Without Swarm Hosts
- Rent a new server for every game
- SSH into machines to troubleshoot
- Manually track ports and configs
- Teach friends how to manage the server
- Worry about backups and broken updates
- Fight port forwarding when hosting at home
Early-access game server management
Host game servers on hardware you already own.
Bring a supported Linux PC, mini PC, home server, or VPS. Swarm Hosts provides the browser control plane for launching and managing supported game servers on your hardware.
- 1 free swarmhost
- Local deployments on your hardware
- Browser-based launch and lifecycle controls
- Minecraft-first Early Access
Early Access does not currently offer paid subscriptions or upgrades. Features shown in the control plane may still be under validation and are not all available for production use.
The point
Stop rebuilding your game server setup every time.
Renting a server is easy until you need another game, another world, another clean address, another admin, or another backup before an update.
With Swarm Hosts
- Use hardware you already own
- Launch supported games from a browser
- Manage local deployments from one browser workflow
- Read server logs without exposing a host shell
- Use the documented direct-connect path for player access
- Try the smaller catalog currently enabled for Early Access
How it works
Three steps from spare hardware to playable server.
Under the hood, Swarm Hosts is a web/API control panel plus a lightweight host agent. Supported Linux hosts are the game-server path today; Windows support is limited to foundation agent and capability reporting work.
Connect your hardware
Install the Swarm Hosts agent on a supported Linux machine with Docker and let it register itself to your account.
Launch a supported game
Pick a game, choose the host, set CPU and memory limits, choose a version, and launch from the browser.
Manage it remotely
Monitor deployment state, inspect logs, and use the available lifecycle controls from the browser.
Actually useful for free
Bring the hardware. Keep the control panel.
Free is for getting one self-hosted machine under control without paying for convenience layers. Swarm Hosts does not provide unlimited compute; it makes your own compute easier to operate.
- 1 swarmhost on your own PC, mini PC, home server, or VPS
- Unlimited local deployments on that host
- Manual local backups
- Read-only server logs
- No managed relay, custom DNS, teams, remote backups, scripts, or Discord bot
Trust and control
Your server stays yours.
Swarm Hosts coordinates game servers from the browser, but the compute, world files, and host access stay on hardware you control.
No rented box required
Start with your own Linux PC, mini PC, home server, or VPS. Swarm Hosts manages the workflow; it does not take over your machine.
Tokens, not passwords
The agent registers with an account token from your Profile page. Do not share tokens publicly; rotate them if one is exposed.
Operate without handing out shell
Use browser actions, deployment logs, file management, backups, and sharing instead of giving friends direct host login access.
What Swarm Hosts handles for you
The repetitive server work moves into one browser workflow.
Early Access focuses on launching and operating supported games on your own Linux hardware. Other cataloged capabilities remain under validation.
Launch without rebuilding setup
Pick a supported game, choose your host, set CPU and memory limits, and launch from the browser.
Operate local deployments
Start, stop, restart, update, requeue, delete, and force-delete deployments from one control panel.
Inspect without host shell access
Read server logs and deployment state from the browser without exposing bash, root access, or the host filesystem.
Connect players directly
Use the documented direct-connect setup for the game you launch. Managed relay and DNS products are not currently offered for purchase.
Keep control of game data
World files remain on your host. Treat backup features beyond the verified local workflow as under validation during Early Access.
Start with one account
Use your own account to manage the current Early Access workflow. Team products are not currently offered for purchase.
Plans
Start with the verified Free boundaries.
The checked-in catalog also names Starter, Community, Pro, and Scale, but paid subscriptions and upgrades are not currently available.
Free
Free
Free self-hosting tierFor one self-hosted swarmhost and manual local operation.
- 1 swarmhost
- Unlimited local deployments
- Manual local backups
- Read-only server logs
Starter
Starter
Catalog definition — not purchasableFor a small server setup that needs relay access and clean DNS.
- Planning definition from the checked-in plan catalog
- Availability and enforcement are not yet committed
- No paid upgrade is available during Early Access
Community
Community
Catalog definition — not purchasableFor communities running multiple servers with more relay and DNS capacity.
- Planning definition from the checked-in plan catalog
- Availability and enforcement are not yet committed
- No paid upgrade is available during Early Access
Recommended
Pro
Catalog definition — not purchasableFor established communities that need teams, automation, alerts, and remote backups.
- Planning definition from the checked-in plan catalog
- Availability and enforcement are not yet committed
- No paid upgrade is available during Early Access
Scale
Scale
Catalog definition — not purchasableFor larger communities that need more seats, relay slots, DNS records, and backup capacity.
- Planning definition from the checked-in plan catalog
- Availability and enforcement are not yet committed
- No paid upgrade is available during Early Access
Docs, status, billing issues, abuse/security reports, and bug reports live outside the plan matrix. Plans focus on product capacity, not response-time promises or hands-on setup help.
Supported games
Built for the servers players actually ask for.
Early Access is intentionally focused on games we are comfortable letting real users try today. Minecraft is the flagship experience while the broader catalog stays internal for validation.
Enabled now: Minecraft Java, ARK: Survival Ascended, Factorio, Counter-Strike: Source, Garry's Mod, and Left 4 Dead 2. More games will return after validation.
Open docs
Contact
Questions, early access help, or billing notes?
Join the Swarm Hosts Discord channel or email the team directly.
FAQ
Short answers before you connect a host.
Can I really use it for free?
Yes. Bring your own supported Linux host with Docker and use Swarm Hosts as the browser control panel for deployments on that hardware. Windows is not currently a supported game-hosting runtime.
Do I still need port forwarding?
For direct public access, usually yes. Follow the setup guide for the game and network you use; a managed relay product is not currently available for purchase.
What hardware do I need?
A supported Linux PC, mini PC, home server, or VPS that can run Docker and has enough CPU, memory, disk, and ports for the game you launch.
Are paid plans available?
No. Paid subscriptions and upgrades are not available during Early Access. The named tiers are catalog definitions, not purchase offers or launch commitments.
How do backups work?
Keep independent backups of important worlds. Backup capabilities shown elsewhere in the product are still being validated and should not be treated as a paid-plan promise.
Which games are supported?
Swarm Hosts currently features Minecraft Java and a smaller validated Early Access catalog. Larger libraries will return only when the hosting experience is good enough to trust.
Start with your own hardware today
Create an account, connect a host, and launch from the browser.
Try a demo deployment if you want a quick look, then keep persistent servers on hardware you control.