Comparison
Expanse Host vs ScalaCube
ScalaCube (Scalable Hosting Solutions OÜ, Estonia) is a budget-friendly game host offering plans from roughly $2/mo and a notable free tier with 6GB RAM. Its 9 Minecraft plan tiers range from 768MB to 32GB, and it also sells VPS plans with unlimited game servers. This comparison focuses on whether the low prices hold up against Expanse's disclosed hardware.
Methodology
How we compared
This comparison is published by Expanse Host. ScalaCube pricing, plan tiers, and location claims were taken from its public site as of 2026-08-04. ScalaCube's pricing varies by game and region, and its hardware specifications (CPU models, RAM type) are not consistently disclosed across all plans. Confirm current rates on ScalaCube before choosing based on cost.
Pricing and features are sourced from public listings and may have changed. Verify on ScalaCube's website before purchasing.
Overview
At a glance
Summary
ScalaCube's free tier and rock-bottom entry pricing make it attractive for casual players, but the lack of disclosed hardware specifications makes performance comparisons difficult. Expanse's $8.00/mo 4GB plan offers a known quantity — Ryzen 9 9950X, DDR5, Gen 4 NVMe, daily backups — for a price that undercuts ScalaCube's equivalent RAM tier when hardware quality is factored in. For serious servers, Expanse is the safer bet; for experimentation, ScalaCube's free tier is hard to argue with.
Features
Side-by-side comparison
ScalaCube Minecraft plans start around $2/mo for 768MB RAM, scaling to roughly $3/GB. Its free plan includes 6GB RAM with a 3.4GHz x4 CPU and 30GB SSD. Expanse Host's entry plan is $8.00/mo for 4GB RAM on a Ryzen 9 9950X with DDR5.
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $8.00/mo (4GB RAM) | ~$2/mo (768MB RAM); ~$3/GB typical for Minecraft |
| CPU | Ryzen 9 9950X (16C/32T) | Free tier: 3.4GHz x4 CPU; paid tiers: exact models not consistently disclosed |
| Memory | DDR5 RAM | Not consistently disclosed across plans |
| Storage | Gen 4 NVMe SSD, dedicated allocation that scales per plan | Free tier: 30GB SSD; paid tiers: SSD (exact type varies) |
| Locations | 4 locations: New York City, Frankfurt, Singapore, Malaysia | US, Europe, Australia, Asia (specific city list varies by game) |
| DDoS protection | Cloudflare, 500+ Tbps absorption, included | Included (specific capacity not publicly documented) |
| Free tier | No free trial | Free plan: 6GB RAM, 3.4GHz x4 CPU, 30GB SSD, 1 server |
| VPS options | VPS from $6.45/mo (V1 Micro: 1 vCPU, 2GB RAM, 30GB NVMe) | VPS plans with unlimited game servers available |
Recommendation
Which host fits you?
Choose ScalaCube if
Choose ScalaCube if you want to start with a free 6GB server, need a very small allocation below 1GB, or want VPS plans with unlimited game servers.
Choose Expanse Host if
Choose Expanse Host if you want guaranteed modern hardware, daily backups, and a straightforward 4GB entry plan at a competitive $8.00/mo without hidden spec variability.
Analysis
Where each provider shines
Strengths
ScalaCube
- Free plan with 6GB RAM — one of the most generous free tiers in the industry
- Extremely low entry pricing at ~$2/mo for small allocations
- 9 Minecraft plan tiers from 768MB to 32GB, offering granular scaling
- VPS plans with unlimited game servers for power users
- No setup fees on any plan
Strengths
Expanse Host
- 4GB RAM at $8.00/mo with disclosed Ryzen 9 9950X hardware — no guesswork about CPU performance
- DDR5 memory and Gen 4 NVMe storage vs ScalaCube's undisclosed specs
- Daily automated backups included on every plan
- 20% regional pricing discount automatically applied in 10 eligible countries
- DDoS protection rated at 500+ Tbps via Cloudflare
Questions
Common questions
Related
More comparisons
Still evaluating? Review Expanse plans if we fit your use case — or stay with ScalaCube if that is the better match.