Free planning tool · Your estimates only

What would your game server cost at home?

Compare the monthly cost of hardware you control with a rental price you already have. Use your own electricity rate, hardware costs, and rental quote to see how they compare.

  • No account neededYour entries stay in this browser tab.
  • No hidden defaultsThe result appears only after you enter every required assumption.
  • Share a summaryShare a short text summary and a link to the calculator.

Your assumptions

Enter costs you can verify.

Use a plug-in power meter for the most useful wattage estimate. Every monetary result stays in the currency you choose; no exchange rates are applied.

Electricity
Hardware and other costs
Rental comparison

Your local estimate

Add your assumptions to compare.

Your result will show monthly self-hosting, the rental price you entered, and the difference.

Calculated locally at swarmhosts.com · Not a quote or guarantee

Read the result honestly

An estimate, not a universal answer.

A lower monthly total does not automatically make self-hosting the better choice. Convenience, reliability, and support matter too.

Included

  • Electricity from your stated average draw and runtime
  • Straight-line allocation of your hardware cost
  • Recurring costs you choose to enter

Not automatically included

  • Your time, internet plan, taxes, repair risk, downtime, or cooling overhead
  • Backup hardware, power protection, networking, and licenses unless you include them
  • Rental setup fees, discounts, renewal changes, or contract terms

Uncertainty to expect

  • Power use changes with player load, mods, hardware, and idle time
  • Electricity prices and rental quotes can change
  • Rounding makes displayed totals suitable for planning, not accounting

Ready to use your own hardware?

Connect one computer free.

Swarm Hosts provides the browser control panel. You provide the Windows or Linux computer and keep your game worlds on it.

Start freeChoose a game