's worth knowing before you plan a server around one mod.
How much memory Hytale needs
Hytale asks for 4GB and recommends 6GB. Those are the developers' own figures, so a plan under 4GB is below what the game says it needs.
Past those two numbers, what you need depends on how many mods you run and how big your world gets, and Hytale itself is still changing. So ask whether you can upgrade later without losing your world or getting a new server address.
What the price is tied to
Hytale sets no player limit of its own, so the number of slots on a server is the host's to decide. If a plan is priced by slots, a bigger group costs more every time it grows.
Ours are priced by memory. Servers start at 20 slots and you can change that in your settings whenever the group grows.
Authorizing the server
A new Hytale server runs straight away, but nobody can join it until it has been authorized with a Hytale account. Hytale asks this of every server, wherever it's hosted. Until it's done the server accepts a player's connection and then disconnects them, which looks a lot like a broken server if you weren't expecting it.
Some hosts do this step for you, so ask. On our panel it's a button on the Overview page, then a sign in on Hytale's website and a code. It takes about a minute and you only do it once. See Authorizing your Hytale server.
The checks that apply to any game
Billing currency. A plan priced in US dollars moves with the exchange rate, and most Australian cards add an international transaction fee of around 3% on every renewal.
Support hours. Find out where the support team is. A ticket you send after dinner shouldn't have to wait for morning in another hemisphere.
Refunds. A refund window lets you test the server from your own connection before you're committed. Check how long it is and what it covers.
Backups. Ask whether they're included, and whether you can restore one yourself.
The main options for Australians
| Host | Based in |
|---|---|
| Shockbyte | Australia |
| Apex Hosting | United States |
| BisectHosting | United States |
| Nodecraft | United States |
| Stipe | Australia |
| MCHosts | Australia |
Shockbyte
Shockbyte is based in Melbourne and has been operating since 2013. It hosts Hytale and lists Sydney and Melbourne among its server locations. It has Australian pages priced in AUD. It offers a 72 hour self-serve refund.
Apex Hosting
Apex Hosting is an American company founded in 2013. It hosts Hytale and lists Sydney among its locations. Prices are in US dollars, and its terms allow a refund within 7 days.
BisectHosting
BisectHosting is registered in the United States and has been hosting game servers since 2011. Sydney is one of its 21 locations, and its Hytale page showed prices in AUD when we checked from Australia. New customers get a 3 day money back guarantee.
Nodecraft
Nodecraft is based in Oklahoma City and was founded in 2012. It has locations in Sydney and Melbourne, plus Auckland for New Zealand players, and shows prices in AUD. It sells two ranges. Lite servers hibernate when nobody is using them, and Pro servers stay online around the clock. Its money back guarantee runs for 7 days.
Stipe
Stipe is an Australian host with its servers in Sydney and prices in AUD with GST included. It sells Hytale in three ranges called Budget, Mid and Premium, on a control panel it built itself. Stipe authorizes Hytale servers for you, so there's no sign in step. It offers a 5 day money back guarantee.
MCHosts
MCHosts (that's us) runs everything from Sydney, with billing in AUD and GST included. Our servers are in Sydney and nowhere else. We don't run servers in other Australian cities or in New Zealand.
Hytale plans run from A$15.00 a month for 4GB to A$60.00 a month for 16GB. That's a flat A$3.75 per gigabyte across six sizes.
Every plan comes with automatic updates, a mod browser, automatic backups you can restore yourself, a live console, full file access and DDoS protection. Your address stays the same when you move up a size. Support comes from the people who run the servers, in Australian hours, and every new server has a 7 day money back guarantee.
The short version
| Host | AU location | Billing currency | Refund window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shockbyte | Sydney, Melbourne | AUD on its Australian pages | 72 hours |
| Apex Hosting | Sydney | USD | 7 days |
| BisectHosting | Sydney | AUD shown for AU visitors | 3 days |
| Nodecraft | Sydney, Melbourne | AUD shown for AU visitors | 7 days |
| Stipe | Sydney | AUD | 5 days |
| MCHosts | Sydney | AUD | 7 days |
Frequently asked questions
Can I run a Hytale server on my own PC instead? You can. The world is only up while that PC is on, everyone connects over your home internet, and keeping it on the current version is your job. A hosted server runs all week whether anyone is on or not.
Do my friends have to install mods themselves? No. Hytale sends a server's mods to players when they join, so nobody installs anything on their own PC.
Should I pick release or pre-release? Release, almost always. It's the current version of the game. Players on the release version can't join a pre-release server, and most mods won't work on one. Switching lines later deletes your world, so settle it before you build anything.
Can I move up a size later? Yes. Your world and your address stay as they are.
Ready to look at sizes? The plans are at mchosts.com.au/plans/hytale. Once you've ordered, Connecting to your Hytale server gets you in.
