A Dedicated Server Alternative for Co-op Save Sharing

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For a small co-op group, Checkpoint64 replaces about 90% of a dedicated server for a one-time fee. Instead of renting a 24/7 machine that sits idle most of the day, you pass a single-world game around safely: whoever wants to play grabs the lock, plays, and pushes the save back — with a shared logbook so nobody overwrites anybody.

Why co-op groups rent a dedicated server

Games like Valheim, Factorio, and Satisfactory have exactly one live world file at a time. Without a server, that world lives on one person's PC — so nobody else can play unless that person is online and hosting, and if two people play separately, one save overwrites the other.

A dedicated server fixes both problems by keeping the world in one always-on place. That's genuinely useful — but for a small group it's also mostly wasted.

What a dedicated server actually costs

A rented co-op server runs about €120–240 per year. And most small groups play in the same evening window, so the server sits idle roughly 18 hours a day — you're paying 24/7 for a few hours of use.

How Checkpoint64 covers most of it

Checkpoint64 keeps the world in the cloud with a version history, and coordinates who's playing with a server-enforced lock:

  1. Whoever wants to play grabs the lock and downloads the latest world.
  2. They play their session — everyone else is read-only for now.
  3. When they're done, they push the save back and the lock frees up.

Taking a lock from someone warns them and lands in the shared logbook, so there's a record of who did what. The world's full history is preserved instead of overwritten — a bad session is one Restore away. It solves "who has the latest save?" forever, which is the real day-to-day pain, without a monthly bill.

Dedicated server vs Checkpoint64

Dedicated server Checkpoint64
Cost €120–240 / year, ongoing One-time payment
World available 24/7 Yes No — someone grabs the lock to play
Version history Usually none (latest world only) Every version, one-click restore
Overwrite protection Depends on the game Built-in locks + logbook
Setup Server config, ports, updates Install, pick the game, share a team
Idle waste Pays 24/7 for a few hours' use You pay once

When you still want a real server

Be honest about the 10%. A dedicated server still wins if your group needs the world online around the clock — a big community that plays across time zones, or 20+ players who expect to drop in any time. Checkpoint64 is built for the small crew that plays together in bursts, not the always-on public server.

Games this works for

Single-world co-op games where only one save is live at a time: Valheim, Factorio, Satisfactory, Don't Starve Together, 7 Days to Die, Sons of the Forest, Enshrouded, and Palworld — plus any other game where the group shares one world folder.

Common questions

Do I still need a dedicated server?

For most small groups, no. The whole point of a dedicated server is keeping the world online when the host's PC is off. Checkpoint64 covers about 90% of that for a one-time fee: whoever wants to play grabs the lock, plays their session, then pushes the save back. You give up 24/7 uptime; you keep every version of the world and stop paying rent.

What stops two people saving over each other?

A server-enforced lock. Only the person holding the lock can upload a new version. To push their save, someone else has to take the lock first — which warns the current holder and is recorded in the group logbook for everyone to see. Worst case, any earlier version is one Restore away.

How much does a dedicated co-op server cost?

Typically €120–240 per year for a small group, and it sits idle roughly 18 hours a day because everyone plays in the same evening window. Checkpoint64's paid tier is a one-time payment, not a subscription, so it replaces most of that recurring cost outright.

Which games does this work for?

Single-world co-op games where only one live save exists at a time: Valheim, Factorio, Satisfactory, Don't Starve Together, 7 Days to Die, Sons of the Forest, Enshrouded, and Palworld, among others. These are exactly the games where 'who has the latest world?' is a constant headache — and where a shared lock solves it.