10Help & support
Nexthosting FAQ – answers from every area
Over 40 short answers on ordering, payment, cancellation, game servers, VPS, web hosting, domains and support at Nexthosting, with links to the guides.
In short
Here are our customers’ most common questions with short answers. Each answer links to the detailed guide. If you do not find your question, support will help you.
Ordering and payment
Section titled “Ordering and payment”Which payment methods are there?
Section titled “Which payment methods are there?”PayPal, credit card, SEPA direct debit, Klarna, Sofort, bank transfer, and Apple Pay and Google Pay. Business customers can also buy on invoice. The checkout shows which methods you see during ordering. More: Paying.
How quickly is my server ready after ordering?
Section titled “How quickly is my server ready after ordering?”Game servers and VPS are set up automatically once payment arrives, usually within a few minutes. Dedicated servers can take up to 24 hours. You then find your product in the customer account under Dienste → Deine Produkte → Ansehen: a game server has the Gameserver-Panel öffnen button, web hosting the Login button, and for a VPS the IP address and root password are in the Übersicht tab.
Why does my order with direct debit take longer?
Section titled “Why does my order with direct debit take longer?”With SEPA direct debit, the order waits until the direct debit is confirmed. That takes about 12 to 13 days, so the server is not there immediately. Until then the customer account shows “Lastschrift läuft” (direct debit in progress) with the expected date. If you need it fast, choose PayPal or credit card. More: Paying.
What is the difference between Vertrag (contract) and Prepaid?
Section titled “What is the difference between Vertrag (contract) and Prepaid?”With a contract you are billed regularly until you cancel. With prepaid you pay for a period in advance, and the service ends with the booked period unless you renew. If you want, prepaid renews automatically, first from credit, otherwise via credit card or SEPA mandate. See Credit and automatic renewal and Ordering.
Is there a setup fee?
Section titled “Is there a setup fee?”Not for game servers, VPS and dedicated servers from the catalog. For some web hosting plans there is a one-time setup. The plan page shows it before ordering. See Web hosting overview.
Do I have to pay VAT?
Section titled “Do I have to pay VAT?”No. Nexthosting is a small business under § 19 UStG (German VAT Act), the prices shown are final prices and invoices show no VAT.
How do I redeem a discount code?
Section titled “How do I redeem a discount code?”During ordering, enter the code in the field Du hast einen Rabattcode? (Do you have a discount code?) and click Prüfen (check). Unless stated otherwise, a code only applies to the first payment. After that the regular price applies.
Where do I find my invoices?
Section titled “Where do I find my invoices?”In the customer account. They are available there as PDFs to download: Invoices.
Contracts, cancellation and lock
Section titled “Contracts, cancellation and lock”How do I cancel?
Section titled “How do I cancel?”In the customer account, under the contract, via Kündigen (cancel). Alternatively there is the page “Verträge hier kündigen” (cancel contracts here) at nexthosting.net/kuendigung, which works without logging in. The confirmation arrives immediately by email. See Contracts and cancellation.
What notice period applies?
Section titled “What notice period applies?”That depends on the minimum term you choose when ordering. On a monthly plan (1 month) you cancel up to 7 days before the renewal day. The account shows “Kündigung 7 Tage Frist · frühestens zum …”. For a game server, 3 months means 14 days, 6 months and 1 year one month. For web hosting it is 7 days with 1 month and one month with 6 and 12 months. You can see the period in the order and in the customer account.
Can I withdraw an order?
Section titled “Can I withdraw an order?”Consumers can withdraw from contracts within 14 days. If the service starts earlier at your express request, compensation may be due. See Right of withdrawal. The terms and conditions (AGB) and the withdrawal notice are binding.
What happens if I do not pay an invoice on time?
Section titled “What happens if I do not pay an invoice on time?”As a consumer you get a reminder two days before the due date and on the day after. At the earliest on the second day after the due date, the service is locked; your data is kept, and after payment everything is released again immediately. The end of the contract is announced to you with a date at least three days in advance. At the earliest on the tenth day after the due date, the contract can be terminated without notice, and the data including backups is then deleted. If you pay by direct debit or card, the deadlines only start after the failed collection. According to the shop FAQ there are no dunning fees and no debt collection. The terms and conditions (AGB) are binding, and they reserve such costs. See Payment default and lock.
