Choosing the right bandwidth for a game server is one of the most common mistakes new server admins make. Too little and players experience rubber-banding, lag spikes, and disconnects. Too much and you are overpaying for port speed you will never use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are measured bandwidth requirements for the most popular dedicated game servers in 2026, based on real-world deployments with active player communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These figures represent the server’s upload<\/em> bandwidth \u2014 data sent to players. Download traffic is typically 10\u201330% of upload. Note that Palworld and ARK have the highest per-player bandwidth due to their dynamic worlds with many AI entities, physics objects, and player-built structures that must be synchronized in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minecraft is surprisingly bandwidth-efficient. A vanilla server with 50 players uses only 5\u201315 Mbps \u2014 well within the range of a residential internet connection. The key exception is modded Minecraft with 200+ mods, where custom items, chunk loaders, and complex machinery multiply network traffic 3\u20135x.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recommendation<\/strong>: For vanilla Minecraft under 50 players, a 100 Mbps port with a metered 5 TB plan is sufficient. For modded servers above 50 players, upgrade to 1 Gbps unmetered to handle chunk-load spikes during exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ARK is one of the most bandwidth-intensive games to self-host. A 50-player server can burst to 75 Mbps during world saves or when players load into heavily built bases. With a community of mods like Structures Plus and Primal Fear, bandwidth usage at peak can exceed 100 Mbps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monthly transfer for a 50-player ARK server averages around 27 TB. A metered 30 TB plan would leave almost no headroom. An unmetered 1 Gbps port is the safer choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Palworld’s bandwidth profile is similar to ARK but with higher variance. The game syncs every Pals’ position, task assignment, and AI state to all connected players. With 50 players running bases in different world areas, bandwidth can spike to 100 Mbps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recommendation<\/strong>: Always use 1 Gbps unmetered for Palworld. Monthly transfer can exceed 30 TB, making most metered plans impractical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rust servers are moderately bandwidth-intensive. A 50-player Rust server uses 15\u201350 Mbps on average, with monthly transfer around 17.5 TB. The main bandwidth driver is building destruction physics and bullet\/explosive synchronization during raids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recommendation<\/strong>: A metered 20 TB plan on a 1 Gbps port will work for most Rust servers, but consider unmetered if your server is raiding-heavy or has a full wipe cycle that increases activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Counter-Strike 2 uses relatively little bandwidth \u2014 a 100-player 128-tick server uses 40\u201380 Mbps. However, CS2 is extremely sensitive to jitter and packet loss. Prioritize providers with low-latency peering and consistent routing over raw port speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recommendation<\/strong>: A 1 Gbps unmetered port is ideal, not for bandwidth volume but for consistent performance. Even a 100-player server will rarely use more than 80 Mbps, but the headroom eliminates queuing latency during traffic bursts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use this formula to estimate your monthly bandwidth needs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a 20-player ARK server averaging 20 Mbps sustained: Always add 20\u201330% headroom for updates, backups, and unexpected traffic spikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGame<\/th> Per Player (Mbps)<\/th> 20 Players (Mbps)<\/th> 50 Players (Mbps)<\/th> 100 Players (Mbps)<\/th> Monthly at 50 players (TB)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Minecraft (Vanilla)<\/td> 0.1\u20130.3<\/td> 2\u20136<\/td> 5\u201315<\/td> 10\u201330<\/td> ~4.9<\/td><\/tr> Minecraft (Modded 200+ mods)<\/td> 0.3\u20130.8<\/td> 6\u201316<\/td> 15\u201340<\/td> 30\u201380<\/td> ~14.6<\/td><\/tr> ARK: Survival Evolved<\/td> 0.5\u20131.5<\/td> 10\u201330<\/td> 25\u201375<\/td> 50\u2013150<\/td> ~27.0<\/td><\/tr> Palworld<\/td> 0.4\u20132.0<\/td> 8\u201340<\/td> 20\u2013100<\/td> 40\u2013200<\/td> ~32.4<\/td><\/tr> Rust<\/td> 0.3\u20131.0<\/td> 6\u201320<\/td> 15\u201350<\/td> 30\u2013100<\/td> ~17.5<\/td><\/tr> CS2 (64-tick)<\/td> 0.2\u20130.5<\/td> 4\u201310<\/td> 10\u201325<\/td> 20\u201350<\/td> ~9.2<\/td><\/tr> CS2 (128-tick)<\/td> 0.4\u20130.8<\/td> 8\u201316<\/td> 20\u201340<\/td> 40\u201380<\/td> ~16.2<\/td><\/tr> Valheim (10 players max)<\/td> 0.2\u20130.5<\/td> 2\u20135<\/td> N\/A<\/td> N\/A<\/td> ~1.3<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Minecraft: The Bandwidth Lightweight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
ARK: Survival Evolved \u2014 The Bandwidth Hog<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Palworld \u2014 The Newcomer That Demands More<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rust \u2014 Consistent Medium Usage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
CS2 \u2014 Low Bandwidth, High Sensitivity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Choosing Between Unmetered and Metered<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Game<\/th> Player Count<\/th> Min Port Speed<\/th> Recommended Plan<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Minecraft (Vanilla)<\/td> Under 50<\/td> 100 Mbps<\/td> Metered 5 TB<\/td><\/tr> Minecraft (Modded)<\/td> Under 50<\/td> 1 Gbps<\/td> Metered 15 TB<\/td><\/tr> ARK<\/td> Any<\/td> 1 Gbps<\/td> Unmetered<\/td><\/tr> Palworld<\/td> Any<\/td> 1 Gbps<\/td> Unmetered<\/td><\/tr> Rust<\/td> Under 50<\/td> 1 Gbps<\/td> Metered 20 TB<\/td><\/tr> Rust<\/td> 50+<\/td> 1 Gbps<\/td> Unmetered<\/td><\/tr> CS2<\/td> Any<\/td> 1 Gbps<\/td> Unmetered (for consistency)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n How to Calculate Your Monthly Transfer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Monthly (TB) = (Average Mbps \u00d7 60 \u00d7 60 \u00d7 24 \u00d7 30) \/ (8 \u00d7 1024 \u00d7 1024)<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n20 \u00d7 60 \u00d7 60 \u00d7 24 \u00d7 30 \/ 8,388,608 = ~6.2 TB\/month<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\nFinal Recommendations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n