Midwest game server hostingGame servers without the waiting room.
Minecraft, Valheim, CS2 and more. Start free; always on from $5.
- Central USOur hardware in Kansas, relayed through Chicago
- About 10 secondsFrom Start to joinable, no queue
- MonthlyNo contract, change size anytime
Polaris stands 38° above the Kansas horizon. Everything else turns around it.
Press start. It starts.
No queue, and no waiting for a free slot. This is a real start of a Paper server on our own hardware, replayed at the speed it happened.
- Console, files, SFTP, schedules in one panel
- Mod loaders installed from the panel
- Friends added as sub-users with their own logins
- Server is offline. Press Start.
Pick a game, get a size
Choose what you play and how many friends play with you. We’ll tell you the smallest plan that runs it well.
Minecraft: Java
2 GB$5 a month
Or try it on the free tier first.
Paper, Purpur, Fabric, Forge or vanilla. Modpacks want 4 to 6 GB.
Don’t see your game? Most Steam games can be added. Ask us.
Plans and prices
Monthly, no contract. Move up or down a size whenever you like.
Free
$0forever
- 2 GB memory
- 1 CPU thread
- 8 GB disk
- No backups
- Stops when everyone leaves
2 GB
$5a month
- 2 GB memory
- 1.5 CPU threads
- 20 GB disk
- 2 backups
- Always on
Best for most groups
4 GB
$10a month
- 4 GB memory
- 2 CPU threads
- 40 GB disk
- 4 backups
- Always on
6 GB
$15a month
- 6 GB memory
- 3 CPU threads
- 60 GB disk
- 6 backups
- Always on
The free tier, catch included
It’s a real server with real limits, and here they are up front.
The catch
- It stops five minutes after the last player leaves, with a one-minute warning in chat.
- You start it again yourself, from the panel.
- A short note about paid plans shows in chat every half hour.
- Left unused for two weeks, it’s paused until you ask us to wake it.
- One free server per person.
What you still get
- No queue. Press start and it starts.
- Plugins and mods, installed by you.
- Full file access over SFTP.
- The same panel paid servers use.
Hosted in the middle of the map
Northbound is game server hosting from the Midwest. Our servers run on hardware we own in Kansas, the state that holds the geographic center of the lower 48, and players connect through Chicago, one of North America’s busiest internet crossroads.
- Servers in Kansas, on hardware we own
- Relay in Chicago, which keeps the servers’ home address private
- Support on Central time, from the people who run the servers
Midwest and Great Plains
Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Illinois and their neighbors are the closest players to our servers. This is who we built Northbound for.
Texas, the South and the East
Dallas, Atlanta and the East Coast come in through Chicago too. Plenty quick for survival, building and co-op games.
The West Coast
Farther away. Fine for Minecraft and co-op; for competitive Counter-Strike 2, a server on the West Coast will feel quicker, and we’d rather say so up front.
Questions
Where are the servers?
In the Midwest, on hardware we own and look after in Kansas. Players connect through a relay in Chicago, so ping stays low across the Midwest and the central US, and the servers’ home address stays private.
How much does a Minecraft server cost?
Nothing on the free tier, which stops when everyone leaves. An always-on server starts at $5 a month for 2 GB, enough for about 10 friends on Paper. Modpacks want 4 to 6 GB, which is $10 to $15 a month.
Can Xbox, PlayStation and Switch players join a Bedrock server?
Yes, with two catches. Consoles can’t add a custom server on their own, so they connect through a free tool called BedrockConnect, and we’ll walk you through it. And every console needs its own online membership to play with anyone: an Xbox Game Pass plan that includes online play, PlayStation Plus, or Nintendo Switch Online. Without it, the console blocks online play no matter whose server it is. Phones, tablets and Windows need neither; they add the server by its address.
Can Java and Bedrock players play together?
Yes. Run a Java server with the Geyser plugin and Bedrock players can join it too. We’ll set it up if you ask.
Which games besides Minecraft?
Terraria, Valheim, Counter-Strike 2, Factorio, Project Zomboid, Garry’s Mod, Don’t Starve Together, Team Fortress 2, Core Keeper, Unturned and Vintage Story. Most other Steam games with a dedicated server can be added; ask us.
Can I bring my old world?
Yes. Upload it with the file manager in the panel, or over SFTP for anything big.
What happens if my server crashes?
The panel notices and starts it again. Paid plans also keep backups you can restore from the panel.
Who runs Northbound?
Northbound Hosting is part of Anchorforge Digital, a small company in Kansas. When you write in, a person who works on the servers answers.
Start one tonight.
A free server takes a minute. Paid ones stay on while you sleep.
Start a free server