What comes with a GuavaHost server

Every GuavaHost plan includes the same core kit: a control panel, a live console, full file access, SFTP, scheduled tasks, backups, DDoS protection and instant setup. Here is what each one actually does for you.

6 min read · Updated Oct 21, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team

The short version: you are not renting a stripped back box that you then pay to make usable. The tools you need to run a server are in every plan, and the things that differ between plans are size and location, not whether you are allowed to edit a config file.

A control panel you actually control

Your servers and your billing live in one place, the GuavaHost control panel at customer.guavahost.com. Sign in, open My servers, click Manage, and you are looking at the server itself: its status, its address, the power buttons (Start, Restart, Stop and Force stop) and the full server menu down the side.

There is no "submit a ticket to restart your server" step here. You press the button. Getting around your new control panel is the full tour, and Panel tour is the two-minute version if you just want to know which tab does what.

The live console, with a command box

The Console tab is your server's live log, the running commentary of everything it does: boot messages, players joining and leaving, plugin errors, crashes. The box at the bottom sends commands straight to the server, so you can op yourself, whitelist a friend or broadcast a message without being in game.

This is also where you find out why something broke. Using the console covers the command box, and reading logs and crash reports shows you how to get from a generic error to the real cause.

Full file access, two ways

The Files tab is a file browser. You can open config files and edit them in the browser, upload from your computer, pull a file straight from a link with Download from a link, and Unpack a .zip. Nothing is hidden from you, so a mod, a plugin, a custom map or a hand written config all go in the same way they would on a machine you owned.

For big uploads, or a whole world folder, SFTP is steadier. SFTP (a secure way to move files directly between your computer and your server) is included on every plan, and the details sit under Connection details on the Settings tab, in File access (SFTP). Uploading files with SFTP walks through it with a free client.

Scheduled tasks

The Scheduled tasks page runs things for you on a timer: a nightly restart, a weekly backup, a console command, or a chat warning followed by a restart a few minutes later. If your server has no schedules yet the page offers one-click starters for exactly those jobs.

A nightly restart is the single highest value thing most new owners set up, because memory use creeps up the longer a server stays online. Setting up an automatic daily restart takes about two minutes.

Backups

The Backups page saves a copy of every file on your server as it is right now, and you can restore it later. Take one before you install anything, change a world setting or update a version. Restoring overwrites what is currently on the server, so it is a safety net rather than a merge.

The number of quick backup slots depends on the plan, and quick backups live on the same machine as the server. If the server is something you genuinely cannot afford to lose, Daily Off-site Backups is an optional upgrade that copies the whole thing to separate cloud storage every day. How often should you back up? helps you pick a rhythm.

DDoS protection and the network

Free, always-on DDoS protection is included from the moment your server goes live, in every location. It filters flood traffic at the network edge so real players keep getting through, and it needs no setup from you. It is worth knowing what it does not cover, which is in-game griefing, a stolen password or a cheater: how DDoS protection works is clear about the line.

Storage is NVMe SSD, which matters most when your server is loading chunks or saving a big world.

Instant setup

Your server is created within seconds of the order going through, not after a human reviews it. You can be pressing Start before the confirmation email has finished arriving. Your first day is the short list of what to do once you are in, and if the panel is empty when you look, paid but the server is not ready explains the handful of reasons why.

The ability to change your mind later

Nothing you pick at checkout is permanent.

Plan changes are prorated, so you are not punished for starting small and growing. For what the sizes mean in practice, choosing your first game and plan size and how much RAM do you need do the sizing work for you.

Extra ports, sub-users and an audit trail

A few things in the panel come as standard but are easy to miss:

• Ports. The Ports & network card on the Overview lists every port your server has, and you can add, label and repoint them yourself, up to six per server. Handy for RCON, a query port, voice chat or a live map.
• People. Give a friend access to the server without handing over your account password, with only the permissions you choose. See giving a friend access with sub-users.
• Activity. A log of who did what and when, which settles arguments quickly.
• Migration. Copy files in from another host over SFTP. See migrating from another host.
• Databases. MySQL databases for plugins that need one, on plans that include them. See creating a MySQL database.

Support

Our team is online 24/7, in Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and through guavahost.com/support. You do not need a support plan to get help, and reading a log with you is a normal request, not a favour.

What costs extra

To be straight about it: the optional things are an upgrade, not part of the base kit. Daily Off-site Backups is an add-on. More RAM, more storage or a different location is a plan change. Everything described above is in every plan. Current sizes and figures live on the pricing page and each game page, because those are the numbers that change.

Common questions

Do I get full file access on the cheapest plan?

Yes. Every plan has the same panel, the same Files tab and the same SFTP access, whatever its size. The plan decides how much RAM, storage and backup space you get, not which tools you are allowed to touch.

Can I install any mod or plugin I want?

If the game supports it, you can install it. There is no approved list, and you upload files yourself through the Files tab or SFTP. Stick to well known sources, because an untrustworthy plugin is still a risk on any host.

Is DDoS protection something I have to turn on?

No, it is always on from the moment the server goes live, in every location, and there is nothing to configure. The only thing to be aware of is that it protects the network, so it does not stop someone griefing your base or guessing a weak password.

What happens if I pick the wrong size or location?

You change it. RAM goes up or down under Manage plan with prorated billing, and the location changes from the Overview. Both are self service, so the usual advice is to start at a sensible size and grow when the server tells you it needs it.

Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.

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