Does Pufferfish Host offer VPS plans?

Yes, they have VPS plans with dedicated resources and SSH access, separate from their game server plans.

What is the difference between Budget and Premium on Pufferfish?

Budget plans use shared CPU cores, while Premium plans provide dedicated CPU resources. Premium also includes ECC memory and higher performance guarantees.

Does Expanse Host have ECC memory?

No, Expanse Host uses DDR5 non-ECC memory. For most game servers, this is not a practical issue, but if you require ECC for stability, Pufferfish is the safer choice.

Comparison

Game Server HostingLast verified Aug 4, 2026Published by Expanse Host

Expanse Host vs Pufferfish Host

Pufferfish Host is a European game server provider that emphasizes dedicated resources and ECC memory for stability. With only two locations, it targets players who prioritize hardware reliability over geographic spread. This comparison evaluates its offerings against Expanse Host's global footprint and lower entry price.

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Methodology

How we compared

This comparison is published by Expanse Host. Pufferfish Host pricing, hardware claims, and location list were taken from its public site as of lastVerified. Some details are based on third-party reviews and may vary. Confirm current rates on Pufferfish Host before choosing based on cost.

Pricing and features are sourced from public listings and may have changed. Verify on Pufferfish Host's website before purchasing.

Overview

At a glance

Summary

Pufferfish Host is a solid choice for European players who value ECC memory and a strong SLA. However, Expanse Host offers a more competitive entry price, a wider location spread, and DDR5 memory, making it a better fit for most users outside Europe or those on a budget.

Features

Side-by-side comparison

Pufferfish Host's Budget plans start at $2/GB (shared CPU), while Premium plans are $2.80/GB. Expanse Host's entry VPS is $6.45/mo for 2GB RAM, and its Minecraft plan is $8/mo for 4GB RAM.

Feature	Expanse Host	Pufferfish Host
Starting price	$8.00/mo (4GB RAM, Minecraft) / $6.45/mo (2GB VPS)	$2/GB (Budget, shared CPU) – e.g., 4GB ≈ $8/mo
CPU	Ryzen 9 9950X (2 threads on Minecraft plan)	Ryzen 9 5950X (16c/32t, up to 4.9GHz)
Memory	DDR5	128GB DDR4 ECC 2666MHz
Storage	Gen 4 NVMe SSD, dedicated allocation that scales per plan (game servers and VPS)	2x NVMe SSD RAID1 (~4TB total)
Locations	New York City, Frankfurt, Singapore, Malaysia, Dallas (VPS)	Finland, Germany
DDoS protection	Cloudflare, 500+ Tbps capacity, included	Custom DDoS mitigation stack, 1Gbps uplink, 99.99% network SLA
Network	10 Gbps (VPS), unspecified for Minecraft	1Gbps up/down
Refund policy	No free trial	24-hour refund policy

Recommendation

Which host fits you?

Choose Pufferfish Host if

Choose Pufferfish Host if you need ECC memory, are based in Europe, and want a 24-hour refund window.

Choose Expanse Host if

Choose Expanse Host if you want a lower entry price, more locations, and DDR5 performance without sacrificing DDoS protection.

Analysis

Where each provider shines

Strengths

Pufferfish Host

ECC memory reduces crashes and corruption, ideal for long-running servers.
Dedicated resources on Premium plans with no overselling.
Custom DDoS mitigation stack with a 99.99% network SLA.
24-hour refund policy provides risk-free testing.
RAID1 NVMe storage for redundancy.

Strengths

Expanse Host

Lower entry price for Minecraft hosting ($8/mo for 4GB vs ~$8/mo for 4GB on Pufferfish Budget, but Expanse includes more features).
More locations, including APAC (Singapore, Malaysia) and North America.
DDR5 memory on all plans.
Daily automated backups included.
Game switch feature for 100+ games.

Questions

Common questions

Head-to-head

Game Server Hosting

Expanse Host vs Indifferent Broccoli

Game catalog overlap is high on both sides — including indie and simulation titles. Indifferent Broccoli is the better fit when a no-card trial and guide-driven self-serve support matter most. Expanse Host fits buyers who want hardware transparency, regional pricing, and infrastructure breadth without switching providers later.

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Head-to-head

Game Server Hosting

Expanse Host vs RespawnHost

RespawnHost's pay-per-use model and free-forever backups suit casual or part-time servers well, and both providers now run the same flagship CPU (Ryzen 9 9950X) on their main tier. Where Expanse Host pulls ahead is consistency and reach: the same hardware tier across every location, four regions instead of two, and flat pricing that doesn't require calculating hourly rates to know your bill.

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Head-to-head

Game Server Hosting

Expanse Host vs Nodecraft

Nodecraft's biggest advantages are location breadth and its game-swap flexibility, while Expanse counters with more RAM per dollar, fully disclosed hardware, and daily backups at the base tier. For players concentrated in North America or Europe, Expanse's 4 locations cover most needs at a lower effective cost per GB. For global communities or those needing specific regional nodes, Nodecraft's 27 locations are hard to beat.

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Alternatives

Game Server Hosting

Alternatives to Indifferent Broccoli

Indifferent Broccoli is known for its no-card free trial, guide-heavy self-serve support, and Discord-first community culture across a broad multi-game catalog. If you are comparing alternatives, you are usually looking for published CPU specs, a wider infrastructure line beyond game hosting, or a different support style. This page lists options worth evaluating — not a ranked 'best' list.

View alternatives

Still evaluating? Review Expanse plans if we fit your use case — or stay with Pufferfish Host if that is the better match.

View Expanse plans