Choosing a Terraria Server Host in Australia
Terraria is a light game to host, so it doesn't need a big server. What deserves your attention is where the server is and how it handles mods. This guide covers what to check before you rent one in Australia, and how the main options compare.
MCHosts is our service, so we're obviously biased. We've kept everything below as factual as we can, and the conclusions are yours to draw. Prices and details were checked at the time of writing and may have changed since.
Do you need a hosted server?
Not always. One player can host a Terraria world from their own game, and for a couple of friends who always play at the same time that works fine.
The world is only there while the host is playing, though. When they close the game, everyone else is locked out until they're back. A hosted server runs all week, so whoever has a spare hour on a Tuesday can use it.
Location comes first
Terraria is unforgiving about lag in a boss fight, and distance is the part no amount of tuning fixes.
From the Australian east coast, a server in Sydney is roughly 10 to 40 milliseconds away. One in Los Angeles or Europe is 150 to 300. Before you compare anything else, check that a host has an Australian location for Terraria and whether choosing it costs more.
Terraria or tModLoader
A server runs one or the other, and the choice shapes everything after it.
Terraria is the normal game on its newest version. Your friends join with the copy they already have.
tModLoader is Terraria with mod support added. It's a separate app on Steam, free to anyone who owns Terraria, and everyone joining a tModLoader server opens that instead. It usually runs a little behind Terraria's newest version, because it has to catch up each time Re-Logic ships an update.
Ask a host whether it offers both, whether you can switch later, and what happens to your world when you do.
On our servers you pick one when you order and can switch from Settings afterwards. Switching deletes your world. The two don't share worlds, so there is nothing to carry across, and it's worth settling before you build anything. Choosing between Terraria and tModLoader covers it in full.
How mods get installed
On a tModLoader server, find out how mods get on to it and how they reach your players.
Our panel has a Workshop browser. You search for a mod, click install and restart. tModLoader then sends the server's mods to players as they join, so nobody goes near the Workshop themselves. See How to install Terraria mods.
How much memory Terraria needs
Terraria without mods is light. Even a large world sits near 1.2GB, so a 2GB plan runs one with room to spare.
Mods are where Terraria gets hungry. One big content mod like Calamity needs about 4GB, and a few stacked together need more.
So look for a host with a plan small enough for a world without mods, and check you can move up a size when the mod list grows.
The rest of the checklist
Updates. Terraria only lets you join a server running the same version as your game. Steam updates your game on its own, so the server has to keep up. Ask whether that happens automatically.
Billing currency. A plan priced in US dollars changes with the exchange rate, and most Australian cards charge an international transaction fee of around 3% on each renewal.
Support hours. Check where the support team is based. Round the clock support from overseas can still mean a ticket waits until their morning.
Refunds and backups. A refund window lets you try the server from your own connection before you're committed. Backups you can restore yourself mean one mistake doesn't cost you the whole world.
The main options for Australians
| Host | Based in |
|---|---|
| Shockbyte | Australia |
| Apex Hosting | United States |
| BisectHosting | United States |
| Nodecraft | United States |
| MCHosts | Australia |
Shockbyte
Shockbyte is based in Melbourne and has been operating since 2013. It hosts Terraria 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 Terraria 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 Terraria page showed prices in AUD when we checked from Australia. It supports tModLoader, and 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.
MCHosts
MCHosts (that's us) runs everything from Sydney, with billing in AUD and GST included. Our servers are in Sydney and nowhere else.
Terraria plans start at A$7.50 a month for 2GB and go up to A$45.00 a month for 12GB. That's a flat A$3.75 per gigabyte across seven sizes.
Every plan runs Terraria or tModLoader and keeps itself up to date. You also get automatic backups you can restore yourself, a live console, full file access and DDoS protection, and your address stays the same when you move up a size. Support is in Australian hours from the people who run the servers. Every new server comes with 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 |
| MCHosts | Sydney | AUD | 7 days |
Frequently asked questions
Is the smallest plan enough? For Terraria without mods, yes. Step up a size if you want more players on at once, and allow about 4GB once you add a big content mod.
Do my friends need to install the mods? They need tModLoader, which is free on Steam for anyone who owns Terraria. The mods themselves arrive from the server when they join.
Can I go back to normal Terraria after trying mods? Yes, but not with the same world. A tModLoader world won't open in normal Terraria, so switching back means a fresh one.
Do I have to update the server myself? No. It takes the newest version each time it starts.
Ready to pick a size? The plans are at mchosts.com.au/plans/terraria, and Connecting to your Terraria server covers getting everyone in.
