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Nodecraft review | TechRadar
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Nodecraft is a relatively new company which focuses on providing a friendly gamer aesthetic to all your hosting needs. It’s already one of the best Minecraft server hosting providers thanks to offering some unique features compared to the competition.
I’ve focused on Minecraft here but Nodecraft also provides support for many other games like Rust, Valheim, and Enshrouded. Nodecraft has quickly gained a reputation for providing reliable and user-friendly server hosting solutions.
Here’s a deeper look at what makes Nodecraft stand out among a growing crowd of game server hosting. It’s not perfect but it’s worth checking out.
Nodecraft features
One of the standout features of Nodecraft is its backup system. With this system, you can create an exact copy of your server’s files, including player data, configurations, and maps. This allows you to test new configurations without risking your current setup. In addition, Nodecraft’s backup system allows you to instantly load a previous backup if something goes wrong with your server. This can be a real lifesaver for gamers and developers who want to ensure that their game server is always running smoothly.
Nodecraft’s real-time console is another standout feature. The console provides direct access to logs, admin commands, and other useful utilities. Kicking players, assigning admins, and monitoring performance can all be accomplished right in your browser. What sets Nodecraft’s console apart is that it is directly streamed from the server to your browser within milliseconds. Behind the scenes, NodePanel scans this output for events such as player joins, server crashes, and other useful information to provide you with a real-time glance at what is going on in your server.
Security is a top priority for Nodecraft, and the company has created a system that allows you to generate a new login for each FTP session. This information is easily hidden from the overview for added security and privacy. This feature ensures that your files are as safe as possible while still allowing you to manage them efficiently.
Nodecraft’s web-based file manager streams files from your server directly to your browser. You can edit, upload, and manage files without the need for downloading or using confusing software. This feature makes it easy for you to manage your files.
With NodePanel, all of your services exist with one singular login. Access everything under one account, directly at Nodecraft. No separate logins, no additional subdomains, and no hassle. This feature makes it easy for you to manage your accounts and services without having to remember multiple logins and passwords.
Nodecraft’s servers are built with game server performance in mind. The company uses an Intel Xeon E-2174G or equivalent processor with a speed of 3.8+ GHz. Additionally, each server has 64GB ECC RAM for high-speed performance and stability.
Nodecraft uses enterprise-grade solid-state drives (SSDs) to power all customer game servers, ensuring lightning-fast performance. Also, Nodecraft’s DDoS protection and high-performance network are built to withstand attacks and ensure that your game server is always up and running. Nodecraft’s entire infrastructure is built on top of a Linux ecosystem which ensures that your game server runs smoothly and efficiently.
Server management
Server management is a crucial aspect of game server hosting, as it directly impacts the player experience. Nodecraft offers a wide range of server locations, spread across North America, South America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. This ensures that players can enjoy low-latency, high-performance gaming experiences, regardless of where they’re located in the world. In North America, Nodecraft has server locations in Washington, California, Colorado, Texas, Chicago, Atlanta, Florida, Canada, and Washington, D.C.
This extensive coverage ensures that players on the continent can find a server location that’s closest to them, thereby reducing latency with improved game performance. Moving to South America, Nodecraft has a server location in São Paulo, Brazil. This location offers gamers in the region access to a low-latency server that is optimized for high-performance gaming. In Europe, Nodecraft has server locations in Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Romania. This coverage ensures that players in the region can access servers that are closest to their location and as such, minimize latency and offer improved game performance.
Also, in the Asia-Pacific region, Nodecraft has server locations in Israel, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. With server locations spread across the region, players can expect low-latency gaming experiences. Having server locations in multiple regions is a critical feature for any game server hosting provider, as it ensures that players can enjoy optimal gaming experiences.
Interface in-use
The Nodecraft control panel provides a user-friendly interface for managing your game servers. The Interactive GUI has been designed to make it easy for anyone, regardless of their technical knowledge, to modify server settings with ease. The panel is intuitive and visually appealing, with a clean and simple layout that allows you to quickly navigate through the different sections. This interface can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, making it convenient for you to manage your servers on the go.
