ARK: Survival Evolved
ARK: Survival Evolved Server Hosting
Host an ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server with all 12 official maps, Steam Workshop mod support, passwords, admin access and automatic world saves. The classic ARK, running lighter and cheaper than Ascended.
7 days free, no card. One subscription runs any game we host.
- 6 GB minimum
- PC on Steam and Epic
- Ports assigned for you
- Mods and add-ons supported
- Game
- ARK: Survival Evolved
- Address
- play.example.com
- Players
- 6 / 10
- RAM
- 6 GB
Console
© Studio Wildcard
What you get on a ARK: Survival Evolved server
The classic dino survival game: tame, build, survive. Everything below is in the panel from the moment the server finishes installing.
- DDoS protection and NVMe storage on every server
- Daily backups with one-click restore and a file manager
- Console, scheduled tasks, team access and SFTP
- Split your RAM across as many servers as you want
ARK: Survival Evolved server requirements
What the server needs before you pick a size. 6 GB of RAM is the minimum.
- RAM
- 6 GB minimum. Every extra gigabyte is $1 a month and can be added or removed later without a reinstall.
- CPU
- Heavy on big maps with many dinos; 6 to 8 GB and a fast core.
- Disk
- The server with maps is over 20 GB; saves grow slowly.
- Ports
- Two UDP ports and a query port, assigned for you.
- Mods and plugins
- Steam Workshop mods by ID; players get them automatically.
- Your existing world
- Upload the SavedArks folder; maps and DLC maps switch in the settings.
How to make a ARK: Survival Evolved server
Classic ARK still has one of the biggest server communities in survival gaming. Host your own island and set the rates yourself.
- 1
Create your server
Start the free 7-day trial (no credit card) or pick a plan. 6 GB runs The Island for a small tribe; modded maps want more. Then hit Create Server in the panel, choose ARK: Survival Evolved and your region, and the server installs itself. Your server's address and port appear on the server page as soon as it's up.
- 2
Configure your ARK
Pick the map, session name, player slots and admin password from the Settings tab. Rates and advanced INI settings are editable through the panel's file access.
- 3
Join the server
Find the session name in the in-game server browser (Unofficial), or add the address and port from your server page to Steam's server favorites, and it then appears in ARK's Favorites tab.
What the panel hands you
- Address
- On the server page as soon as it is up, port and all.
- Console and files
- Live console, a file manager and SFTP, from the first minute.
- Backups
- Daily, with one-click restore and a backup you can take by hand before a risky change.
- If it goes wrong
- The crash doctor reads the log and tells you the cause in plain words.
Start from a preset
When you create a ARK: Survival Evolved server, pick one of these and every setting is filled in. Change any field, or save a running server's setup as your own preset.
Friends on The Island
The classic map, 20 slots.
- Map: The Island
- Player slots: 20
Public Ragnarok
The big free map, 50 slots.
- Map: Ragnarok
- Player slots: 50
Fjordur
The newest free map, 20 slots.
- Map: Fjordur
- Player slots: 20
What a ARK: Survival Evolved server costs
You pay for RAM, not for the title: a server slot is $2.50 a month with 1 GB and 30 GB of storage, and every gigabyte after that is $1. A year is ten months. The same subscription runs ARK: Survival Evolved today and anything else we host tomorrow.
Smaller
4 GB
$5.50/mo
or $55 a year
Under the 6 GB minimum. Move up whenever you need to, without a reinstall.
Start with 4 GBRecommended
6 GB
$7.50/mo
or $75 a year
6 GB is the minimum this page lists for ARK: Survival Evolved.
Start with 6 GBMore room
8 GB
$9.50/mo
or $95 a year
Headroom for a bigger group or a world that has grown.
Start with 8 GBEvery size starts with the 7-day trial and no card. Add RAM, storage or a second server later from the panel, on the same subscription. See how pricing works
Who can join
The honest version, so nobody buys a server their friends cannot reach.
Platforms
PC on Steam and Epic.
Crossplay
Steam and Epic join the same server when crossplay is on; consoles cannot.
Regions and latency
Pick Europe or North America when you create the server. North America has nodes on the east coast and the west coast, Europe in the west, all on NVMe storage with DDoS protection in front. Players on the same continent as the server see 20 to 60 ms, which ARK: Survival Evolved handles well; a group split across the Atlantic should host where most of them are. Changing region later is a backup, a new server in the other region, and a restore.
Frequently asked questions
- How much RAM does an ARK: Survival Evolved server need?
- ASE runs comfortably from 6 GB, roughly half of what Ascended needs, and 8 GB gives headroom for bigger tribes or a handful of mods.
- Can I use Steam Workshop mods?
- Yes. Paste the Workshop mod IDs into your server settings and restart. The server downloads and loads them automatically.
- Should I pick Survival Evolved or Survival Ascended?
- ASE is the classic game with years of content and mods and runs on half the RAM, so it's cheaper to host. ASA is the UE5 remake with modern visuals. We host both, so pick the one your tribe plays.
Other games on the same subscription
All gamesRuns alongside your ARK: Survival Evolved server
All products and pricesStart your ARK: Survival Evolved server
Seven days free, no card. The server installs itself, the address is on the page as soon as it is up, and you can cancel from the panel.
Start the free trial