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Hosting

Choosing the right hosting solution is crucial for your FiveM server’s performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. This guide covers provider options, setup procedures, and migration strategies.

Hosting Types

VPS (Virtual Private Server)

Virtual Private Servers provide dedicated resources within a shared physical server.

Pros:

Cons:

Best For:

Dedicated Server

Dedicated servers provide exclusive access to physical hardware.

Pros:

Cons:

Best For:

Cloud Hosting

Managed cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure).

Pros:

Cons:

Best For:

Provider Comparison

Hetzner

Overview: German hosting provider known for excellent price-to-performance ratio.

Pricing:

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended Plans:

VPS (CX11 - Small Server):

VPS (CPX31 - Medium Server):

Dedicated (AX41 - Large Server):

OVH

Overview: French hosting provider with global presence and strong DDoS protection.

Pricing:

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended Plans:

VPS (Starter - Small Server):

VPS (Value - Medium Server):

Dedicated (Game-1 - Large Server):

DigitalOcean

Overview: US-based cloud provider with excellent documentation and developer-friendly interface.

Pricing:

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended Plans:

Droplet (4GB - Small Server):

Droplet (8GB - Medium Server):

Other Providers

Contabo:

Vultr:

Linode (Akamai):

Provider-Specific Setup Guides

Hetzner Setup

1. Create Account and Server

  1. Visit hetzner.com 
  2. Create account (verification required)
  3. Go to Cloud Console
  4. Create new project
  5. Add server → Choose location (Falkenstein/Nuremberg)
  6. Select image: Ubuntu 22.04
  7. Choose plan (CPX31 recommended for medium servers)
  8. Add SSH key or set root password
  9. Create server

2. Initial Server Setup

# Connect to server
ssh root@your-server-ip
 
# Update system
apt update && apt upgrade -y
 
# Create FiveM user
useradd -m -s /bin/bash fivem
usermod -aG sudo fivem
 
# Set up firewall
ufw allow 22/tcp
ufw allow 30120/tcp
ufw allow 30120/udp
ufw allow 40120/tcp
ufw enable
 
# Install dependencies
apt install -y curl wget git unzip

3. Install FiveM Server

# Switch to FiveM user
su - fivem
 
# Create server directory
mkdir -p /home/fivem/server
cd /home/fivem/server
 
# Download FiveM artifacts (replace with latest version)
wget https://runtime.fivem.net/artifacts/fivem/build_proot_linux/master/[LATEST]/fx.tar.xz
tar xf fx.tar.xz
 
# Set permissions
chmod +x run.sh

4. Configure Server

# Create server.cfg
nano server.cfg
 
# Add basic configuration
set sv_licenseKey "your-license-key"
set sv_maxclients 64
set onesync on
set onesync_enableInfinity 1

OVH Setup

1. Create Account and Server

  1. Visit ovh.com 
  2. Create account
  3. Go to Public Cloud
  4. Create new project
  5. Add instance → Choose region
  6. Select image: Ubuntu 22.04
  7. Choose flavor (b2-7 recommended)
  8. Add SSH key
  9. Create instance

2. Initial Server Setup

# Connect to server
ssh ubuntu@your-server-ip
 
# Update system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
 
# Install FiveM (same as Hetzner)
# Follow Hetzner steps 2-4

DigitalOcean Setup

1. Create Droplet

  1. Visit digitalocean.com 
  2. Create account
  3. Go to Droplets → Create
  4. Choose region
  5. Select image: Ubuntu 22.04
  6. Choose plan (8GB recommended)
  7. Add SSH key
  8. Create droplet

2. Initial Server Setup

# Connect to server
ssh root@your-droplet-ip
 
# Update system
apt update && apt upgrade -y
 
# Install FiveM (same as Hetzner)
# Follow Hetzner steps 2-4

Cost Analysis

Small Server (10-20 players)

ProviderPlanMonthly CostSetup Cost
HetznerCX11€4.15€0
OVHStarter€3.99€0
DigitalOcean4GB$24$0
ContaboVPS S€4.99€0

Recommendation: Hetzner CX11 or OVH Starter for best value.

