Ark Server Hosting

Here at eTeknix, we have done the homework to put together a comprehensive list of game server hosting companies offering Ark Survival Evolved. 

What did we look for when evaluating each hosting company?

We tried each host out over a six-month timeframe. We ordered a server to assess setup time and ease of use as well as many other factors to create a list of the best from top to bottom.

We configured our server using the control panel and assessed it based on features, advanced options, ease of use, FTP, and many more factors.

We opened a support ticket and asked how to install a new map, and separately how to install a conversion mod, in this case, we asked for Primal Fear Mod. We assess the support based on the speed of reply, quality of the answer, and whether they fixed it.

The last thing we looked at was how well the server ran, so we benchmarked it using “ShowMyAdminManager which enables the admin user interface” at peak times to assess its FPS. We also took into account many other factors like backup services, DDoS protection, support speed, friendliness of support, quality of support answers, mod tools, and update handling, price, reviews, ratings, and many more.

The Top 10 Ark Hosting Companies

1. GTXGaming

Despite GTXGaming hosting over 50 games, we were surprised to discover that they offer a fantastic service for Ark: Survival Evolved. They have a discord for the community and lots of staff on support 24 hours day. We opened a ticket at 4 am, and to our shock, it was answered and resolved within a couple of minutes. They have been around forever, it seems. With the quality that we received, it is easy to understand why. They did only have a 24-hour refund policy, but actually, they refunded us after one week anyway after we asked: “We had changed our mind and didn’t have time to run a server” the refund was done promptly.

• They host so many different games, old and new.
• An official Teamspeak3 host.
• Fast and knowledgeable staff.
• A powerhouse of features.
• High clock speed processors.
• Discord channel so users can mingle.
• Rent VPS and dedicated servers as well.

2. StrixServers

StrixServers are a newcomer to the hosting world. Its ran by some experienced guys from the industry with a combined experience of 50 years, and it shows in their setup. Although it’s similar to a lot of others, we found the amazing one on one support provided by Ben was amazing, and we ended up on Discord for an hour discussing all manner of subjects. Everything was top-notch, the server, the support, the control panel. We really couldn’t fault them, and the only reason they are not number one is that they are newer.

• The best support in our list, including voice support that blew our socks off.
• Easy to use control panel.
• Easy to configure your Ark server.
• New and enthusiastic company. 

3. AGS Hosting

We ranked AGS at number three for Ark Survival Evolved game server hosting. They had very good server FPS, above 30, and their support was extremely fast and responsive. The control panel was easy to use and loaded fast.

• Ranked very highly on Trustpilot
• 72-hour money-back guarantee.
• Fast and capable support staff.
• The control panel is very nice and modern and has excellent tools to backup your server and install mods and maps.

4. BlackBox

BlackBox is an older company on the list, and we included them for a good reason. We had the best lag-free experience with BlackBox., Our Ark server ran like a dream, hitting consistent maximum FPS counts even with ten of us on the server using the cheats to stress the server. We were shocked. Either we were on an empty server, or they really spare no expense on specs as their website suggests. Support was adequate, and much like the others, they support public pay where you can have your friends donate to help pay for your ark server.

• A Well established Host.
• They host a lot of games.
• 24 Hour support.

5. Craft And Survive

Craft And Survive have been around for a number of years; they excel in support with almost instant replies. Everything else works rather well, and we had no issues using their control panel. You can’t go far wrong with Craft And Survive.

• 72-hour money-back guarantee.
• 24-hour support.
• Many games available

6. Server Blend

With a trust score of 4.9/5 on Trustpilot, you would expect a high quality of service from Server Blend. The staff is extremely friendly. However, they are often out of stock, and its hit and miss whether you can actually order a server or not. Maybe they are using the old scarcity tactic, but we prefer a company that’s stock is always available. They do boast an incredible 14-day money-back guarantee.

• 14-day money-back guarantee.
• The joint highest rating on TrustPilot
• Out of stock a lot. Maybe that’s a good sign?

7. Gaming Deluxe

Gaming Deluxe is the professor of the game hosting industry; they seem to have been around forever, their domain was first registered in 2006, that predates Facebook! They have gone through many iterations as the industry landscape has changed. They can indeed be relied on for older titles that a lot of new hosts don’t bother with. They are one of the better UK hosts, that’s for sure.

