{
  "slug": "game-server-hosting-cost",
  "title": "Game Server Hosting Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "Game Server Cost Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/game-server-hosting-cost",
  "summary": "Monthly cost per concurrent player and bandwidth spend.",
  "description": "Size a multiplayer backend from concurrency, players per instance, and bandwidth per player, then price it out per month and per active player.",
  "formula": "Instances = peak CCU ÷ players per instance; cost = instances × rate + bandwidth.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=game-server-hosting-cost",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "ccu",
      "label": "Peak concurrent players",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2400,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "perInstance",
      "label": "Players per instance",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 60,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "instanceHr",
      "label": "Instance cost",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.14,
      "unit": "$/hr",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "utilization",
      "label": "Average utilization vs peak",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 45,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 5,
      "max": 100
    },
    {
      "id": "kbps",
      "label": "Bandwidth per player",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 90,
      "unit": "kbps",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "egress",
      "label": "Egress price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.08,
      "unit": "$/GB",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "mau",
      "label": "Monthly active players",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 180000,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "total",
      "label": "Monthly hosting cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "computeCost",
      "label": "Compute cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "bandwidth",
      "label": "Bandwidth cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "perCcu",
      "label": "Cost per peak concurrent player",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "perMau",
      "label": "Cost per monthly active player",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Peak concurrent players: 2400",
      "Players per instance: 60",
      "Instance cost: 0.14 $/hr",
      "Average utilization vs peak: 45 %",
      "Bandwidth per player: 90 kbps",
      "Egress price: 0.08 $/GB",
      "Monthly active players: 180000"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Monthly hosting cost: $4,394",
      "Compute cost: $1,840",
      "Bandwidth cost: $2,554",
      "Cost per peak concurrent player: $1.831",
      "Cost per monthly active player: $0.0244"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter peak concurrent players.",
      "Enter players per instance.",
      "Enter instance cost ($/hr).",
      "Enter average utilization vs peak (%).",
      "Enter bandwidth per player (kbps).",
      "Enter egress price ($/GB).",
      "Enter monthly active players.",
      "Read your monthly hosting cost on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "ccu": 1450,
        "perInstance": 35,
        "instanceHr": 0.084,
        "utilization": 25,
        "kbps": 55,
        "egress": 0.048,
        "mau": 108000
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "ccu": 2400,
        "perInstance": 60,
        "instanceHr": 0.14,
        "utilization": 45,
        "kbps": 90,
        "egress": 0.08,
        "mau": 180000
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "ccu": 3850,
        "perInstance": 95,
        "instanceHr": 0.22400000000000003,
        "utilization": 70,
        "kbps": 145,
        "egress": 0.128,
        "mau": 288000
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why is egress often the bigger line?",
      "a": "Compute scales down when players leave; bandwidth scales with every packet you send. For state-heavy games it can exceed compute entirely."
    },
    {
      "q": "What per-MAU cost is sustainable?",
      "a": "Compare it to your ARPMAU. Infrastructure above 15–20% of revenue per player is a design problem, not a vendor problem."
    }
  ],
  "related": [],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Game Server Hosting Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/game-server-hosting-cost)"
}