Medium Server (30-50 players)

ProviderPlanMonthly CostSetup Cost
HetznerCPX31€8.31€0
OVHValue€7.99€0
DigitalOcean8GB$48$0
Vultr8GB$40$0

Recommendation: Hetzner CPX31 for best price/performance.

Large Server (64-128+ players)

ProviderPlanMonthly CostSetup Cost
HetznerAX41€40€0
OVHGame-1€79€0
DigitalOcean32GB$192$0
HetznerEX42€60€0

Recommendation: Hetzner AX41 for dedicated performance at VPS price.

Additional Costs

Performance Benchmarks

CPU Performance

Test: FiveM server with 50 players, standard resources

ProviderPlanAvg CPU UsagePeak CPU UsageFPS Stability
Hetzner CPX314 vCPU60-70%85%Stable
OVH Value4 vCPU65-75%90%Stable
DigitalOcean 8GB4 vCPU70-80%95%Stable
Hetzner AX416 cores40-50%65%Excellent

Network Performance

Test: 50 players, average ping

ProviderLocationAvg Ping (EU)Avg Ping (US)Bandwidth
HetznerGermany15-25ms90-120ms1 Gbps
OVHFrance20-30ms100-130ms250 Mbps
DigitalOceanUS East80-100ms20-40ms1 Gbps

Disk I/O Performance

Test: Database operations, resource loading

ProviderStorage TypeRead IOPSWrite IOPS
HetznerNVMe SSD40,000+40,000+
OVHSSD3,0001,500
DigitalOceanSSD3,0003,000

Migration Guides

Migrating Between Providers

Pre-Migration Checklist

Step 1: Backup Everything

# Backup server files
tar -czf fivem-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz /opt/fivem/
 
# Backup database
mysqldump -u root -p fivem_db > fivem-db-backup.sql
 
# Backup server.cfg
cp server.cfg server.cfg.backup

Step 2: Set Up New Server

  1. Create new server on new provider
  2. Follow provider-specific setup guide
  3. Install FiveM server
  4. Install database (MySQL/MariaDB)

Step 3: Transfer Files

# On old server - create archive
tar -czf fivem-migration.tar.gz /opt/fivem/
 
# Transfer to new server
scp fivem-migration.tar.gz user@new-server-ip:/tmp/
scp fivem-db-backup.sql user@new-server-ip:/tmp/
 
# On new server - extract
cd /opt/fivem
tar -xzf /tmp/fivem-migration.tar.gz
 
# Restore database
mysql -u root -p fivem_db < /tmp/fivem-db-backup.sql

Step 4: Update Configuration

# Update server.cfg with new IP
nano server.cfg
 
# Update database connection if needed
# Update any IP-specific configurations

Step 5: Test New Server

# Start server
./run.sh
 
# Test connection
# Verify all resources load
# Test database connections
# Check logs for errors

Step 6: DNS/Connection Update

# Update DNS records (if using domain)
# Or update server list IP
 
# Update firewall rules if needed
# Test player connections

Step 7: Final Migration

  1. Stop old server
  2. Start new server
  3. Verify all services running
  4. Monitor for issues
  5. Keep old server for 24-48 hours as backup

Upgrading Within Same Provider

Hetzner: VPS to Dedicated

  1. Create new dedicated server
  2. Follow migration steps above
  3. Cancel old VPS after migration complete

OVH: Upgrade Instance

  1. Go to OVH Control Panel
  2. Select instance → Resize
  3. Choose larger plan
  4. Confirm upgrade (may require reboot)

Small Server (10-20 players)

Minimum:

Recommended:

Provider Recommendations:

Medium Server (30-50 players)

Minimum:

Recommended:

Provider Recommendations:

Large Server (64-128+ players)

Minimum:

Recommended:

Provider Recommendations:

Best Practices

  1. Start Small: Begin with VPS, upgrade as needed
  2. Monitor Performance: Track CPU, RAM, and network usage
  3. Regular Backups: Automate backups to external storage
  4. Security First: Configure firewall, use SSH keys, keep updated
  5. Location Matters: Choose data center close to your player base
  6. Test Before Migration: Always test new server before switching
  7. Document Everything: Keep notes on configuration and changes
  8. Plan for Growth: Choose provider that allows easy upgrades
  9. Cost Optimization: Review usage regularly, downsize if possible
  10. Support: Consider provider support quality for your skill level

Summary