MUD Hosting directory
A curated collection of infrastructure providers, security tools, and monitoring services optimized for hosting persistent text-based game worlds. This directory focuses on low-latency, high-uptime solutions suitable for legacy C codebases and modern MUD engines.

Showing 12 of 12 entries
DigitalOcean Droplets
paidVirtual private servers with SSD storage and predictable monthly pricing, ideal for hosting small to medium MUD instances.
Pros
- + Excellent documentation for Linux beginners
- + Snapshot feature allows for full-disk backups before code changes
- + Global data center locations for low player latency
Cons
- − Higher cost per GB of RAM compared to budget providers
- − Bandwidth overage charges can be steep
Hetzner Cloud
paidHigh-performance cloud servers based in Europe and North America with aggressive pricing for hobbyist budgets.
Pros
- + Industry-leading price-to-performance ratio
- + Native IPv6 support included
- + Fast NVMe storage for quick world-file saves
Cons
- − Identity verification process can be strict
- − Primary data centers are located in Europe
UptimeRobot
freemiumExternal monitoring service that pings your MUD port to ensure the game process is responding.
Pros
- + Free tier includes 50 monitors at 5-minute intervals
- + Supports custom port monitoring (e.g., 4000, 23)
- + Mobile app alerts for immediate crash notification
Cons
- − Free tier does not include heartbeat monitoring
- − SMS alerts require a paid plan
Rclone
open-sourceCommand-line utility to sync MUD player files and source code to cloud storage providers.
Pros
- + Supports over 40 different cloud storage backends
- + Can be easily scripted into a cron job
- + Encryption options for sensitive player data
Cons
- − Command-line only interface
- − Requires manual configuration for each provider
Fail2Ban
open-sourceIntrusion prevention software that protects your server from brute-force attacks on SSH and MUD ports.
Pros
- + Reduces resource waste from bot connection attempts
- + Highly customizable filter rules for specific MUD logs
- + Lightweight and runs in the background
Cons
- − Can accidentally ban legitimate players with unstable connections
- − Requires log parsing configuration
Healthchecks.io
freemiumA 'Dead Man's Switch' for cron jobs, ensuring your automated backups and scripts are actually running.
Pros
- + Simple integration via curl or wget
- + Alerts you if a backup script fails to complete
- + Generous free tier for personal projects
Cons
- − Only monitors script execution, not server health
- − Requires internet connectivity from the host
Tailscale
freemiumZero-config VPN that allows secure admin access to your MUD server without exposing management ports to the public internet.
Pros
- + Secure SSH access without opening port 22 to the world
- + Easy setup on Linux, Windows, and mobile
- + Works across NAT and firewalls
Cons
- − Requires installing a client on all admin devices
- − Adds a dependency on a third-party identity provider
Mosh (Mobile Shell)
open-sourceA replacement for SSH that handles intermittent connectivity and roaming, perfect for administering MUDs from mobile devices.
Pros
- + Keeps sessions alive when switching between Wi-Fi and LTE
- + Provides local echo for reduced perceived latency
- + Excellent for quick admin fixes on the go
Cons
- − Requires a range of UDP ports to be open on the firewall
- − Does not support scrollback in the same way SSH does
DigitalOcean
paidCloud VPS hosting with straightforward Linux setup for deploying and scaling MUD servers.
Pros
- + Simple VM provisioning
- + Good documentation for Linux networking and firewalls
- + Predictable pricing tiers
Cons
- − Self-managed infrastructure
- − Advanced networking features may increase complexity
Docker Hub (i386 Images)
freemiumRepository for 32-bit container images, essential for running legacy MUD codebases (ROM, Circle, Merc) on modern 64-bit hosts.
Pros
- + Isolates legacy library dependencies from the host OS
- + Easily replicate the exact build environment across servers
- + Simplifies migration between different hosting providers
Cons
- − Requires learning Docker containerization
- − Slight overhead compared to bare-metal execution
Backblaze B2
paidExtremely low-cost object storage for long-term archival of MUD world backups and player logs.
Pros
- + Significantly cheaper than Amazon S3
- + No minimum storage duration
- + Simple API compatible with S3 tools
Cons
- − Egress fees apply when downloading backups
- − Web interface is basic
Netdata
freemiumReal-time performance monitoring tool that helps identify CPU spikes or memory leaks in your MUD process.
Pros
- + Per-second granularity for performance metrics
- + Zero-configuration auto-detection of system services
- + Beautiful web-based dashboard for resource tracking
Cons
- − Can be resource-intensive on very small VPS instances
- − Collects a vast amount of data that may be overkill for simple MUDs