Stardew Valley Server Cost (2026)
How much does a Stardew Valley server cost in 2026? Real prices from €5.15/mo for a 24/7 farm, the RAM you need and the free option explained.
How much does a Stardew Valley server cost in 2026?
A hosted Stardew Valley server costs from €5.15/month — it is one of the cheapest games to host, by far. The reason is simple: the valley needs almost nothing in resources (1-2 GB of RAM covers a vanilla co-op). What you actually pay for is a farm that stays online 24/7, where everyone logs in whenever they want without waiting for the host to boot their PC.
The prices below come from the Stardew Valley plans actually listed in our comparison (currently Shockbyte). You can browse them on our Stardew Valley page.
The short answer
Stardew Valley server price, plan by plan
| Plan | Host | Players | Storage | Price / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parsnip | Shockbyte | 6 | SSD | €5.15 |
| Rhubarb | Shockbyte | 14 | SSD | €11.16 |
| Starfruit | Shockbyte | 28 | SSD | €17.07 |
The plan names follow the game's crops — and just like in the game, the Parsnip is the right place to start. The higher tiers only matter if you run a heavily modded farm with a big group.
Why host Stardew Valley when the game has built-in co-op?
Fair question — the game already ships with online co-op. The catch: the farm only exists while the host is playing. If the host is away, nobody waters the crops. A dedicated server fixes that:
- The farm runs 24/7 — everyone connects at their own pace, across time zones.
- Nobody is "the host" — no more depending on one player's PC and connection.
- Server-side mods — through SMAPI you add Always On Server, extended player counts, and quality-of-life mods.
Technically, a "Stardew server" is a game instance running continuously with SMAPI and the Always On Server mod — our Stardew Valley dedicated server setup guide walks through it step by step.
How much RAM (and budget) for your farm?
Standard co-op (vanilla)
RAM: 1-2 GB
Players: 2 to 6
Price: €5-8/mo
✓ Ideal for: The farm with friends, no mods. Parsnip (€5.15) is exactly that — no need to pay more.
Co-op with SMAPI and mods
RAM: 2 GB
Players: 6 to 14
Price: €8-12/mo
✓ Ideal for: Always On Server, Unlimited Players and comfort mods. Rhubarb (14 players, €11.16) covers this tier.
Extended modded farm
RAM: 2-3 GB
Players: 14 to 28
Price: €12-18/mo
✓ Ideal for: Stardew Valley Expanded and other big content mods with a larger group. Starfruit (28 players, €17.07) is the useful ceiling.
The opposite trap from other games
On Stardew, the risk is not running out of RAM but paying for too much. 1-2 GB covers nearly every farm — take the entry plan, and only move up if you are 10+ with heavy content mods.
Can you host Stardew Valley for free?
Yes, with the usual trade-offs. The built-in co-op is free but depends on the host being online. Hosting on your own PC with SMAPI is free too, but the farm stops when you shut down, and you manage port-forwarding yourself.
Paid hosting (from €5.15/month, ~€3.86 with the LAUNCH code -25%) has exactly one argument, but it is decisive: the farm is always there. For a game whose whole rhythm is passing days and crops to tend, that is what keeps a co-op alive long-term.
FAQ: Stardew Valley server cost
How much does a Stardew Valley server cost per month?
How much RAM does a Stardew Valley server need?
Can you play Stardew Valley multiplayer for free?
How many players can join a Stardew Valley server?
How do you keep a farm online 24/7?
Ready to put your farm online?
Take the 2-minute quiz to validate your needs, or check the Stardew Valley plans and the dedicated server setup guide.
Ready to launch your Stardew Valley server?
Here are the best Stardew Valley hosting deals right now, promo codes included. Still unsure? Our quiz finds the ideal host for you in under 2 minutes.
Parsnip
Shockbyte
Compatible games
Features
- ✓SMAPI support
- ✓DDoS Protection
- ✓Auto Backups