How to Host a Project Zomboid Server (Build 42, 2026)

The easiest way to host a Project Zomboid server is to rent one: pick a plan, pay, and your server is online in about 60 seconds with its own address, so Knox County keeps running when the host logs off. This guide shows how to host Project Zomboid with GamezServers step by step, from choosing a plan to your group's first night, then covers the first settings to change: servertest.ini, the sandbox file, Workshop mods and admin rights. Prefer running it on your own PC? Read how to make a Project Zomboid server.

Step 1: Pick the right plan

Build 42 is noticeably hungrier than Build 41, and every Workshop mod and custom map adds to it. Size the plan for your group and your mod list. You can move up later without losing the world.

A simple way to choose:

• Three or four friends, no mods: Starter.
• A handful of quality of life mods, or a group of around 10: Standard.
• A 50 mod list, map mods like Raven Creek, or a public server: Pro.

New customers get 50% off the first month on any plan. More help in choosing a plan and how much RAM a game server needs.

Step 2: Split the bill with friends (optional)

At checkout, choose Split with friends and set how many people are paying, from 2 to 10.

• You pay your share and the server starts immediately. No waiting on anyone.
• Each friend gets a personal payment link and pays by card when they are ready. Every share that comes in keeps the server running longer.
• Each share includes a 1 USD payment fee. The Standard plan split four ways is about $6 each.
• If you are a new customer, friends get 50% off their first month as well.
• If someone leaves, the other shares go up (at most to the full server price), and everyone is emailed before any change.

Friends who create 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

Name your server, sign in or create an account on the same page, and pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe. No command line, no setup questions and no ticket to wait on. The getting started guide shows each screen.

Step 4: What you see on the dashboard

After checkout your server appears on the dashboard as Setting up, then Online about a minute later. Open it for the control panel:

• The address and port at the top, click to copy.
• A live console with full access, so every Project Zomboid server command works.
• One click actions: Start, Stop, Restart, Backup, plus Save world, Broadcast, List players and Start rain.
• A Files tab to edit the ini and sandbox files in your browser, and an SFTP login in Settings for uploading a whole world.

Step 5: Copy the address and join

Click the address to copy it, for example 203.0.113.10:16261, and send it to your group. Each player:

1. Launches Project Zomboid on the same build as your server.
2. Clicks Join on the main menu.
3. Enters the server IP and port, plus a username and the server password if there is one.
4. Clicks Save, selects the server in the list and clicks Join. Workshop mods download automatically.

The IP and port go in separate boxes. On an open server, the username and password a player types the first time become their account, so they should reuse them. There is nothing to port forward. Everyone needs their own copy of the game on Steam.

Step 6: Configure your server

Project Zomboid keeps its settings in the Zomboid/Server folder. The files are named after the server: servertest.ini and servertest_SandboxVars.lua by default, or your server's own name if it uses a different one.

Always stop the server before editing. The server rewrites these files when it shuts down, so edits made while it runs are lost.

servertest.ini: the server settings

• PublicName and PublicDescription: how the server looks in the browser.
• Public: true lists it publicly, false keeps it private.
• Password: a join password for friends only servers.
• MaxPlayers: keep it within your plan.
• PVP: true or false.
• Open: true lets anyone who joins create an account. Set false for a whitelist only server, then add players with adduser.
• SafehouseAllowTrepass, PlayerSafehouse and related lines: safehouse rules.
• SaveWorldEveryMinutes: how often the world autosaves.

SandboxVars: the gameplay

servertest_SandboxVars.lua controls zombie population and speed, loot rarity, when water and electricity shut off, day length, respawn and more. Common changes are more zombies for a tougher run, sprinters off, and power and water lasting longer. Most sandbox changes only fully apply to a new world, and zombie counts only change in newly loaded areas, so settle these before your group starts.

Workshop mods

Two lines in servertest.ini load mods, both separated by semicolons:

WorkshopItems=2875848298;3490188370
Mods=ModIdOne;ModIdTwo

• WorkshopItems takes the number at the end of each mod's Workshop URL, so the server downloads it.
• Mods takes the Mod ID from the mod's Workshop page, which switches it on. Copy it exactly.
• Map mods also need their folder name at the start of the Map= line, before the base map.

Only use mods that support Build 42 on a Build 42 server. Players download the same mods when they join. If someone gets "Workshop item version is different than server's", restart the server so it pulls the update. Our Workshop mod fix guide covers the rest.

Make yourself admin

In the panel console, commands run without a slash:

setaccesslevel "YourUsername" admin

Use the username you log in with on the server. In game you then get the admin panel and chat commands like /teleport and /additem. The full list is in Project Zomboid admin commands.

Build 41 or Build 42

Build 42 has been the default stable branch since 29 July 2026. If your group wants to finish a Build 41 world, the server can run the legacy41 branch instead. Build 41 saves do not load in Build 42.

Backups

Click Save world, then Backup before changing mods, editing the sandbox or updating. You keep 3 backups. Mod updates are the most common way a Zomboid world breaks, so a backup first is worth the ten seconds.

Sleep when empty

With Sleep when empty on, the server stops after 90 minutes with nobody online. The world is saved and anyone with access starts it again in one click. Time in Knox County only passes while the server runs, which many groups like, but if you want the world online around the clock, turn it off in Settings.

Upgrading your plan

If the server stutters as the world grows or after adding mods, move up a plan in Settings. The price is prorated and the new RAM applies after a restart. Your world, characters and settings stay put.

Self hosting vs GamezServers

If you have a spare PC and enjoy tinkering, the full walkthrough is in how to make a Project Zomboid server.

FAQ

How much does a Project Zomboid server cost?

From $14.99 a month for 6 GB, with 50% off the first month for new customers. Split four ways, Standard is about $6 each.

Can I bring our co-op world to the server?

Yes, if it was made on the same build. Upload the world folder and its ini and sandbox files through SFTP. See how to move a Project Zomboid save to a server.

Why did my settings reset after I edited servertest.ini?

The server was running and wrote its own copy over yours when it stopped. Stop the server, edit, then start it.

Do friends need to install the mods?

No. Workshop mods listed on the server download automatically when players join.

How many mods can I run?

As many as your plan handles. Big mod lists run best on 8 GB or more.