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DefinitionKey characteristicsMetered vs unmetered serversUse casesAre unmetered dedicated servers really unmetered?What to look forCostHow to chooseNext stepsAdditional resources
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Understanding unmetered servers

While you were searching for a dedicated server, you may have encountered the term unmetered dedicated server and wondered about the difference between a regular dedicated server and an unmetered one. Simply put, a regular (metered) server means your dedicated server has a set amount of bandwidth allocated monthly. This limits the amount of traffic, users, and activity on your site.

If your site exceeds the allocated bandwidth limit, you’ll get charged overage fees. And while most hosting companies offer bandwidth overage, it is typically expensive. So is an unmetered dedicated server the right option for you? Find out now.

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What is an unmetered server?

Unmetered servers are dedicated hosting plans that provide unlimited data transfer without charging based on bandwidth usage. Instead of capping your monthly traffic or billing per gigabyte, the host provides a fixed network connection speed, and you can use as much data as that port can handle.

This setup appeals to businesses that stream media, serve large files, or handle unpredictable traffic volumes. Unlike standard metered plans, which often throttle speeds or apply overage fees after reaching a bandwidth limit, unmetered servers let you push continuous high traffic without worrying about extra charges. The tradeoff is that your data transfer rate is limited by the port speed, not the amount of data itself.

Unmetered dedicated servers are especially popular in ecommerce, gaming, and content delivery applications where uptime and performance are crucial. They simplify budgeting and remove the risk of bandwidth-related downtime, allowing organizations to focus on scaling their operations without watching the meter.

Key characteristics

Unmetered dedicated servers share several traits that make them ideal for high-demand or high-traffic use cases.

  • Fixed port speed: The host sets a specific connection rate (typically 1 Gbps or 10 Gbps) that determines your maximum transfer speed.
  • Unlimited bandwidth: You can use as much data as your port allows without extra charges or throttling.
  • Predictable costs: Flat monthly pricing simplifies budgeting since you’re not paying per gigabyte or traffic spike.
  • High throughput and reliability: Designed for data-heavy workloads like streaming or backups that require consistent, uninterrupted transfer.
  • Custom configurations: Many providers allow you to choose port speeds, redundancy options, and network routes based on your application’s performance needs.
  • Scalability: As your traffic grows, you can upgrade your port capacity or pair unmetered bandwidth with load balancing to distribute demand efficiently.

Metered vs unmetered servers

The main difference between metered and unmetered servers lies in how bandwidth usage is measured and billed. 

Metered servers include a specific data transfer limit—often expressed in terabytes per month. Once you exceed that allocation, your host may throttle your connection or charge overage fees. This model works well for sites with predictable traffic patterns, such as corporate websites or small ecommerce stores.

Unmetered servers, on the other hand, remove the bandwidth cap entirely. You pay for a fixed port speed instead of a data quota, allowing unlimited traffic within that speed limit. This approach suits businesses with large or variable data needs, like video streaming platforms, download sites, or SaaS providers.

Unmetered server use cases

There are many cases for using unmetered dedicated servers, such as:

  • Streaming services for media
  • Video
  • Gaming
  • Live events
  • Hosting files
  • Backing up data

A top use case for unmetered dedicated servers is popular, high-volume, high-traffic ecommerce websites, where thousands of transactions occur daily. When you no longer need to worry about bandwidth overages, you can focus on providing services to your customers.

Are unmetered dedicated servers really unmetered?

Yes and no. Typically, the limitation could be due to your dedicated server’s network speed. So, if your network speed is 10Gbps, it means that even though your provider is not monitoring your bandwidth, your network can only handle 10Gbps. But even 10Gbps speed is extremely fast and often enough to power high-traffic sites.

Another difference is the incoming transfer (bandwidth) versus the outgoing transfer (bandwidth). The incoming transfer is traffic coming to your website, whereas outgoing transfer is image loading, transactions, file sharing, etc., going to your customers.

