4.8★ Trustpilot · Own hardware · Isolated sandboxes
$4.99/mo
- ✓ No player caps, no slot limits at any tier
- ✓ 100% human support, no AI-assisted replies
- ✓ 7-day no-questions refund
GTX Gaming4.7★ Trustpilot · London + Stockholm · Caves free
from £9/mo
- ✓ Deep DST-specific documentation, cluster tokens, mods
- ✓ Caves included at no extra cost
- ✓ 24-hour refund window
GGServersUnlimited slots · Unmetered SSD · Anti-DDoS
$6.00/mo
- ✓ Unlimited player slots on every tier
- ✓ 24/7 live chat support
- ✗ Locations listed as NA/Europe generally, not London specifically
Not sure which fits? See the full comparison ↓ or jump to the cheapest option ↓
2026 marks 10 years of Don’t Starve Together and 20 years of Klei Entertainment, and the studio has treated it as a genuine milestone. The “From Beyond, Cursed Confrontation” story arc is live, adding a new Sanctum encounter, new boss loot and Thermic Tools crafting, with Klei already working on the second part. Regular content updates have kept shipping through the year on a near-weekly cadence.
The bigger structural news: Don’t Starve Together’s Pocket Edition has launched on iOS and Android, the first proper co-op mobile version of the game. Klei has also announced a separate new standalone title, “Don’t Starve Elsewhere,” but has been clear DST isn’t going anywhere, both games are being supported in parallel.
Why a dedicated DST server beats hosting from your PC
When you host from the game client, everyone’s connection runs through your machine. You log off, everyone gets kicked, mid-boss fight, mid-base-build, mid-season. A dedicated server stays online whether you’re playing, sleeping, or at work.
Public servers are open to anyone with a torch and a bad mood. Password your server and only your group ever sees it. Ban players permanently without losing your world.
Run the exact Workshop mods your group wants, consistently across every session. No more one player missing a mod and failing to connect.
One player tends the farms at midnight, another logs in Saturday afternoon. The world is always there, always current, progress accumulates even when you’re not actively coordinating sessions.
Top picks: Best Don’t Starve Together server hosting
Every provider on this page was checked directly against its own site to confirm it genuinely offers DST hosting and to pull real current pricing. Host Havoc, DatHost, Apex Hosting and Indifferent Broccoli were removed, none currently offer DST despite older listings suggesting otherwise.
LOW.MS Gold Pick Both the Overworld and Caves shard run automatically on order, no manual server.ini editing or linking two separate instances together. The London node keeps British players under 20ms, and their cloud backup system runs independently of Steam updates, which matters given how often a bad mod update can corrupt a save.
The 5-day refund window is genuinely long enough to test a full modded Caves setup properly before committing, longer than most competitors on this list offer.
- ✓ 10GB RAM and both shards included as standard
- ✓ London UK, confirmed low latency
- ✓ Cloud backups run independent of Steam updates
- ✓ 5-day refund, longest on this list
- ✗ No built-in Workshop mod browser, FTP-based instead
- ✗ Not the cheapest entry price
Kinetic’s isolated sandbox architecture means your two shard processes never compete with another customer’s server for CPU on a shared node, a genuine advantage for a game where the Caves shard is running constantly alongside the Overworld. Support is fully human with no AI-assisted replies, and every plan includes unlimited player slots regardless of tier.
The $4.99/mo entry tier is 4GB, enough for a small vanilla group, with a clear price ladder up to 124GB for large modded communities. Five backup slots and four split slots (to run a second server from unused resources) are included on every plan.
- ✓ Isolated hardware, no overselling on shared nodes
- ✓ No player caps at any tier
- ✓ 100% human support, no AI-assisted replies
- ✓ 7-day no-questions refund · MySQL included free
- ✗ No explicit London node confirmation for DST specifically
- ✗ Smaller brand than the largest providers
GTX Gaming Bronze Pick GTX Gaming has a genuine knowledge base built specifically around DST’s quirks, cluster token setup, Workshop mod installation, server name and description changes, all documented in detail. Caves come included at no extra charge rather than requiring a second server purchase, which some competitors still do.
Worldwide coverage spans London, Paris, Frankfurt, Stockholm and more, alongside North American and Asia-Pacific nodes. The refund window is a genuine 24 hours, shorter than LOW.MS or Kinetic, worth knowing before you commit to a longer test.
