How to Host a 7 Days to Die Server (Step by Step, 2026)

The fastest way to host a 7 Days to Die server is to rent one: pick a plan, pay, and your server is live in about 60 seconds with its own address, so nobody has to leave a PC running or open ports. This guide walks through hosting 7 Days to Die with GamezServers from checkout to your first horde night, then covers the settings worth changing first in V3, including the new SandboxCode, blood moons and world generation. If you would rather run it on your own hardware, read how to make a 7 Days to Die server instead.

Step 1: Pick the right plan

7 Days to Die is one of the heavier survival servers. Random generated worlds, a high zombie count and overhaul mods all push memory up, so size the plan for how you actually play. Every plan is billed monthly and you can change it later without losing your world.

Quick rules of thumb:

• Four friends, vanilla: Starter is plenty.
• A big random world, or a few modlets on top: Standard.
• Darkness Falls, Undead Legacy, Rebirth or a public server: Pro.

New customers get 50% off the first month on any plan. Still unsure? Read choosing a plan or how much RAM a game server needs.

Step 2: Split the cost with friends (optional)

Horde night is a group activity, so the bill can be too. At checkout, choose Split with friends and pick how many people are paying, from 2 to 10.

• You pay your own share and the server starts straight away. Nobody has to wait for friends to pay.
• Each friend gets their own payment link and pays by card whenever they are ready. Every share that comes in keeps the server running longer.
• Each share includes a 1 USD payment fee. For example, the Standard plan split four ways comes to about $8.50 each.
• If you are a new customer, your friends get 50% off their first month too.
• If someone drops out, the remaining shares go up (never above the full server price), and everyone is emailed before anything changes.

Friends who make an account with the email they paid with see the server in their own dashboard and can use the console, actions and files.

Step 3: Pay and wait about a minute

Name the server if you like, sign in or create an account on the same page, and pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe. There is no setup form and no support ticket to wait on. The getting started guide shows each screen if you want to see it first.

Step 4: What appears on your dashboard

Right after checkout you land on your dashboard. Your server shows as Setting up while it installs, then Online. Open it to reach the control panel, where you get:

• Your server address and port at the top.
• A live console with full access, so any 7 Days to Die server command works.
• One click actions: Start, Stop, Restart, Backup, plus Save world, Broadcast and List players for this game.
• A Files tab to edit serverconfig.xml and upload mods or saves in the browser, and an SFTP login in Settings for big uploads like overhaul mods or a whole world.

Step 5: Copy the address and join

Click the address at the top of the panel to copy it. It looks like 203.0.113.10:26900. Then each player:

1. Launches 7 Days to Die on the same game version as your server.
2. Clicks Join a Game from the main menu.
3. Clicks Connect to IP, enters the server IP and port, and clicks Connect.
4. Types the server password if you set one. Friends can also find the server by name in the server browser.

The IP and port go in separate boxes: the part before the colon is the IP, the number after it is the port. There is nothing to port forward and no firewall to change on your side. Every player needs their own copy of the game.

Step 6: Configure your server

Stop the server, open the Files tab and edit serverconfig.xml. Each setting is a line like <property name="ServerName" value="My Horde Base"/>, and you only change the value part. Start the server again when you are done.

The basics

• ServerName and ServerDescription: what players see in the browser.
• ServerPassword: set one for friends only, or leave it empty.
• ServerMaxPlayerCount: keep it within your plan.
• ServerVisibility: 2 public, 1 friends only, 0 hidden (join by IP only).

Blood moon, difficulty and loot: the SandboxCode

Since V3.0 "Dead Hot Summer" (June 2026), gameplay settings such as difficulty, XP, day length, loot abundance, zombie speed and every blood moon option (frequency, range, warning and enemy count) no longer live as separate lines in serverconfig.xml. They are packed into one property:

<property name="SandboxCode" value="AAAJABJACJADJARFBNC"/>

That default value equals the old Adventurer difficulty. To set your own:

1. In the game, start a new game and open the Sandbox Options menu.
2. Pick a preset and change what you want: blood moon every 7 days or every 3, 64 zombies per player, faster night runners, more loot.
3. Copy the code the menu generates.
4. Paste it as the SandboxCode value in your server's serverconfig.xml and restart.

Old lines like BloodMoonFrequency are ignored now, and a config without a new code quietly runs Adventurer. Our guide to 7 Days to Die server settings goes deeper.

World generation

• GameWorld: Navezgane for the handmade map, or RWG for a random generated world.
• WorldGenSeed and WorldGenSize: the seed and size for RWG. Bigger worlds take longer to generate on first start and use more RAM. Crossplay servers are limited to a size of 8192 or smaller.
• GameName: the save name. Change it and you start a new save on the same world.

A new seed or size means a fresh map, so take a backup first.

Crossplay with PS5 and Xbox

V3 supports crossplay between Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Set ServerAllowCrossplay to true, keep EACEnabled on true and ServerMaxPlayerCount at 8 or lower, run no mods, and keep your sandbox settings inside the ranges The Fun Pimps allow. PC players can join either way.

Make yourself admin

While you are in game, run this in the panel console:

admin add YourPlayerName 0

Level 0 is full admin. Then press F1 in game for commands like kick, ban and settime. See the full 7 Days to Die admin commands list.

Mods

Upload mods into the Mods folder, one folder per mod, then restart. XML only modlets (loot, recipes, zombie tweaks) are sent to players when they join. Overhauls like Darkness Falls and any mod with custom code must be installed by every player on the same version, and usually need EACEnabled set to false. Start overhauls on a fresh world.

Backups before horde night

Click Backup in the panel before anything risky: a blood moon on a base you are not sure about, a new overhaul, a world size change or a game update. You keep 3 backups. Clicking Save world first makes sure the latest progress is on disk.

Sleep when empty

With Sleep when empty on, the server stops after 90 minutes with nobody online. The world, the day counter and your base are saved, and anyone with access starts it again in one click from the dashboard. Keep in mind the day counter only moves while the server runs. If you want the server up around the clock, turn it off in Settings.

Upgrading your plan

If the server starts rubber banding during blood moons or runs out of memory generating a big world, move up a plan in Settings. The price is prorated for the rest of the month and the new RAM applies after a restart. Your world stays exactly as it is.

Self hosting vs GamezServers

Self hosting is a good project if you have a spare PC. The full walkthrough is in how to make a 7 Days to Die server.

FAQ

How much does it cost to host a 7 Days to Die server?

From $19.99 a month for 8 GB, with 50% off the first month for new customers. Split with friends, the cost per person drops fast.

Do my friends need to own 7 Days to Die?

Yes. Each player needs their own copy on the same version as the server. The server itself needs no license.

Can I move my existing world to the server?

Yes. Upload the save folder and the matching generated world through SFTP, then set GameWorld and GameName to the same names. Take a backup first.

Why did my blood moon settings stop working?

On V3 those settings moved into SandboxCode. Generate a code in the in game Sandbox Options menu and paste it into serverconfig.xml.

Can I switch to another game later?

Yes. In Settings you can move the server to another game with a plan of the same memory. Your world is backed up first.