Unmetered dedicated server plans often include incoming transfer. And while a generous outbound transfer may also be included, it is often limited to 10TB. That’s still plenty of bandwidth for a popular site. But for extreme sites that need even more outgoing transfer, providers will often charge for additional TBs.

What to look for

Some hosting companies offer unmetered bandwidth but often limit the number of visitors, or they slow the connection speed on the network. Neither of these scenarios is a good choice for a busy website or application. So, look for a hosting provider that offers at least 10TB of outbound bandwidth bundled with your dedicated server. And for a truly unmetered dedicated server experience, look for a hosting provider that offers unlimited incoming transfer (bandwidth).

When you opt for an unmetered dedicated server, look for information on network speed to see if the provider has set any limitations. Even if you have unmetered bandwidth, your service provider may prevent you from truly using unlimited bandwidth. This is not always the case, especially with well-known, high-quality hosting providers, as they make it easy to understand. Also, it’s usually easy to read the rules and limitations, if any, on their network.

If the provider does have limitations, they are most likely reasonable. This keeps the network healthy and allows your unmetered dedicated server to run at optimum speed and efficiency, giving your customers a better experience with your website or application.

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How much do unmetered dedicated servers cost?

Providers offer unmetered dedicated servers at a base cost where you can add additional features or upgrade hardware, storage, drives, type of server chassis, operating system, control panel, security (to prevent DDoS attacks), network (one or more IP addresses depending on need), and bandwidth.

A basic unmetered plan range can start at around $100 and go up to several hundred dollars per month. However, for more serious sites and applications, especially with gaming or streaming services, you may need a fleet of unmetered dedicated servers or, at the very least, a powerful server at the top end of the range, which can often run upwards of $1,000 per month.

Of course, this price can increase depending on add-ons, upgrades, and any customizations needed to run your site or application optimally.

How to choose an unmetered dedicated server

To help you determine the best unmetered dedicated server for your needs today, consider what you’ll be doing with it. For example, if you’re just starting out, you may want to choose a middle-range dedicated server plan.

One thing to note is you can always upgrade various aspects of your server even after your initial purchase, so starting with a middle-grade plan gives you enough resources for performance with the added benefit of upgrading as needed.

Another option is to start with the most basic and include add-ons and upgrades based on what you expect to need in the coming weeks or months.

And if you’re still unsure which unmetered dedicated server to choose, ask your provider’s sales team what they recommend. Most likely, they will ask you what you plan to use it for. They may also ask for expected traffic depending on your site or application’s intent.

Unmetered server FAQs

Neither is universally better; it depends on your workload. Metered servers are best if your bandwidth usage is consistent and predictable, since they often cost less for low-traffic sites. Unmetered servers are better for high-traffic or data-heavy operations like streaming, gaming, or file hosting because they remove bandwidth caps and overage fees.

Unmetered traffic means your hosting provider does not track or limit the total amount of data your server transfers each month. Instead, your plan includes a fixed connection speed (for example, 1 Gbps), allowing you to use unlimited bandwidth as long as you stay within that port’s capacity.

An unmetered VPS is a virtual private server with unlimited data transfer on a fixed-speed port. It combines the flexibility of VPS hosting with the benefits of unmetered bandwidth, making it ideal for sites that handle large downloads, media content, or frequent data exchanges without worrying about overage charges.

Additional resources

What is a dedicated server? →

Benefits, use cases, and how to get started

How to estimate the total cost of ownership (TCO) for dedicated servers →

Learn how to accurately estimate the total cost of ownership (TCO) for dedicated server hosting solutions.

Fully managed dedicated hosting →

What it means and what fully managed services cover on dedicated hosting

Ronald Caldwell is a Technical Writer at Liquid Web working with the Marketing team. He has 9+ years of experience in Technology.He obtained an Associate of Science in Computer Science from Prairie State College in 2015. He is happily married to his high school sweetheart and lives in Michigan with her and their children.

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