How much RAM does my game server need?
RAM sizing guide for Minecraft, Rust, FiveM, ARK, and other popular games.
Choosing the right RAM prevents lag, crashes, and overspending. Latency Host bills per GB, so right-sizing saves money.
Minecraft
| Players / type | Recommended RAM |
|---|---|
| Vanilla, ~10 players | 2 GB |
| Plugins (Paper/Spigot), ~25 players | 4 GB |
| Modded / medium modpack | 6–8 GB |
| Large modpack (100+ mods) | 12–16 GB |
Modpacks load chunks and entities into memory — always budget extra for Forge and Fabric.
Rust
| Server size | Recommended RAM |
|---|---|
| Small community (~20 players) | 4 GB |
| Medium with Oxide plugins | 8 GB |
| High pop (100+ players) | 16 GB |
Rust is CPU- and RAM-intensive during wipes and entity-heavy raids.
FiveM
| Server type | Recommended RAM |
|---|---|
| Small RP / testing | 8 GB |
| Medium RP with assets | 12–16 GB |
| Large public city | 24–32 GB |
Custom MLOs, vehicles, and scripts consume RAM quickly. Monitor usage in Pterodactyl.
Other games
- Valheim — 2–4 GB co-op; 8 GB for public modded servers
- ARK — 8 GB minimum modded; 16 GB+ for clusters
- GMod — 4 GB TTT/sandbox; 8 GB+ DarkRP with Workshop collections
- Palworld — 4 GB friends-only; 8 GB public
- Discord bots — 1–2 GB per bot instance
When to upgrade
Watch for TPS drops, “can’t keep up” warnings, or out-of-memory restarts. Upgrade from the client portal — your files stay intact.