Rent an Eco Server

No — the server launches straight into offline mode and is reachable via IP and port. A play.eco account is only needed if you also want to list your server in the public Eco browser.

A standard 1 km² world with 10-20 people fits comfortably in 6 GB. Growing to 2 km², plan for 8-12 GB; past 4 km² plan for 32 GB or more.

Eco itself has none — you set the maximum (MAX_CON) yourself. Worth knowing: per the official Eco wiki, the server process runs on a single CPU core, so realistic player counts hinge more on single-core performance than on RAM alone.

Port 3000 (UDP) carries player traffic, and port 3001 (TCP) opens the web interface for management and the community page. Both come set up for you from the start.

Typical initial setup: about 3 minutes. Queues or large installations can take longer. If you also want a public listing in the Eco browser, that requires an extra step through play.eco.

Yes, the democracy system is built into the game: your group votes on laws and elects a government that shapes real rules — like resource rights or trade prices. It is all managed through the web interface on your own server.

Every mcfreehost server ships with its own address such as yourserver.mc.mcfreehost.com right from the start. Rename it anytime from the dashboard — no ticket required.

Monitoring and database add-ons — Uptime Kuma, MariaDB, phpMyAdmin, Game Server Watcher — never carry a surcharge. For music and chat bots, the first slot you activate is included; every additional bot is billed on top, and the dashboard shows the exact cost before you switch it on.

Typical initial setup: about 3 minutes. Queues or large installations can take longer. Larger Steam installs can take a bit longer depending on the game.

No — you are on a subscription that renews monthly, and you can cancel it from the dashboard whenever you like; the same goes for turning off automatic renewal.

You choose the location at checkout: Germany (Falkenstein and Limburg) or France (Roubaix) — all in the EU, connected to the major European exchanges. Low pings for players across Germany, Austria and Switzerland at both locations, and solid latency for the rest of Europe.

The best provider is the one that shows you what you get before you pay: RAM, slots, location, price and cancellation terms. Here the price and resources are visible in the configurator before checkout, there is no minimum term and setup is automated — feel free to compare that with other offers. Eco starts here at 7.07 EUR per month, and setup typically takes about 3 minutes.

Self-hosting costs power, time and a machine that runs around the clock; port forwarding, updates and backups are on you. A rented server is online within minutes, keeps running when your PC is off, and updates and backups are included; data-center DDoS protection is included at every location. For one or two friends on a single evening self-hosting is often fine — for a persistent world, renting pays off.

Yes, you can do it yourself in the customer area using a slider. An upgrade takes effect immediately: you only pay the prorated difference for the remaining term, and the new price applies from the next renewal. A downgrade takes effect on the next renewal date. Your world, settings and subdomain are kept, and depending on the game, a restart is required afterwards. With monthly payment and a minimum term, the change is only possible once that term has ended, and for games with a slot-based plan it is not available.