How much a FiveM RP server costs (over 12 months)

01What goes into the cost of a FiveM server

A roleplay server is not one product, it is an assembly. Whatever route you take, the same spending lines come back every time, and what matters is their total, not the sticker price of the first one.

1. The base: the framework (ESX, QBCore or QBox) and the scripts that make a city. It is usually bought once, sometimes rented monthly.
2. Setup: putting the base on a machine, creating the database, tuning the files. You either do it yourself or pay for it.
3. Hosting: the machine that runs the server, paid every month. Its size depends on how many players you are aiming for.
4. Anti-DDoS protection: an RP server that gets noticed attracts attacks, and protection built for game traffic is not always part of the deal.
5. Maintenance: a developer who fixes, updates and adapts scripts whenever FiveM or a script changes.

A sixth line never appears on an invoice: your time. Every hour spent in config files is an hour not spent running the city, recruiting staff and welcoming players.

02GTA RP server prices, line by line

Here are the ranges seen for a 64 to 128 player server. They are wide because the market is: a translated base sold on a forum has little in common with a base that is properly built and supported.

03The base: a one-off purchase that does not stay one-off

The price of a base is the most visible number, and often the smallest. A bought base is frozen at the version you paid for: when FiveM moves to a new game build, or when a script it ships is fixed upstream, applying the fix is on you, or on someone you pay.

Some sellers rent their base monthly, at roughly €40 to €75, with no machine and no setup. The maths changes shape but not substance: the base is still one line among several. The specific risks of packs, free bases and leaks are covered in the guide on FiveM server packs.

04The developer, the line everyone underestimates

Over twelve months, this is often the heaviest line. A freelance developer charges €15 to €80 an hour, and even a server that runs well needs a few hours of their time every month:

• applying base and script updates, then checking nothing broke;
• fixing bugs reported by players;
• adjusting the economy, salaries and jobs, which all live in files;
• adding a new script without it clashing with the ones already there.

05Hosting and anti-DDoS: paying for a machine that holds up

For 64 to 128 players, a dedicated server rents for €30 to €150 a month depending on the machine. Protection against denial-of-service attacks is sometimes included, sometimes sold as an add-on at up to €50 a month. An RP server that drops mid-scene loses players, and they do not always come back.

The detailed comparison between a bare host and a hosted, maintained server is in FiveM RP hosting.

06Three typical budgets over twelve months

Here are three 128 player servers, from the tightest budget to the most comfortable. Every assumption is written in the table: swap in your own quotes, the method stays the same.

In year two, the base and setup are not paid again: the mid-range budget drops to around €1,680. It climbs back as soon as you need a newer base, a fresh install or a bigger machine.

07The same maths with a Nova subscription

Nova does not sell a base: it is a per-server subscription that covers the base, its hosting, its updates and support. Your server is installed automatically when you subscribe, with no setup fee, on OVH Game dedicated servers behind their anti-DDoS tuned for FiveM.

At 128 players, NOVA+ costs €1,788 for a year paid monthly, or €1,490 paid yearly, where ten months cover twelve. That is the level of the mid-range budget, with no developer to pay to keep the base current and no install to do. The tight budget is still cheaper in euros; it stops being cheaper once you count the hours you put in.

• The 67 modules of the base, from police to phone, banking and properties: the full list.
• In-game settings with /admin: jobs, salaries, economy, items and permissions, with no file to edit.
• Updates, applied at the server's next restart, database migrations included.
• OneSync Infinity, NVMe drives, a Tebex store linked to your server and a connected Discord bot.

Before the first stable version, only the plans that include beta channel access can be bought. The pricing page shows which ones are open today.

08What you still pay for with Nova

A subscription does not make every line disappear. To compare fairly, keep these in your numbers.

• The Cfx key, which every FiveM server needs: you create it on the Cfx.re portal, Cfx sets its terms, and Nova does not sell it.
• Your own custom scripts and maps: they go into the resources/[client] folder from your account area (how it works), but buying or building them is up to you.
• NOVA INFINITY extras, if you take any: €0.20 a month per slot beyond 256 players, €5 a month per extra database or per 10 GB block of storage.
• The human side: staff, moderation, writing the city lore, events. No plan replaces that.

09How to choose for your project

• You want to learn FiveM and do everything yourself: a bought base and a small machine are enough to start, as long as you are happy to spend your evenings on it.
• You have a developer you trust and a very specific project: the mid-range or comfortable budget makes sense, because you are paying for custom work.
• You want to open a city and look after your players rather than your files: an all-inclusive subscription costs about the same as the mid-range budget and removes its least predictable line, maintenance.

Starting from scratch? The guide to starting a GTA RP server walks through the steps one by one. To compare plans and see what you can buy today, head to the pricing page.

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