ESN vs Shockbyte: Minecraft hosting compared honestly
Shockbyte and ESN both host Minecraft servers. Here are both price lists side by side, what each one includes, and when each is the better pick.
All Shockbyte prices below were copied from Shockbyte's own pages on November 3, 2026. ESN prices are the regular monthly prices from the ESN plans page. Prices change, so check both sites before you buy.
Shockbyte Minecraft prices (checked Nov 3, 2026) #
Shockbyte sells two Minecraft lines: premium plans and budget plans. On the day we checked, the premium page showed every plan with a "30% off recurring" promotion. We list the normal price and the promoted price exactly as shown.
| Shockbyte plan | RAM | Listed price/month | Shown with 30% off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dirt | 1 GB | $3.99 | $2.79 |
| Sand | 2 GB | $7.99 | $5.59 |
| Cobblestone | 3 GB | $11.99 | $8.39 |
| Iron | 4 GB | $15.99 | $11.19 |
| Gold | 5 GB | $19.99 | $13.99 |
| Redstone | 6 GB | $23.99 | $16.79 |
| Diamond | 7 GB | $27.99 | $19.59 |
| Emerald | 8 GB | $31.99 | $22.39 |
| Obsidian | 9 GB | $35.99 | $25.19 |
| Spartan | 10 GB | $39.99 | $27.99 |
| Zeus | 12 GB | $47.99 | $33.59 |
| Custom | 17 GB and up | from $67.83 | from $47.48 |
Budget line (no promotion shown):
| Shockbyte budget plan | RAM | Price/month |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | 1 GB | $1.99 |
| Survivor | 2 GB | $3.99 |
| Explorer | 3 GB | $5.99 |
| Warrior | 6 GB | $11.99 |
| Mage | 8 GB | $15.99 |
Sources: Shockbyte Minecraft hosting and Shockbyte budget Minecraft hosting, checked Nov 3, 2026. Shockbyte's site did not list a Discord bot hosting plan when we checked, so this page compares Minecraft only.
Same RAM, side by side #
ESN's general plans can run Minecraft (the plans FAQ says Paper, Purpur, Fabric and Vanilla need at least 1 GB, Geyser 1.5 GB, Forge or NeoForge 2 GB). The ESN Pro Minecraft plans add more CPU for modded and busy servers.
| RAM | Shockbyte budget | Shockbyte premium (listed / promo) | ESN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | $1.99 | $3.99 / $2.79 | ESN Basic $0.99 |
| 2 GB | $3.99 | $7.99 / $5.59 | ESN Advanced $1.79 |
| 3 GB | $5.99 | $11.99 / $8.39 | ESN Pro (3 GB) $2.49 |
| 6 GB | $11.99 | $23.99 / $16.79 | ESN Ultra $6.99 |
| 8 GB | $15.99 | $31.99 / $22.39 | ESN Extreme $7.99, or ESN Pro 8GB (Minecraft, 400% CPU) $9.99 |
| 12 GB | not listed | $47.99 / $33.59 | ESN Max $13.49, or ESN Pro 12GB $14.99 |
| 16 GB | not listed | custom from 17 GB | ESN Pro 16GB $19.99 |
Price per GB of RAM
- Shockbyte budget: $1.99 to $2.00 per GB.
- Shockbyte premium: $3.99 to $4.00 per GB listed, about $2.79 to $2.80 per GB with the promotion shown.
- ESN: $0.90 to $1.25 per GB (ESN Advanced $0.90, ESN Extreme about $1.00, ESN Pro Minecraft plans about $1.25).
