How to Avoid Paying for Dedicated Game Servers (and Still Play Co-Op)

Dedicated game servers are the go-to recommendation whenever someone asks how to solve the host dependency problem in co-op games. And they work. But nobody mentions the part where you are now paying a monthly subscription just to play a game you already bought.

Typical dedicated server costs range from $5 to $15 per month per game. If your group plays two or three games, you are looking at $10 to $45 per month. Over a year, that adds up to $120 to $540 for the privilege of playing with your friends on your own schedule. For a group of four friends playing casually a few evenings a week, that is a hard sell.

Here is how to avoid those costs and still solve the co-op hosting problem.

Why People Think They Need Dedicated Servers

The core issue is straightforward: in most co-op games, the save file lives on the host’s computer. When the host is not playing, nobody can access the world. A dedicated server solves this by putting the world on a machine that runs 24/7.

But here is the thing most people overlook: you do not actually need the world running 24/7. You need the save file accessible to whoever wants to host next. Those are two very different problems, and the second one is much cheaper to solve.

Free and Low-Cost Alternatives

Option 1: Take Turns Hosting Manually

The simplest free option is to manually transfer the save file between players. After each session, the host zips up the save folder and sends it to the next person who wants to host.

Cost: Free. Trade-off: Time-consuming, error-prone, and requires everyone to know how game saves work. One wrong file transfer can cost hours of progress. Most groups try this, get burned once or twice, and start looking at servers out of frustration.

Option 2: Shared Cloud Storage Folder

Set up a shared folder on Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. After each session, the host uploads the save. Before the next session, the new host downloads it.

Cost: Free within normal storage limits. Trade-off: Still a manual process. Cloud storage does not understand game saves and can create sync conflicts. Relies on every player being diligent about uploading and downloading the right files. It works until someone forgets, which they will.

Option 3: Self-Host on a Spare Computer

If you have an old PC or laptop gathering dust, you can run a game server on it. No monthly rental fees required.

Cost: Free (hardware you already own) plus electricity. Trade-off: Requires a machine powerful enough to run the game server, which rules out most old laptops. You become the system administrator for your friend group. When the machine crashes at 2 AM, that is your problem. Only works for games with dedicated server software.

Option 4: Free-Tier Cloud Hosting

Some cloud platforms (Oracle Cloud, Google Cloud) offer free-tier virtual machines that can technically run lightweight game servers. Minecraft servers are the most common use case here.

Cost: Free, within tight resource limits. Trade-off: These free tiers have very limited CPU, RAM, and bandwidth. Performance is usually poor. Setup requires significant technical knowledge including SSH, firewall configuration, and server management. Not viable for resource-heavy games like Satisfactory or Valheim. Free tiers can also change or be revoked at any time.

Option 5: SaveSync

SaveSync takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of keeping a server running, it keeps the save file synchronized across your entire co-op group. Any player can pull the latest save and host the session from their own machine.

Cost: One-time purchase on Steam. No subscription, no recurring fees. Trade-off: The world is not running 24/7 since someone still needs to actively host each session. But for the vast majority of co-op groups, that is perfectly fine. You do not need an always-on server. You need everyone to have access to the save.

Running the Numbers

Let us compare the one-year cost for a group of four friends playing Valheim and Minecraft:

The dedicated server path costs significantly more over time. Manual methods are free but cost you in time and lost progress. SaveSync sits in the sweet spot: affordable, reliable, and low-effort.

Who Actually Needs a Dedicated Server?

Dedicated servers make sense for large communities with dozens of players, competitive gaming environments where uptime is critical, or games where the server needs to process game logic while nobody is connected (like certain modded Minecraft setups).

For a group of two to six friends who play together a few times a week, a dedicated server is an expensive solution to a simple problem. You do not need your world online 24/7. You just need your friends to be able to host it when you cannot.