Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Left 4 Dead 2 Server Hosting

MintServers vs Crafty Servers

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score MintServers #7 in Left 4 Dead 2 Server Hosting 8.4/10 Paid ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit MintServers
Crafty Servers #9 in Left 4 Dead 2 Server Hosting 8.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Crafty Servers

MintServers leads on 0 checks, Crafty Servers on 2, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreMintServers · 8.4/10
  • Lowest starting priceCrafty Servers · $2/mo
  • Free planonly Crafty Servers
  • Most featuresMintServers · 4 of 4

MintServers scores higher on our rubric for left 4 dead 2 server hosting: 8.4 against 8.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #7 and #9.

Crafty Servers offers free plan; MintServers doesn't. Crafty Servers is cheaper to start at $2/mo against $9.99/mo.

MintServers is the better fit for L4D2 mod and plugin users. Crafty Servers is the better fit for budget users wanting a free starting option.

  • MintServers fits best

    L4D2 mod and plugin users

  • Crafty Servers fits best

    Budget users wanting a free starting option

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature MintServers 8.4/10 Visit ↗ Crafty Servers 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.4 8.1
Ranking #7 in Left 4 Dead 2 Server Hosting #9 in Left 4 Dead 2 Server Hosting
Best for L4D2 mod and plugin users Budget users wanting a free starting option
Pricing model Paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $9.99/mo $2/mo (best)
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Support Email, Live chat, Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7 Email, Live chat, Tickets · 24/7
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Small business
Features MintServers 4/4 · Crafty Servers 3/4
Mod support ✓ ✓
Plugin support ✓ ✓
File access ✓ ✓
DDoS protection ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Maximum player slots 8 slots Not checked yet
Server locations 10 locations Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • MetaMod, SourceMod, plugin, and Workshop support
  • Instant setup with file browsing and editing
  • DDoS protection, 10 locations, and 24/7 support
  • Free tier for small private or public sessions
  • One-click Valve dedicated-server installation
  • Paid plans add SFTP, schedules, and backups
Cons
  • The category order flow lists a maximum of 8 player slots
  • No free plan is available
  • Cloud backups and priority support start with the MAX plan
  • Free servers pause after six hours idle
  • Paid file access starts only on paid sizes
  • DDoS protection is not verified
Our verdict

MintServers provides hosted Left 4 Dead 2 servers for players, communities, and server administrators. Its feature set centers on practical server management: instant setup, a custom gaming control panel, file browsing and editing, server…

Read the review →

Crafty Servers provides dedicated hosting for Left 4 Dead 2 sessions, including private or public co-op, versus, and custom-map play. It is aimed primarily at small communities that want a web-based dashboard rather than server…

Read the review →
  1. MintServersLeft 4 Dead 2 Server Hosting 8.4Paid
  2. Crafty ServersLeft 4 Dead 2 Server Hosting 8.1Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • MintServers — where it wins

    • MetaMod, SourceMod, plugin, and Workshop support
    • Instant setup with file browsing and editing
    • DDoS protection, 10 locations, and 24/7 support

    Where it doesn't

    • The category order flow lists a maximum of 8 player slots
    • No free plan is available
    • Cloud backups and priority support start with the MAX plan
  • Crafty Servers — where it wins

    • Free tier for small private or public sessions
    • One-click Valve dedicated-server installation
    • Paid plans add SFTP, schedules, and backups

    Where it doesn't

    • Free servers pause after six hours idle
    • Paid file access starts only on paid sizes
    • DDoS protection is not verified

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update