The Nodecraft Interactive GUI provides a wide range of options that allow you to customize your game server to your liking. For instance, you can use the interface to change the server’s game settings, such as difficulty level, game mode, and more. You can also upload mods, maps, and plugins with ease through the built-in file manager. Additionally, the panel allows you to monitor server performance metrics like CPU and memory usage, so you can optimize your server for better performance.
If you prefer to modify server settings manually, Nodecraft also offers access to all of the server’s game files. This means you can use an FTP client to connect to your server and edit configuration files directly. Advanced users who prefer to use command line tools like SSH can do so as well. Nodecraft provides a wide range of tools to cater to different user preferences and technical abilities. Overall, the Nodecraft control panel is user-friendly for managing game servers, however, it may be overwhelming for beginners.
Pricing
Nodecraft offers four different pricing plans to fit a variety of needs and budgets. The first plan is the most basic plan, which starts at $9.98 per month. This plan includes 3 save and swap servers, 2GB of RAM, 10GB of SSD storage, 20GB of cloud backups, unlimited player slots, automation and tasks, one-click installer, free subdomain and dedicated IP, and DDoS Guard protection. The most popular plan is the second pricing option, starting at $19.98 per month. This plan offers 3 save and swap servers, 4GB of RAM, 20GB of SSD storage, 40GB of cloud backups, and all the other features included in the Nano plan.
The third pricing plan starts at $29.98 per month. This plan offers 5 save and swap servers, 6GB of RAM, 30GB of SSD storage, 60GB of cloud backups, and all the other features included in the first two plans. From there, you can create your own server if you need more. All of these plans come with the option to add additional resources for an additional fee, including more RAM, SSD storage, and cloud backups. Nodecraft also offers a 7-day money-back guarantee, so if you’re not satisfied with the service within the first week, you can cancel and receive a full refund.
Customer support
Nodecraft offers a variety of support options to assist its customers with issues or questions they may have. One of the easiest and most convenient options is their live chat feature, which is available on their website 24/7. While testing this out, I was connected with a support representative and receive real-time assistance with a question I had about setup. If you prefer to speak with someone directly, Nodecraft offers phone support during its support hours of 12:30 AM – 09:00 AM. For less urgent matters, customers can also send an email to support@nodecraft.com. Nodecraft’s support team aims to respond to all emails within 24 hours, although response times may vary depending on the volume of inquiries.
In addition to these support options, Nodecraft also offers an extensive knowledge base that contains helpful articles and guides on a variety of topics, such as server setup, game configuration, and troubleshooting common issues. You can browse the knowledge base to find answers to your questions or learn more about the features and capabilities of Nodecraft’s platform.
Alternatives to Nodecraft
Shockbyte offers affordable Minecraft server hosting with instant setup, a user-friendly control panel, and 24/7 customer support. It has servers in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Singapore. Shockbyte offers plans starting at $15/month for a server with 1GB of RAM.
Apex Hosting is a Minecraft server hosting provider that offers a wide range of plans to fit different needs and budgets. Apex has servers located in North America, Europe, and Asia and offers features such as DDoS protection, and automatic backups.
GameServers is a Minecraft server hosting company that provides reliable and affordable game server hosting for a variety of games, including popular titles like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Team Fortress 2, and Garry’s Mod. GameServers offer a range of plans with various features and benefits to suit different needs and budgets.
GTXGaming offers Minecraft server hosting services for a range of popular games, such as Garry’s Mod, ARK: Survival Evolved, and Conan Exiles. It has servers located in multiple regions for low-latency gameplay, and its control panel allows for easy server customization and management. It also offers 24/7 customer support.
BisectHosting is a popular Minecraft server hosting provider that offers affordable and reliable hosting for a variety of games, including Minecraft, Ark: Survival Evolved, and Rust. BisectHosting offers a user-friendly control panel and 24/7 customer support. Pricing starts at $7.99/month for a server with 1GB of RAM.
Is Nodecraft right for you?
Nodecraft may be right for you if you prioritize DDoS protection, low latency, 99.9% uptime, and data centers around the world. Its excellent support through calls, emails, and live chat, as well as a free trial and money-back guarantee, can also be appealing. However, if you prefer a user-friendly control panel, note that Nodecraft’s built-in control panel may be difficult to understand at first.
