How to Host a FiveM Server (Step by Step, 2026)

Q: Can I use my existing server files?

Yes. Upload them in the Files tab or over SFTP. On txAdmin, choose Existing Server Data during setup and point it at the folder with your server.cfg. On Plain FXServer, put your server.cfg and resources folder in the main folder.

To host a FiveM server with GamezServers, pick a plan, paste your free Cfx.re license key and pay. About a minute later txAdmin, the FiveM web panel, is waiting for you with its own address and a MySQL database already made for your server. This guide covers every step: the license key, the txAdmin setup, deploying a QBCore, Qbox or ESX roleplay server, how players join, and the settings that matter once it is running.

Step 1: Get your free Cfx.re license key

Every FiveM server needs a license key. It is free and takes two minutes:

Go to portal.cfx.re and sign in with your Cfx.re account (the same one you use on the FiveM forum).
Open Server Keys and choose to generate a new key.
Give it a name like "My RP server" and create it.
Copy the key. It starts with cfxk_.

A key is not tied to an IP address, so you can use the same one if you ever move the server. One key per running server.

Step 2: Pick the right FiveM plan

FiveM is sized by RAM. Every resource you add (scripts, cars, maps) takes memory, and a roleplay framework with a few dozen scripts uses far more than vanilla freeroam. Prices are 2.50 USD per GB of RAM a month.

Plan	RAM	vCPU	Players	Price a month	Good for
Starter	4 GB	2	up to 16	9.99 USD	Vanilla freeroam, a test server, learning txAdmin
Standard (popular)	8 GB	2	up to 32	19.99 USD	QBCore, Qbox or ESX roleplay with a normal script pack
Pro	12 GB	3	up to 48	29.99 USD	Roleplay with many custom cars and MLO maps
Elite	16 GB	4	up to 48	39.99 USD	A busy 48 slot community with a large resource pack

48 players is the most a free Cfx.re key allows, so bigger plans add room for resources rather than slots. New customers get 50% off the first month. More help in choosing a plan.

Step 3: Choose txAdmin or Plain FXServer

At checkout you pick a server type:

txAdmin (best for most): the official FiveM web panel. It deploys complete roleplay frameworks from recipes and handles restarts, bans, admins and whitelists. Choose this if you are starting fresh.
Plain FXServer: just the server and its server.cfg, started automatically. For experienced owners bringing their own server files.

Paste your license key, name the server and pay. You land on your dashboard, where the server shows Setting up while the FiveM files download, then Online.

Step 4: Open txAdmin and enter the PIN

On the Overview tab of your control panel you will see a txAdmin card with an Open button and a 4 digit Setup PIN. The PIN is read from the console for you.

Click Open. txAdmin runs one port above your game port, for example http://203.0.113.10:30121.
Enter the PIN.
Sign in with your Cfx.re account and create the txAdmin master account password. This account owns the server, so use the Cfx.re account you want in charge.

If the PIN has gone from the console after a restart, restart the server from the panel and it prints a new one until the master account exists.

Step 5: Deploy a recipe (QBCore, Qbox, ESX or default)

txAdmin's setup asks how you want to start. Choose Popular Recipes and pick one:

Recipe	What you get
CFX Default	A clean server with the basic Cfx resources. Good for freeroam or a custom build.
QBCore	The most widely used roleplay framework, with jobs, inventory, housing and phone scripts.
Qbox	A modern fork of QBCore built around ox_lib and ox_inventory, compatible with most QBCore scripts.
ESX Legacy	The long running ESX roleplay framework and its huge script library.

Two things are filled in for you that usually trip people up:

License key: the key you gave at checkout.
Database: QBCore, Qbox and ESX need MySQL. Every FiveM server comes with its own database, and its host, port, user, password and database name are prefilled in the recipe step. Leave them as they are.

Let the recipe run. It downloads the framework, creates the database tables and writes a server.cfg. When it finishes, click Save & Run Server. Ports are handled for you: the game always binds your server's own port even though the recipe's server.cfg says 30120.

You can see the database details any time under Settings in your panel, for your own scripts or to open it in a tool like HeidiSQL.

Step 6: How players join

Install FiveM from fivem.net on a PC that owns Grand Theft Auto V and start it once.
Press F8 in the FiveM main menu to open the console.
Type connect followed by your address, for example connect 203.0.113.10:30120, and press Enter.

The first join downloads your server's resources, which can be hundreds of megabytes on a full roleplay server. Once the server is listed, players can also find it by name in the FiveM server list. The Invite friends button in your panel gives you a join page with these steps already filled in.

Step 7: Run the server day to day

With the txAdmin type, txAdmin is in charge of the game, so:

Commands, kicks and announcements: use txAdmin's Live Console and Players pages. The console in our panel still shows everything the server prints, but commands typed there do not reach the game while txAdmin runs it.
Restarts: schedule them in txAdmin under Settings > Restarter. A daily restart keeps a busy roleplay server healthy.
Admins: add your staff under Admin Manager in txAdmin.
Player count: shows on your panel's Players tab. Names and identifiers live in txAdmin.

The panel's Restart button restarts txAdmin itself, and txAdmin starts the game again if you enabled autostart in its settings.

Step 8: Add scripts, cars and maps

Resources go in the resources folder of your txAdmin server data. Use the Files tab or SFTP to upload them, then add an ensure line in server.cfg (txAdmin's CFG Editor):

ensure my-car-pack
ensure my-mlo-map

Restart the server or run ensure my-car-pack in txAdmin's Live Console. Only use resources you have the rights to, including paid ones from Tebex.

Before a big change, press Backup in the panel. You keep 3 backups.

Step 9: Keep FXServer up to date

FiveM releases new server builds often, and txAdmin warns when yours is too old. Press Update game in the panel to install the build in your settings, the recommended one by default. Your resources, server.cfg and txAdmin data stay. To pin an exact build, enter its number in the FXServer build setting first.

Self hosting vs GamezServers

	Self hosting	GamezServers
Setup	Download FXServer, install MariaDB, open ports	About a minute after checkout
Database	Install and secure MySQL or MariaDB yourself	Made for you and prefilled in txAdmin
Port forwarding	30120 TCP and UDP	Nothing to forward
PC left on	Yes, all day for a roleplay community	No
Your home IP	Shared with every player	Never shared
Cost	Free software, plus hardware and power	From 9.99 USD a month, splittable

Prefer to run it yourself? Our FiveM self hosting guide covers Windows and Linux.

FAQ

How much does it cost to host a FiveM server?

From 9.99 USD a month for 4 GB. A typical QBCore or ESX roleplay server runs well on 8 GB at 19.99 USD. New customers get 50% off the first month.

How many players can join my FiveM server?

Up to 48, the limit of a free Cfx.re license key. Pick more RAM for more scripts, cars and maps.

Can I use my existing server files?

Yes. Upload them in the Files tab or over SFTP. On txAdmin, choose Existing Server Data during setup and point it at the folder with your server.cfg. On Plain FXServer, put your server.cfg and resources folder in the main folder.

Why does my license key not work?

The most common causes are a key copied with a space, a key that was deleted or regenerated on the portal, or a key changed in our Settings while txAdmin still uses the old one in its own server.cfg. See fixing FiveM license key errors.

Is GamezServers affiliated with FiveM or Rockstar?

No. GamezServers is not approved, sponsored or endorsed by Rockstar Games or Cfx.re. Every server must follow the FiveM terms.