What happens to my data after the contract ends?
Section titled “What happens to my data after the contract ends?”When the contract ends, the right of use ends. Without renewal or reactivation within 48 hours, Nexthosting may permanently delete the game server together with data and backups. For other products with a contract (VPS, dedicated, web hosting) the product is removed on the day the contract ends, with prepaid a few days after expiry. Back up your data yourself beforehand. See Data after contract end.
Can I pause my game server?
Section titled “Can I pause my game server?”Yes, with “Server pausieren” (pause server) on an active monthly contract. The server is stopped and the data is put into storage. This costs €0.05 per GB of packed data per month, at least €0.99 per month, calculated per day and billed afterwards (as of October 2026). You need a stored credit card, a SEPA mandate or at least €10 credit. An own IP address is returned when you pause. Prepaid cannot be paused. See Pause a server.
Can I change my plan?
Section titled “Can I change my plan?”For game servers, upgrades are possible at any time and are billed pro rata; downgrades take effect at the end of the billing period. Your data is kept. See Change plan and upgrades.
Game servers
Section titled “Game servers”How do I get into the panel?
Section titled “How do I get into the panel?”Directly from the customer account, without a password: Dienste (services) → Deine Produkte (your products) → Ansehen (view) → Gameserver-Panel öffnen. On the overview, Deine Dienste also has a small Panel button. Alternatively, log in at panel.nexthosting.net with your panel account. See Open the panel.
How do I upload files to my server?
Section titled “How do I upload files to my server?”In the panel under Dateien (files) via drag and drop, or via SFTP with the address sftp://nodede1.nexthosting.net:2022. The password is your panel password. See Files, editor and SFTP.
Is there SSH for game servers?
Section titled “Is there SSH for game servers?”No. For game servers there is SFTP, but no SSH access.
How many players fit on my server?
Section titled “How many players fit on my server?”There are no fixed slots. You set the player count in the game itself; the plans differ in performance. The figures given for player counts are guidelines. See All games.
How do I install mods and plugins?
Section titled “How do I install mods and plugins?”Via Vorlagen (templates) and the one-click setups in the panel, or via the file manager. Depending on the game there are DarkRP, Carbon, Oxide, modpacks and more. See Templates, mods and modpacks.
How many backups do I have?
Section titled “How many backups do I have?”Each plan includes a certain number of backup slots, stated on the product page. You create them with a click or on a schedule. See Backups and databases.
What is an own IP address and do I need it?
Section titled “What is an own IP address and do I need it?”An own IP address belongs to your server alone and includes its own DDoS filter. It is optional and costs €3.79 per month plus €4.99 once (as of October 2026). It is usually active within minutes, in single cases by the next working day. See Your own IP address.
Is my server protected against DDoS attacks?
Section titled “Is my server protected against DDoS attacks?”Every game server is protected by the data center’s basic protection at no extra charge. With an own IP you also get your own filter. See DDoS protection and attacks.
How do I invite friends who should help manage the server?
Section titled “How do I invite friends who should help manage the server?”As sub-users, with their email address. You assign permissions such as console, files or restart. Friends do not need a contract of their own. See Friends and sub-users.
My server does not start or crashes. What do I do?
Section titled “My server does not start or crashes. What do I do?”Look in the console for error messages, restart the server and use Problem melden (report a problem) if needed. That creates a ticket with a diagnosis. See Report a problem.
Do I get an address of my own instead of the IP?
Section titled “Do I get an address of my own instead of the IP?”Yes, a free subdomain under .nexthosting.app. See Network, ports and subdomains.
VPS and dedicated servers
Section titled “VPS and dedicated servers”Do I have root access?
Section titled “Do I have root access?”Yes, with the VPS and the dedicated server. In return, you are also responsible for updates and security. See VPS overview.
Are there backups for the VPS?
