--- title: "Throughput vs bandwidth on servers: what the difference means | StreetHosting" description: "Learn the difference between throughput, bandwidth and latency on hosting servers, and how to read the network specs on a plan before you buy a server." url: "https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth" type: "page" language: "en-US" --- Infrastructure · 3 min · Beginner Published on Jun 18, 2026 · Updated on Jun 18, 2026 # Throughput and bandwidth on servers: what they are and how to read them Bandwidth, throughput and latency show up in every server ad, but they are different things. Knowing the difference helps you pick the right plan for what you need. By [Equipe StreetHosting](https://streethosting.com.br/en/autores#equipe-streethosting) · StreetHosting infrastructure and support team [Performance and optimization](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/topics/performance) [Network, DNS and domains](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/topics/networking) Summarize with: [](https://chat.openai.com/?q=Summarize%20the%20key%20points%20of%20this%20StreetHosting%20guide%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Finfrastructure%2Fthroughput-vs-bandwidth.%20Highlight%20the%20step-by-step%20instructions%2C%20the%20prerequisites%20and%20the%20most%20common%20mistakes. "ChatGPT") [](https://claude.ai/new?q=Summarize%20the%20key%20points%20of%20this%20StreetHosting%20guide%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Finfrastructure%2Fthroughput-vs-bandwidth.%20Highlight%20the%20step-by-step%20instructions%2C%20the%20prerequisites%20and%20the%20most%20common%20mistakes. "Claude") [](https://www.google.com/search?udm=50&aep=11&q=Summarize%20the%20key%20points%20of%20this%20StreetHosting%20guide%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Finfrastructure%2Fthroughput-vs-bandwidth.%20Highlight%20the%20step-by-step%20instructions%2C%20the%20prerequisites%20and%20the%20most%20common%20mistakes. "Google AI Mode") [](https://x.com/i/grok?text=Summarize%20the%20key%20points%20of%20this%20StreetHosting%20guide%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Finfrastructure%2Fthroughput-vs-bandwidth.%20Highlight%20the%20step-by-step%20instructions%2C%20the%20prerequisites%20and%20the%20most%20common%20mistakes. "Grok") [](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/new?q=Summarize%20the%20key%20points%20of%20this%20StreetHosting%20guide%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Finfrastructure%2Fthroughput-vs-bandwidth.%20Highlight%20the%20step-by-step%20instructions%2C%20the%20prerequisites%20and%20the%20most%20common%20mistakes. "Perplexity") Share: [](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Throughput%20vs%20bandwidth%20on%20servers%3A%20what%20the%20difference%20means&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Finfrastructure%2Fthroughput-vs-bandwidth "Share on X") [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Finfrastructure%2Fthroughput-vs-bandwidth "Share on Facebook") [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Finfrastructure%2Fthroughput-vs-bandwidth "Share on LinkedIn") [](https://wa.me/?text=Throughput%20vs%20bandwidth%20on%20servers%3A%20what%20the%20difference%20means%20https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Finfrastructure%2Fthroughput-vs-bandwidth "Share on WhatsApp") For agents: Copy as Markdown [.md](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth.md) In this guide 6 sections * [What bandwidth is](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#largura-de-banda) * [What throughput is](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#throughput) * [The difference between the two](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#diferenca) * [Latency and the network triad](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#latencia) * [What matters for a game server](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#servidor-jogos) * [How to read hosting plans](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#como-interpretar) Quick answer **Bandwidth** is the theoretical maximum capacity of the link (e.g. 1Gbps). **Throughput** is the real transfer rate, always lower because of overhead and congestion. For games, **latency** matters more than bandwidth. ## What bandwidth is[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#largura-de-banda) Bandwidth is the theoretical maximum capacity of the server's network link. It is measured in Mbps (megabits per second) or Gbps (gigabits per second). A VPS with a 1Gbps port can transfer at most 1 gigabit per second. Think of bandwidth as the number of lanes on a road. The more lanes, the more cars can pass at the same time. But the width of the road does not determine how fast the cars reach their destination. ## What throughput is[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#throughput) Throughput is the amount of data that actually flows through the network channel in a given period. It is always lower than bandwidth because: * Network protocols (TCP/IP) add header overhead * Packets can be lost and need to be retransmitted * Congestion along the path between client and server reduces the flow * The quality of the network hardware and drivers affects the real rate In practice, a server with a 1Gbps link may have a real throughput of 700Mbps to 900Mbps under normal conditions. That is perfectly normal and expected. ## The difference