Comparison
Expanse Host vs PebbleHost
PebbleHost splits Minecraft hosting into a lower-cost Budget tier on older hardware and a Premium tier with newer CPUs and DDR5. Expanse Host uses the same Ryzen 9 9950X and DDR5 on every game plan, with flat plan pricing instead of per-GB math across tiers.
Methodology
How we compared
This comparison is published by Expanse Host. PebbleHost hardware tiers and per-GB rates are based on public plan listings as of lastVerified. Actual hardware on Budget nodes may vary by location and capacity.
Pricing and features are sourced from public listings and may have changed. Verify on PebbleHost's website before purchasing.
Overview
At a glance
Summary
PebbleHost Budget is hard to beat on sticker price for lightweight servers. Expanse Host is simpler if you want one hardware standard across all tiers and published CPU specs from day one.
Features
Side-by-side comparison
PebbleHost Budget is commonly quoted around $1.00/GB (e.g. ~$4/mo for 4GB on Budget). Premium tier costs more for Ryzen 9900X and DDR5. Expanse Host is $8.00/mo for 4GB with Ryzen 9 9950X and DDR5 included, plus 20% regional pricing on game servers in eligible countries — compare against PebbleHost Premium, not Budget alone, for similar hardware generation intent.
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $8.00/mo (4GB RAM, dedicated CPU threads) | ~$1.00/GB on the Budget tier (e.g. ~$4/mo for 4GB) |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (16C/32T) on every plan | Ryzen 5700X / Intel i9-9900K on Budget; Ryzen 9900X on the separate, pricier Premium tier |
| RAM type | DDR5 on every plan | DDR4 on Budget; DDR5 only on Premium |
| Storage | Gen 4 NVMe SSD, dedicated allocation per plan | NVMe SSD |
| Regional pricing | 20% automatic discount on game servers in eligible regions (e.g. India, Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, Colombia, South Africa) | Per-GB and quarterly billing — no standing regional game-server discount advertised |
| Billing | Monthly by default; quarterly (5% off), semi-annual (10% off), or annual (15% off) prepay | Per-GB pricing, quarterly billing referenced on entry plans |
| Support | 24/7 via Discord and ticket | 24/7 support |
Recommendation
Which host fits you?
Choose PebbleHost if
Choose PebbleHost if you want the lowest per-GB price on Budget hardware for a small server, or if you prefer picking exact RAM amounts and only paying for Premium when you need it.
Choose Expanse Host if
Choose Expanse Host if you want current-gen CPU and DDR5 from the first plan without navigating two hardware generations, or if you may scale into VPS or dedicated hosting later.
Analysis
Where each provider shines
Strengths
PebbleHost
- Budget tier per-GB pricing is among the lower options for basic Minecraft servers on older but still capable hardware.
- Premium tier offers newer Ryzen 9900X and DDR5 for users who opt up.
- Flexible RAM sizing via per-GB model rather than fixed plan steps.
- Established game-hosting panel and 24/7 support.
Strengths
Expanse Host
- Ryzen 9 9950X and DDR5 on every plan — no separate Premium upsell for current-gen hardware.
- Gen 4 NVMe SSD with flat plan pricing and published CPU threads.
- 20% regional pricing on game servers for eligible countries, applied automatically at checkout.
- Broader product line: VPS, dedicated servers, domains, and DNS on one account.
- Daily backups on game server plans.
Questions
Common questions
Related
More comparisons
Still evaluating? Review Expanse plans if we fit your use case — or stay with PebbleHost if that is the better match.