• An aged and very well established company.
• Masters of a lot of old titles.
• Great support.
• 24-hour support.

8. Host Havoc

A relatively new company, the domain, was registered in 2014. of Canadian origin. They have lightning-fast support, which is 24 hours according to their support. Nice website and friendly staff. You can’t go wrong with these guys.

• 72-hour money-back guarantee.
• Fast and practical support.
• Nice website
• Canadian based.

9. Low.ms

Low.ms are one of the smaller hosts on our list, but we found them to be competent and responsive to support. The server ran well after some minor issues at the start, which I think was unrelated to their usual service and was just a case of bad luck.

• Cheap as chips.
• A good amount of locations to choose from.

10. ABCGameServers

This plucky underdog has been going for years and never has seemed to make a big dent in the game hosting industry. However, their services are surprisingly decent. We got some of the best pings using ABC game servers, and the staff was very friendly, perhaps even over-friendly. But we liked them, and we did not even ask for a refund after reviewing their servers.

• Cheap
• Reliable
• A small team with a lot of enthusiasm for their company. 

How to choose Ark Survival Evolved hosting?

After ordering many servers from many different hosts, maybe nearly 40 different hosts over six months, we found that the best things to look for are. A reliable website updated regularly and been around for at least three years are the best markers for picking a decent host. You can use sites like TrustPilot to check the ratings of hosts, although it seems that some hosts do not manage their Trustpilot pages. Most, however, do. Rating is an excellent barometer to use in making your decision. 

You can see the companies actual response to some of the complaints which give you a level of insight into the customer service to be expected.

How to host your own Ark Survival Evolved server?

Why pay someone else to host your server when you can do it yourself. Hosting an Ark Survival Evolved server is not simple by any means, but it can be achieved using the SteamCMD tool found here. Download the files to a dedicated server or VPS server you own or rent. Configure a .bat file to run the server with a command line, and you are up and running. It can be a bit of a headache to get it working how you want it, and installing mods also can be a pain as you need to use SteamCMD, but you will gain full access and customizability of your server and become a god to your friends and community. 

Xbox and Playstation 4 Servers?

This article deals exclusively with the PC, Steam, and Epic launcher hosts. There are now Ark servers available for both Xbox and Playstation. We will give the companies an honourable mention despite lacking in support and customization options these are the only companies you can rent from so the choice is taken out of your hands. 

• Xbox Ark Hosts
  • Nitrado 
• Playstation 4 Ark Hosts
  • Survival Servers
  • G Portal
  • Nitrado

How to choose a location for your ark server

Reasonably simple one here, pick the location that is closest to you or your friends. Most of our players at eTeknix are located in Europe, so we chose Paris or London. Pings were great, even for some of our players in Germany.

Backup and Restore Features

Backing up your server is a must, game updates and mods can break your server at any time and having regular daily updates can save you a world of hurt. The entire top 5 in our list has amazing automatic backup features backing up your server at least daily, and often more at no extra charge, it should be said.

Mods and DLC support

Every host on our list supports download of mods and DLC, most of them have tools you can use to download, update, and maintain mods automatically. A particular favourite was GTXGaming’s tools for managing mods and maps.

Moving from host to host services

Some hosts offer a migration service, some at a cost, and some free. Notable are AGS Hosting, who moved our server from another host within minutes. A great option for moving from a troublesome host. 

DDoS Protection

Many hosts boast DDoS protection, and we can’t attest to it here as we were not able to test this feature. One host did mention that DDoS is much more under control in 2020 and it’s not a great concern to most hosts with mitigation tools like Cloudflare and Voxility available. 

Conclusions

If you want flawless service, then you are already asking too much. Hosting game servers is a bit of an imperfect science. There is always a mod, custom map, or game update that’s going to throw a spanner into the works. What you need is a host with the ability to fix things fast when they get broken. Backup services in case you need to rewind the clock on your server. Fast, friendly support to make hosting a game server a pleasant experience. We kept all this in mind when ranking the top ten Ark Survival Evolved hosts.