- ✓ Deep DST-specific documentation and support articles
- ✓ Caves included free, no second purchase needed
- ✓ London + Stockholm confirmed, wide global coverage
- ✓ Established host, over 50 DST servers currently running
- ✗ 24-hour refund, shorter than our top 2 picks
- ✗ Exact pricing requires configuring on their order page
Every provider we checked
All 13 providers below were confirmed directly on their own sites to actually offer Don’t Starve Together hosting. All DST servers require a free cluster token from accounts.klei.com.
Cheapest confirmed entry with real hardware behind it. Locations listed generally as North America or Europe rather than a specific London guarantee.
United Kingdom is explicitly listed among their server locations. Genuinely low entry pricing with a beginner-friendly panel.
London confirmed among 10+ global locations. One-click mod manager plus FTP for custom mods, 7-day backup retention.
Confirmed DST support via their own dedicated DST page, part of a 40+ game roster on their Blacksmith’s Portal panel.
Confirmed 4-slot plans from $6.59/mo monthly or $1.69 for a 3-day trial. No long-term contract, switch games anytime.
Confirmed DST support, prepaid 3-day billing blocks with no contract. Switch to other games in their Gamecloud anytime.
Confirmed via their own dedicated DST page. Pterodactyl-based panel, with server management available directly through Discord.
Confirmed via their own dedicated DST page. Long track record, flexible prepaid or contract billing terms.
Confirmed DST support with a 1-day free trial and a genuine 48-hour refund guarantee, not the 7-day figure previously listed here.
Confirmed via their own dedicated DST page. Budget-friendly, though Trustpilot score is lower than most on this list.
Prices shown were confirmed directly on each provider’s own site. Where a provider uses a configurable order page without a fixed listed price, we’ve noted “price on request” rather than guessing. Verify directly before purchasing.
Hosting Don’t Starve Together on a budget
GGServers and ScalaCube are already the cheapest confirmed options above with real DST-specific hosting behind them, unlimited slots and a genuine control panel doing the cluster setup for you.
$6.00/mo with unlimited slots and unmetered SSD storage. Genuine value for a small group.
From around $2.50/mo, with the United Kingdom explicitly listed among their server locations.
If you’re comfortable setting up both shards and the cluster token yourself, Hostinger’s VPS plans offer strong general-purpose hardware for the price. We couldn’t find a dedicated DST hosting page on their site the way the providers above have, so this is a manual setup route rather than a managed DST product, worth mentioning for admins who’d rather run it themselves than a genuine recommendation for most people. See our VPS hosting guide before choosing this route.
Caves & cluster setup, what every DST server owner needs to know
Don’t Starve Together uses a cluster/shard architecture that surprises most first-time server owners. Getting this right before you pick a plan directly affects which hosting tier you need.
One server process, one map. Players explore the surface world, forests, grasslands, swamps, desert. No access to the Ruins, Thulecite crafting or Cave-exclusive creatures. Recommended for new groups getting started.
RAM: ~2GB idle, ~2.5–3GB with 6–10 players + mods
Two simultaneous server processes, connected by cave entrances on the surface map. Adds the Ruins biome, Ancient Guardian boss, Thulecite crafting, Shadow Pieces. Required for long-term play.
RAM: ~3.5–4GB idle, ~4–6GB with 6–10 players + mods
How shards and clusters work
A cluster is your server as a whole, one identity, one server browser entry. A shard is an individual game world within that cluster. The Overworld shard is the master (marked is_master = true in server.ini), the Caves shard is a slave that connects to the master. They communicate through configured ports and a shared cluster_key. From a player’s perspective this is invisible, they just step into a cave entrance and transition. Most managed hosts handle the two-process setup through their control panel, some providers (like GTX Gaming) include Caves as standard, while others require ordering it as a separate linked server, worth checking before you buy.
DST server ports
Managed hosts configure all ports automatically. For self-hosting, forward UDP 10998 and 10999 in your router’s port forwarding settings.
Cluster token, how to get one and why your server needs it
The cluster token is the single most common stumbling block for new DST server owners. Without it, your server starts fine and players can connect via direct IP, but it’s invisible in the public server browser.
A cluster token requires a Klei account linked to a legitimate Steam copy. One copy covers unlimited server instances. The dedicated server binary is a free tool in Steam → Library → Tools.
Copy the token string and paste it as the only content of cluster_token.txt in your cluster folder root. All managed hosts expose a “Cluster Token” field in their panel that handles this automatically.