between the two[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#diferenca) The road analogy makes it easier to see: * **Bandwidth** \= number of lanes on the road (maximum capacity) * **Throughput** \= number of cars that actually pass per minute (real capacity) When comparing hosting plans, ask about the guaranteed network port and whether there is throttling after a certain traffic volume. Some providers advertise a "10Gbps port" but limit the burst after a few GB. ## Latency and the network triad[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#latencia) Besides bandwidth and throughput, the third essential variable is latency. Together, they form the triad that defines the network quality of a server: * **Bandwidth**: maximum capacity of the channel * **Throughput**: real data transfer capacity * **Latency**: the time a packet takes to reach its destination and come back (RTT) Read more about latency in the guide [what latency and ping mean on a server](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/what-is-latency-and-ping). ## What matters for a game server[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#servidor-jogos) For game servers, the network priorities are: * **1\. Low latency**: games exchange small, frequent packets. High latency = lag. * **2\. Stability**: jitter (latency variation) causes more problems than constant high latency * **3\. Enough throughput**: most games use only a few Mbps per player * **4\. Bandwidth**: it is rarely the bottleneck on game servers A Minecraft server with 50 players typically uses less than 20Mbps. An FPS server with 64 players may use between 5Mbps and 40Mbps depending on the game. Bandwidth is rarely the limiting factor. ## How to read hosting plans[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#como-interpretar) When you evaluate hosting plans, look at: * **Network port**: maximum speed of the link dedicated to the server * **Included traffic**: total data transferred per month (in TB) * **Anti-DDoS**: protection filters that do not reduce legitimate throughput * **Data center location**: directly affects latency for your target audience To choose a well-located server in Brazil, see the guide on [how to choose a data center in Brazil](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/how-to-choose-a-data-center-in-brazil). To understand VPS and dedicated plans, compare them in [dedicated server vs VPS](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/dedicated-server-vs-vps). In this guide * [What bandwidth is](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#largura-de-banda) * [What throughput is](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#throughput) * [The difference between the two](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#diferenca) * [Latency and the network triad](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#latencia) * [What matters for a game server](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#servidor-jogos) * [How to read hosting plans](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/throughput-vs-bandwidth#como-interpretar) ## Frequently asked questions What is bandwidth on a server? Bandwidth is the theoretical maximum capacity of the server's network link, measured in Mbps or Gbps. A server with a 1Gbps port can in theory transfer 1 gigabit per second. It is the ceiling, not the real speed. What is throughput? Throughput is the real data transfer rate the server can sustain, taking into account congestion, protocol overhead, hardware quality and distance. A server with 1Gbps of bandwidth might have a real throughput of 600Mbps. Why is throughput lower than bandwidth? Because bandwidth is the theoretical maximum capacity of the channel. In practice, TCP/IP protocol overhead, network congestion, the quality of the network hardware and retransmissions from packet loss all reduce real throughput. What matters more for a game server: bandwidth or latency? Latency matters much more than bandwidth for games. Game servers exchange small, frequent packets, not large volumes of data. A 100Mbps link with 5ms of latency is far better for games than 1Gbps with 80ms. Next step See VPS plans Root VPS in Brazil with NVMe and Anti-DDoS. [See VPS plans](https://streethosting.com.br/en/vps) [See dedicated servers Exclusive hardware in São Paulo with NVMe and Anti-DDoS.](https://streethosting.com.br/en/dedicated) ## Related guides [Infrastructure Beginner What is latency and ping on a server Latency and ping shape how fast your service feels to users and players. Understanding them helps you choose better infrastructure. 2 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/what-is-latency-and-ping) [Infrastructure Beginner Bandwidth vs traffic: what your server actually uses Bandwidth is the width of the pipe, traffic is the water that flows through it each month. Mixing them up leads to bad plan choices. Here is how to estimate your server's usage with no guesswork. 3 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/bandwidth-vs-traffic) [Infrastructure Beginner How to choose a data center in Brazil for your project Choosing a data center on price alone can cost you in performance and support. Here are the criteria that actually matter in operation. 2 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/how-to-choose-a-data-center-in-brazil) [← Back to the Guide Center](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides)