---
title: "Move off a monthly host: keep your world, pay by the hour | TickServ"
description: "Leave a subscription server without losing your save: what to grab game by game, how to pack the archive, and the import pitfalls."
url: https://tickserv.com/subscription-alternative
site: "TickServ (https://tickserv.com)"
lang: en
generated: 2026-08-28
---

# The game server subscription alternative

Tired of paying for a monthly server even when no one's playing? Switch to pay-by-the-hour: you keep your world, you only pay for your sessions, and you switch in minutes. From €0.02/h.

## Why leave the monthly subscription

- **You pay for nothing** — A subscription charges for the whole month, even on the days when no one logs in.
- **Commitment & renewal** — Commitment periods, automatic renewals, painful cancellations.
- **You play in sessions** — A few hours a week with friends: a subscription isn't made for that.

## Switching takes minutes

1. **Grab your save** from your current host (the world folder).
2. **Create your server** and **import your world** (.zip / .tar.gz) at creation: your save stays untouched.
3. **Cancel your subscription**: from now on you only pay for the hours you play.

How much do you save? See the [detailed comparison](https://tickserv.com/comparison).

## What to grab from your current host

A game world is a folder. Here is what to download from your current host’s file manager, and how to pack it for the import.

| Game | What you grab | How you pack it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minecraft | the `world` folder (plus `world_nether` / `world_the_end` if they exist) | a `world/` folder at the root |
| Valheim | the `<YourWorld>.db` and `<YourWorld>.fwl` files (`worlds_local` folder) | a `worlds_local/` folder at the root |
| Palworld | the `Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/<id>/` folder | the `Pal/Saved/SaveGames/…` tree preserved |
| Factorio | your game’s `.zip` (`saves` folder) | a `saves/` folder containing that `.zip` |
| Project Zomboid | your save folder (`Saves/Multiplayer/<server>`) | that folder, or just its contents |
| Core Keeper | the `worlds/<n>.world.gzip` file (`core-keeper-data` folder) | that file at the archive root |
| Terraria | your world's `.wld` file (and its `.twld` if it exists) | those files at the archive root |
| Minecraft Bedrock | your world folder `worlds/<YourWorld>/` (the one holding `level.dat` and a `db` folder) | that folder, or its contents, at the root |

Accepted formats: .zip or .tar.gz. The archive must contain the folder at its ROOT — not wrapped in an extra parent folder.

## Migration pitfalls

- The folder must sit at the archive root. Zip the parent folder and the import will not find your save.
- The import replaces the world: it runs with the server stopped, never mid-session.
- A modded world needs the same modpack: declare it at creation (Modpack field) before importing your save.
- Size is bounded by the machine’s disk — a classic vanilla or modded world fits without trouble.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I keep my world when switching hosts?

Yes. Grab your world's save from your current host and import it when you create the server (.zip / .tar.gz). You pick your game up right where you left off.

### Is there a commitment?

None. You top up a wallet, you only pay for the hours you play, and you stop whenever you want. Any unused balance is refundable.

— TickServ, https://tickserv.com/subscription-alternative