If you run multiple distinct DST servers, each needs its own token, generated from the same Klei account. Rotate a token by generating a new one, replacing the file, and restarting.
cluster.ini & worldgenoverride.lua, the settings that matter
DST uses a clean file-based configuration. Most managed hosts expose common settings through their panel, but knowing what each does lets you go beyond the defaults.
cluster.ini, server-wide settings
// cluster.ini, the key settings for a community server [GAMEPLAY] game_mode = endless // survival | wilderness | endless max_players = 10 // practical max for good performance pvp = false pause_when_empty = true // strongly recommended for casual groups [NETWORK] cluster_name = My Server cluster_password = // blank = public, add for private autosaver_enabled = true cluster_intention = cooperative
game_mode, endless vs survival: Endless, players can always respawn, no permanent death, recommended for casual friend groups who don’t want the frustration of losing a 40-day character. Survival, players die and become ghosts, revived by others, permadeath after the ghost timer. Wilderness, stricter survival with random respawn.
pause_when_empty: set to true to pause the simulation when all players are offline. Seasons don’t change and resources don’t deplete while nobody’s playing. Strongly recommended for groups that play weekly rather than daily.
// worldgenoverride.lua, casual-friendly world settings
return {
override_enabled = true,
overrides = {
autumn = "longseason", -- 30 days first season vs default 20
berries = "lots",
grass = "lots",
trees = "lots",
rock = "lots",
world_regrowth = "veryhigh", -- resources regenerate faster
}
} Place this file at SERVER_DIR/Master/worldgenoverride.lua. For Caves, create a separate file at SERVER_DIR/Caves/worldgenoverride.lua with preset = “DST_CAVE” instead.
Workshop mods on a dedicated DST server
DST mods are managed through two files. dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua (in the server’s /mods/ folder) lists which mods to download at startup using their Workshop IDs. modoverrides.lua (inside each shard folder) enables mods and stores their configuration settings.
// dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua
ServerModSetup("2287303119") -- Global Positions
ServerModSetup("375859599") -- Health Info
ServerModSetup("666155465") -- Geometric Placement Popular mods for community servers
Shows all player positions on the map at all times. Essential for any group larger than 2, prevents the “where is everyone?” problem during emergencies.
Displays enemy health values on hover or attack. Transforms boss fights from guesswork into informed decision-making. Lightweight, widely used.
Snaps building placement to a grid. Makes organised, clean bases possible. Massively popular for groups wanting intentional-looking farms and chest rooms.
Expands the HUD with detailed nutrition, sanity, health, season and temperature readouts. One of the most-installed mods on any community server.
Enhanced boss health display with phase indicators and percentage. Particularly useful for Fuelweaver, Celestial Champion and other multi-phase bosses.
A heavily modded server (20+ mods) with 6 players uses more RAM than a vanilla server with 20 players. Plan your hosting tier based on your mod stack, not just your player count.
RAM & hardware, what you actually need
DST is one of the lighter games to host, Klei’s official minimum is 1GB RAM. In practice, mod stack and Caves configuration matter far more than player count for hardware requirements.
| Config | Players | Min RAM | Comfortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla, no Caves | 2–8 | 1–2GB | 3GB | Any plan handles this easily |
| Vanilla + Caves | 4–10 | 3GB | 4–5GB | Two shard processes |
| Modded (10–20 mods) + Caves | 4–10 | 4GB | 6GB | Mod overhead adds up |
| Heavily modded (20+ mods) + Caves | 8–16 | 6GB | 8GB | Total conversion mods more demanding |
Best Don’t Starve Together host for your group
Isolated hardware, no overselling, 100% human support. Best when consistency matters more than saving a few pounds.
Genuine DST-specific knowledge base covering cluster tokens, Caves and mods. From £9/mo.
$6.00/mo, unlimited slots, unmetered SSD. Cheapest confirmed option with a real DST hosting product.
United Kingdom explicitly listed among their locations, from around $2.50/mo.
Strong VPS hardware for the price, but no managed DST product, you’re setting up both shards yourself.
Don’t Starve Together server hosting, FAQ
LOW.MS, Best Don’t Starve Together Server Hosting UK
10GB RAM standard · Caves + Overworld included · London confirmed · 5-day refund · $8.80/mo
Affiliate disclosure: we earn a commission if you purchase via our links at no extra cost to you. All provider inclusion and pricing verified directly against each provider’s own site, August 2026. Cluster token required from accounts.klei.com (free).
