OOTP hosting vs running your own FTP server
A $5 VPS running vsftpd will host an OOTP league perfectly well. This is what you take on when you do it, and when that trade is worth making.
Updated September 14, 2026
Running your own server is the cheapest option at scale and gives you total control. If you already administer Linux boxes, this is a genuinely reasonable choice and you do not need a service for it.
What you are signing up for is ongoing operations: TLS certificates, passive port ranges, firewall rules, chroot jails, user management, and backups — plus being on call when a manager cannot connect an hour before the sim.
Side by side
| SimHosts | Self-hosted VPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $5–20 | $4–6 for a small VPS |
| Initial setup | About two minutes | An evening, if you know vsftpd |
| FTP server config | Done | vsftpd or proftpd, by hand |
| Passive port range + firewall | Done | You open and maintain it |
| TLS certificates | Managed and renewed | certbot, and renewal monitoring |
| Per-league isolation | Chroot jail per league, automatic | You build it |
| Credential rotation | One click | Linux user management |
| Backups | Nightly, off-site, tracked | You script and verify it |
| Public league page | Built in | Build it, or serve raw HTML |
| Who is on call | Us | You |
| Control | Bounded by the platform | Total |
Choose self-hosted vps when
- You already run Linux servers and this is an hour of familiar work.
- You want to host many leagues cheaply and do not mind the operations.
- You need something unusual the platform does not offer.
- Running the server is the part you actually enjoy.
Choose SimHosts when
- You want to commission a league, not administer a server.
- You do not want to debug vsftpd passive ranges before a sim.
- You want backups and TLS renewal to be somebody else’s problem.
- The league page, ledger, and GM onboarding are worth more than the price gap.
Frequently asked
- Can I host an OOTP league on my own VPS?
- Yes. A small VPS running vsftpd with FTPS on port 21, a passive port range open in the firewall, and a chroot jail per league will host OOTP leagues reliably. Expect an evening of setup if you are comfortable with Linux.
- Can I host an OOTP league from my home computer?
- Technically yes, but it is a poor idea. You would need a static IP or dynamic DNS, port forwarding through your router, and your machine online whenever a manager wants to download or export. Most residential ISPs also block or throttle inbound server traffic.
- What is the hardest part of self-hosting for OOTP?
- Passive mode. FTP needs a range of data ports open and correctly advertised to the client, and getting that wrong produces Error -201 for your managers while appearing to work for you locally.
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