What each one includes #
| Shockbyte | ESN | |
|---|---|---|
| Locations | Worldwide: North America (5 sites listed, incl. Oregon, California, Virginia, Quebec, Texas), Europe, Asia, Australia | United States: Chicago and New York |
| Support | 24/7 support listed | Tickets in the ESN Systems Discord and live chat on the panel |
| DDoS protection | Listed on every server | Not listed on the plans page; ask in Discord |
| Backups | Backups shown as a panel feature | Not included; daily backups add-on available, or download your files any time |
| Modpacks | One-click modpack and plugin installer (CurseForge, FTB, Technic, ATLauncher) | Upload the server pack yourself or use the importer |
| Panel | Shockbyte's own control panel | Pterodactyl panel: console, file manager, SFTP, startup settings, schedules, subusers |
| Refunds and billing | 72-hour self-serve refund; monthly, quarterly or annual | Monthly or yearly via Stripe, cancel any time |
| Biggest plan | Custom plans from 17 GB | 16 GB (ESN Pro 16GB) |
Shockbyte details are from its Minecraft page and Hardware & Locations page. ESN details are from the plans page and what every plan includes.
When Shockbyte is the better pick #
- Your players are outside the US. Shockbyte lists servers in Europe, Asia and Australia. ESN runs in Chicago and New York only.
- You want one-click modpacks. Shockbyte has an installer for CurseForge, FTB, Technic and ATLauncher packs. On ESN you upload the server pack yourself.
- You need more than 16 GB. Shockbyte offers custom plans from 17 GB. ESN tops out at 16 GB.
- You want 24/7 support and DDoS protection stated up front. Both are listed on Shockbyte's pages.
- You want a short refund window to try it. Shockbyte lists a 72-hour self-serve refund.
When ESN is the better pick #
- Price per GB. At every RAM size we compared, ESN's regular price was lower than both Shockbyte lines, for example 8 GB at $7.99 to $9.99 versus $15.99 (budget) or $31.99 listed (premium).
- Your players are in or near the US. Chicago and New York cover most of North America well.
- You also run a Discord bot. ESN hosts bots from $0.50/month on the same account and panel. Shockbyte did not list bot hosting.
- You want the same panel for everything: Minecraft, bots, other game servers and websites.
Moving from Shockbyte to ESN #
- Pick an ESN plan with at least the RAM you use now. See how much RAM a Minecraft server needs.
- Stop your Shockbyte server and note its SFTP or FTP details.
- On ESN, open your server, go to Settings and use Import from your old host to pull your files over (up to 20 GB, at no extra cost).
- Pick the same server software and version in Startup settings, then start the server.
Prefer to upload it yourself? See upload your Minecraft world.
ESN Hosting facts
- Company: ESN Systems (ESN Hosting), esnoffical.com
- Hosts: Discord and Telegram bots, Minecraft (Paper, Purpur, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Bedrock, Geyser crossplay), Terraria, Factorio, Valheim and other game servers, websites, VPS-lite containers
- Prices: bot hosting from $0.50/month; Minecraft-ready plans from 1 GB ($0.99/month) up to 16 GB ($19.99/month); full list at panel.esnoffical.com/plans
- Bot languages: Python, Node.js, Java, TypeScript, Go, Rust, C# and more
- Server location: United States (Chicago and New York)
- Billing: monthly or yearly in USD through Stripe, cancel any time
- Panel: web console, file manager, SFTP, schedules, subusers, built-in importer
- Support: ESN Systems Discord and live chat on the panel
FAQ #
Is Shockbyte cheaper than ESN?
Not on the prices we checked on November 3, 2026. Shockbyte's budget plans were about $2 per GB and its premium plans about $4 per GB listed. ESN's plans were between $0.90 and $1.25 per GB.
Does Shockbyte host Discord bots?
We did not find a Discord bot hosting plan on Shockbyte's site when we checked. ESN hosts Discord bots from $0.50/month.
Can I move my world from Shockbyte to ESN?
Yes. Use the importer in your ESN server's Settings with your Shockbyte SFTP or FTP details, or download the world and upload it with the file manager or SFTP.
Does ESN include backups like Shockbyte?
ESN plans do not include backup slots. A daily backups add-on is available, and you can download your files any time with the file manager or SFTP.
Sources: Shockbyte Minecraft server hosting (premium plans) (checked Nov 3, 2026) · Shockbyte budget Minecraft hosting (checked Nov 3, 2026) · Shockbyte Hardware & Locations (checked Nov 3, 2026)
Still stuck? Use the live chat on the panel or ask in the ESN Systems Discord. Last updated November 3, 2026.