A Nitrado alternative for game servers.
Wondering whether Nitrado is the right host for your game server? Compare it point by point with ZapX: game servers from €5.99 / month (incl. VAT), priced by package, term and location instead of player slots.
Nitrado vs ZapX
The specs, side by side.
ZAP-Hosting is a good Nitrado alternative if you want to avoid paying per player slot, choose your own runtime and keep full access to your files.
| Criterion | ZapXfrom €5.99 / month | NitradoDetails from Nitrado's website |
|---|---|---|
| Billing and contract | ||
| Billing | Package, term and location | |
| Price | from €5.99 / month | |
| Runtimes | 3 / 30 / 90 / 180 / 365 days | |
| Contract type | Subscription, renews automatically | Subscription or advance payment[5] |
| Lifetime | Pay once, plus a ZapX Pass subscription | |
| Trying it outSame | No free trial, from 3 days | |
| Infrastructure | ||
| Locations | 8 locations | 9 locations according to Nitrado[7] |
| DDoS protectionSame | Included | Included[6] |
| Backups | Daily, more with the ZapX Pass | Daily, partly hourly, about 6 to 10 days[6] |
| Management | ||
| File access | File manager, SFTP | File manager, FTP[6] |
| ModsSame | By game, with a mod browserb | |
| Switching games | No new orderc | Up to 5 games[8] |
| Platforms and support | ||
| Games | 87 games | 70 according to Nitrado[8] |
| Console servers | PC only | PlayStation, Xbox, Switch 2 (selected games)[4] |
| In the same account | Game servers, VPS, dedicated, TeamSpeak, Discord bots, domains | |
| SupportSame | 24/7 chat, AI with handover to a person | |
| Payment methods | Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, Amazon Pay (depending on country) | Card, PayPal, other local methods[6] |
| See game servers |
Details checked on 21 Oct 2026
- aAt Nitrado, for example, ARK: Survival Ascended (20 to 200 slots) and DayZ (10 to 100 slots) are priced per player slot, Minecraft by RAM (2 to 32 GB).
- bZapX: mod browser for games like Valheim and Satisfactory, plugins and modpacks for Minecraft. Nitrado: for example CurseForge mods for ARK: Survival Ascended; for Valheim, Valheim Plus and BepInEx (with many mods).
- cAt ZapX, your plan has to meet the minimum requirements of the new game.
ZapX vs Nitrado
What we do differently.
The three points where we differ most. Everything else is in the spec comparison above.
Billing
€0
per player slot.
The price depends on the package, the term and the location, not on player slots. More players? Add resources, not slots. We set no slot limit; how many players fit depends on the game and your package's resources.
See game serversRuntime
Test for 3 days.
Or lifetime with the ZapX Pass.Cancel anytime, effective at the end of the term. Lifetime: pay once, runs with an active ZapX Pass (recurring fee).
More about the ZapX PassOne account
Everything in
one place.One login for all services, invoices and payment methods.
Details checked on 21 Oct 2026 · Sources
Your game
Start with your game.
Popular games to move, with their current entry price. Each card opens the game's page.
from €16.99 / month
from €22.29 / month
from €5.99 / month
from €22.99 / month
from €16.99 / month
from €10.99 / month
from €16.99 / month
from €10.99 / month
Plan check
Already on Nitrado?
Here is what switching gets you.
Answer a few questions about your current server. You see right away what changes at ZapX and what to check first. Then you move in four steps.
Your current server
- Do you pay for player slots?
- Do you want to pick your own runtime?
- Do you want to keep your server long term?
- Do you need full access to files and mods?
- Do your players live outside Europe too?
- Do you want to add a VPS or TeamSpeak later?
- Does your community play on console?
- Does your paid runtime still have a while to go?
At ZapX
1 of 3 points apply
- No slot pricingThe price depends on the package, the term and the location, not on slots. We set no slot limit; how many players fit depends on the game and your package's resources.
Also at ZapX
- Pick your runtime3, 30, 90 or 180 days, or 1 year, cancel anytime, effective at the end of the term.
- Full accessFile manager, SFTP, console and backups in the ZapX panel.
Moving
Moved in four steps.
ZapX pulls your save straight from Nitrado, no download and re-upload. Cancel the old server only once everything runs on the new one.
- 01
Pick game and location
Order your game server close to your players. It is usually online in 60 seconds.
- 02
Import your server
Click “Import server” in the file manager and enter the FTP login of your Nitrado server. ZapX copies your world, mods and configs over.
- 03
Start the server
Start the server in the ZapX panel and check that your save and mods load.
- 04
Invite your community
Share the new server address with your players, then cancel the old server.
Cancelling your current game server
Cancel only once everything runs on the new server and your files are backed up. How and by when you can cancel is listed in your customer account or in your current host's terms. After the term ends you may no longer have access to the old files.
Reviews
What customers say about ZAP-Hosting.