Section titled “Are there backups for the VPS?”Yes. In the customer account the VPS has a Backups tab; it is included in the price and not an extra package. There you create, restore or delete backups; under Geplante Aufgaben (scheduled tasks) they can be repeated regularly. You should also keep important data somewhere else yourself. See Secure your VPS.
How do I log in to my VPS?
Section titled “How do I log in to my VPS?”Via SSH with the IP address and the root password from the customer account (product page, Übersicht tab). See VPS: first steps with SSH.
Which operating system does a new VPS have?
Section titled “Which operating system does a new VPS have?”New VPS are installed with Ubuntu 22.04; there is no choice when ordering. You install other systems in the customer account in the Neuinstallieren (reinstall) tab. You add an SSH key yourself after the first login. See VPS: first steps with SSH.
How do I install an operating system on a dedicated server?
Section titled “How do I install an operating system on a dedicated server?”The server starts in the rescue system. In the customer account you install Debian, Ubuntu, AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux with one click. The rescue system is only active until the next restart; after that the installed system runs again. See Installation and rescue.
Where are the servers located?
Section titled “Where are the servers located?”Game servers and VPS run in the data centre in Frankfurt am Main. Backups, web hosting and parts of the infrastructure are in Falkenstein (Saxony) and Nuremberg. Dedicated servers from the catalogue are located in Falkenstein or Helsinki (Finland); the location is shown with each server.
Can I have a Discord bot hosted?
Section titled “Can I have a Discord bot hosted?”Yes, from €2.99/month (as of October 2026). You need a bot token of your own. See Discord bots.
Web hosting and domains
Section titled “Web hosting and domains”How long are web hosting backups kept?
Section titled “How long are web hosting backups kept?”Web hosting is backed up automatically twice a day, and the backups are kept for 30 days. You can create and restore backups yourself in the web panel. See Backups and restoring.
How do I connect my domain to my website?
Section titled “How do I connect my domain to my website?”Via DNS records. Depending on where your domain is, you change them in the customer account or at your current provider. The Nexthosting nameservers are ns1.nexthosting.net and ns2.nexthosting.net. See Connect a domain to a website.
How do I read my email in the browser?
Section titled “How do I read my email in the browser?”Via webmail at webmail.nexthosting.net. You log in with your full email address and the mailbox password. See Email mailboxes.
Can I access my web hosting database from outside?
Section titled “Can I access my web hosting database from outside?”No. Access to MySQL from outside is not possible. You manage your databases with phpMyAdmin in the web panel. See Databases and phpMyAdmin.
Are there SSL certificates?
Section titled “Are there SSL certificates?”Yes. With web hosting, Nexthosting issues Let’s Encrypt certificates automatically. See SSL certificates and HTTPS.
Can I test my website before it goes live?
Section titled “Can I test my website before it goes live?”Yes, with staging, a test copy of your website. Depending on the plan it is included. See Staging and cloning.
Can I move my domain to Nexthosting?
Section titled “Can I move my domain to Nexthosting?”Yes, with the auth code from your current provider. Alternatively the domain can stay with the current provider and point to your website via DNS. See Register and transfer a domain.
Support and outages
Section titled “Support and outages”How do I reach support?
Section titled “How do I reach support?”Best with a ticket in the customer account, alternatively by email to support@nexthosting.net or via the contact form. You can also ask on the Nexthosting Discord server, but there is no promised reply time there. See Support.
How quickly does support reply?
Section titled “How quickly does support reply?”Support is available Monday to Friday, 9:00–18:00 (German time). The first reply usually comes within 24 hours. That is a target, not a guarantee.
Where can I see whether there is an outage?
Section titled “Where can I see whether there is an outage?”On the status page at status.nexthosting.net/status/nh. See Status page and maintenance.
How do I report abuse or unlawful content?
Section titled “How do I report abuse or unlawful content?”Via the form at nexthosting.net/abuse or by email to abuse@nexthosting.net. See Report abuse.
Do I need a data processing agreement?
Section titled “Do I need a data processing agreement?”If you process other people’s personal data through Nexthosting, yes. You can download it in the customer account. See Data protection and DPA.