How much does a Team Fortress 2 server cost?
A Team Fortress 2 server here costs 11 credits an hour while it's on (about $0.46), and 3 credits a day while it's installed and ready (about $0.13). A weekend of play, ten hours over three days, comes to 119 credits, about $4.96. Put it away between weekends and nothing is charged in between.
What common ways of playing cost
| How you play | Credits | About | Each, for 15 players |
|---|---|---|---|
| One game night three hours, then put away | 36 credits | $1.50 | $0.10 |
| A match night two hours of Team Fortress 2 rounds | 25 credits | $1.04 | $0.07 |
| A weekend Friday 3 hours, Saturday 4, Sunday 3 | 119 credits | $4.96 | $0.33 |
| Two evenings a week, for a month three hours each, kept ready all month | 354 credits | $14.75 | $0.98 |
| Every evening, for a month three hours a night, kept ready all month | 1080 credits | $45.00 | $3.00 |
Groups of 6 to 24 usually play Team Fortress 2 together; one person pays and the sums split however you like. A new server's first 3 days have no daily charge, so the first weekend costs a little less.
By the hour, or a monthly server?
A monthly 4 GB server at the usual hosts costs about $15.00 a month. With the server kept ready all month, the two meet at about 25 hours of play a month: below that the hour is cheaper, above it the month is. Put the server away between weekends and the hour stays cheaper for longer. The full comparison
What changes the price
More memory, if a big group needs it
- +2 GB (6 GB in all): 3 credits an hour more (about $0.13), only while it's switched on
- +4 GB (8 GB in all): 6 credits an hour more (about $0.25), only while it's switched on
- +8 GB (12 GB in all): 12 credits an hour more (about $0.50), only while it's switched on
Packs of credits
- $5: 120 credits, about 10 hours of Team Fortress 2 at its hourly rate
- $20: 480 credits, about 43 hours of Team Fortress 2 at its hourly rate
- $30: 720 credits, about 65 hours of Team Fortress 2 at its hourly rate
- $60: 1440 credits + 120 free, about 141 hours of Team Fortress 2 at its hourly rate
The daily charge for keeping a server ready comes out of the same credits.
When the hours start and stop, what installing costs and how long credits last: how billing works.
What that buys
The machine
2 cores and 4 GB of memory of its own, and 25 GB of storage for all your servers.
Setting up
It installs itself: a few minutes the first time, seconds after that.
Sleeping and waking
When nobody plays it goes to sleep and stops using hours. This one wakes the moment a friend joins; nobody has to press Start.
Mods and backups
Mod files you upload from the server's Mods page; they load with the server. A backup every night and before every update.
What other games cost
Counter-Strike: SourceLeft 4 Dead 2Arma ReforgerGarry's ModTerrariaSpace EngineerstModLoaderRuneScape: Dragonwilds by the hour or by the month