Real reviews from Trustpilot.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the comparison
Straight answers about choosing your host and moving your game server.
ZAP-Hosting, if you don't want to pay per slot.
ZAP-Hosting hosts game servers for ARK: Survival Evolved, Minecraft, Palworld, DayZ, Arma Reforger, Rust, 7 Days to Die and many more games. The price depends on the package, the term and the location; there is no slot pricing. Runtimes go from 3 days to 1 year, and you can cancel anytime, effective at the end of the term. You manage everything in the ZapX panel.
It mostly comes down to your platform and how you want to pay.
Both host game servers with DDoS protection and a runtime you choose. At ZAP-Hosting the price depends on the package, the term and the location, not on player slots, and you manage game servers, VPS, TeamSpeak and domains in one account. If your community plays on PlayStation, Xbox or Switch 2, Nitrado is often the better choice, because ZAP-Hosting offers game servers for PC only. Whether console players can join a PC server is decided by the game: some allow crossplay on community servers, others do not. Every difference, with sources, is in the spec comparison above.
In four steps, ZapX pulls your files over FTP.
Keep your Nitrado server running until the move is done, so nothing gets lost.
- Order your game server and pick a location close to your players
- Choose “Import server” in the file manager and enter your Nitrado FTP login
- Start the server and check that your save and mods load
- Share the new server address with your players and only then cancel the old server
Yes, ZapX pulls it from Nitrado over FTP.
Your save, world, mods and configs are files on your server. With “Import server” in the file manager, ZapX copies them over FTP or SFTP straight from your current host, with no download and re-upload. Your login is only used for this import and deleted afterwards. A MySQL database moves the same way under “Databases”. You can also download the files yourself and upload them with the file manager or SFTP. Make sure the game version and mod versions match on both servers, otherwise the save may not load.
Cancel only once the new server is running.
Back up all files first and test the new server with your admins. How and by when you can cancel is listed in your customer account or in your current host's terms. After the term ends you may no longer have access to the old files.
From €5.99 / month. The price depends on the package, the term and the location, not on player slots.
The package is set by RAM, and some games have their own price class. Longer runtimes lower the monthly price. Dallas, Los Angeles, Ashburn, Montreal, London, Singapore, and Sydney carry a location surcharge. The shop shows the live price for your game before you order.
Check location, RAM and mods first.
Lag often has simple causes: the server is far from your players, it has too little RAM for your player count and mods, or a single mod or plugin slows it down. At ZAP-Hosting you pick a location close to your players and can raise RAM and CPU later as your group grows.
Cancel anytime. It takes effect at the end of the booked term.
Pick a runtime of 3, 30, 90 or 180 days, or 1 year. You can cancel in your account at any time. The server keeps running until the term ends, and you can undo the cancellation before then. Lifetime: pay once, runs with an active ZapX Pass (recurring fee). See the shop for its terms.
ARK: Survival Evolved as a game server, ARK: Survival Ascended on a Windows VPS.
ARK: Survival Evolved runs as a managed game server with the ZapX panel. ARK: Survival Ascended is offered on a Windows VPS. Pick the matching page before you order.
In Europe, the US and at partner locations worldwide.
ZAP-Hosting runs its own locations in Dallas, Los Angeles, Ashburn, and FFM/Eygelshoven. Partner locations in Montreal, London, Singapore, and Sydney come with basic DDoS protection. Availability varies by product and location.
More questions?
Contact supportReady for the move?
Back up your files, pick your game and a location close to your players. Your new server is usually online in 60 seconds.
From €5.99 / month · Cancel anytime, effective at term end
Details checked on 21 Oct 2026
- [1] Nitrado, Valheim offer (runtime, mods), accessed 2026-10-21
- [2] Nitrado, Minecraft offer (RAM), accessed 2026-10-21
- [3] Nitrado, ARK: Survival Ascended offer (player slots, mods), accessed 2026-10-21
- [4] Nitrado, DayZ for PlayStation offer (player slots, console), accessed 2026-10-21
- [5] Nitrado, terms and conditions 2025 (section 7 runtime, subscription and advance payment), accessed 2026-10-21
- [6] Nitrado, support and FAQ (security, backups, files, billing), accessed 2026-10-21
- [7] Nitrado, data centers, accessed 2026-10-21
- [8] Nitrado, game servers (games, support, game switching), accessed 2026-10-21
- [9] Nitrado, voice servers, accessed 2026-10-21
- Prices include VAT where applicable. The “from” price is the smallest plan at the cheapest runtime and can differ by game, location and currency.
- On the game cards, the “from” price is the smallest plan we recommend for that game.
- Nitrado's details come from Nitrado's public pages (sources above) and may have changed since. We do not compare Nitrado's prices, because they vary by game, player slots and promotion. In the plan check, you describe your current server yourself.
Nitrado is a trademark of its respective owner. ZAP-Hosting is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Nitrado or marbis GmbH.
Preferred source on Google
