Guides & Insights

In-depth articles on game server hosting, optimization, and getting the most out of your server.

Hosting · 10 min read

How Free Game Server Hosting Actually Works (Without the Catch)

Most free game server hosts have hidden catches. Learn how a sustainable free tier model works — earn coins, renew servers, upgrade resources, and keep full control.

Witchly Team
Guide · 10 min read

Automating Your Game Server: Schedules, Backups, and Restarts

Learn how to automate game server management with scheduled restarts, automated backups, task chaining, and cron expressions. Set it up once, run it forever.

Witchly Team
Guide · 10 min read

Game Server Databases Explained: When and How to Use MySQL

Learn when your game server needs a MySQL database, how to create one, connect plugins, troubleshoot common issues, and manage your data effectively.

Witchly Team
Minecraft · 11 min read

How to Optimize Your Minecraft Server for Maximum Performance

Technical guide to Minecraft server optimization — Paper/Purpur settings, view-distance tuning, entity limits, pre-generation, GC tuning, and Spark profiling.

Witchly Team
Security · 9 min read

Game Server Security: 10 Best Practices to Protect Your Community

Protect your game server with these 10 security best practices — from strong passwords and plugin vetting to DDoS awareness and permission management.

Witchly Team
Community · 12 min read

Building a Gaming Community: From Your First Server to 100 Players

A practical guide to growing your game server community — from finding your first players to managing a thriving 100-player server. Covers Discord, moderation, events, and retention.

Witchly Team
Hosting · 8 min read

Free vs Premium Game Server Hosting: What's the Real Difference?

An honest comparison of free and premium game server hosting — what free hosts actually offer, hidden costs, and when it makes sense to pay for hosting.

Witchly Team
Hosting · 9 min read

Understanding Game Server Resources: CPU, RAM, and Storage Explained

Learn what CPU cores, RAM, disk space, and network bandwidth actually mean for game servers — and how to read resource graphs to diagnose performance issues.

Witchly Team
Palworld · 8 min read

Setting Up a Palworld Dedicated Server: Complete Guide

Step-by-step guide to setting up a Palworld dedicated server — why you need one, configuration walkthrough, key settings, and optimization for groups of friends.

Witchly Team
Rust · 10 min read

Rust Server Administration: A Complete Beginner's Guide

First-time Rust server admin? This guide covers essential settings, wipe schedules, plugins, RCON, performance tuning, and everything you need to run a successful server.

Witchly Team
Hytale · 11 min read

Hytale Server Hosting: Everything You Need to Know

A comprehensive guide to Hytale dedicated server hosting — what Hytale is, why you need a dedicated server, modding architecture, server management essentials, and how to get started.

Witchly Team
Minecraft · 10 min read

The Complete Guide to Minecraft Modpacks in 2026

Everything you need to know about Minecraft modpacks in 2026 — top picks like ATM10, Create, and RLCraft, installation tips, server setup, and performance optimization.

Witchly Team
Minecraft · 8 min read

How to Choose the Right Minecraft Server Plan

A practical guide to choosing the right Minecraft server plan based on player count, modpacks, and server type. Avoid over-provisioning and under-provisioning.

Witchly Team
Hosting · 11 min read

Why Dedicated Resources Matter for Game Servers

Learn why over-allocation causes lag on game servers and how dedicated CPU, RAM, storage, and network resources deliver consistent, reliable performance for your players.

Witchly Team