Hosted vs self-hosting: the cost math
All three games publish free dedicated-server software, so the server itself costs nothing. Your costs are the hardware you already own or buy, electricity, and your time. We do not supply wattage or power-price numbers for you - plug in your own.
Formula: watts × hours per day × 30 ÷ 1000 = kWh per month; kWh × your rate = electricity cost. Measure watts with a plug-in power meter; find your rate on your utility bill or the EIA state averages below.
Then compare
Compare your monthly figure with the recurring (not first-month) price for the RAM you need on the Minecraft, Valheim or Palworld pages.
Things money does not show
- Self-hosting usually means opening a port on your router and keeping your PC on; your home IP is exposed to players.
- Your home upload speed limits how many players can join comfortably.
- Hosts handle backups, DDoS filtering and uptime (per their own claims); at home those are on you.
- Check your ISP terms - some residential plans restrict running servers.