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

To host a Rust server with GamezServers, pick a plan sized for your map and player count, pay, and your server is live in about 60 seconds with its own address. There is nothing to install, no ports to forward and no PC to leave on. This guide walks through every step from choosing a plan to your first wipe, plus the settings, plugins and admin setup most groups want on day one.

Step 1: Pick the right Rust plan

Rust plans are sized by RAM, because memory is what runs out first as bases grow and the entity count climbs through a wipe. Every plan costs 2.50 USD per GB a month.

A quick rule: a private server for you and a few friends on a 3000 map is fine on Starter. If you plan to list it publicly, run a 4000 map or add more than a handful of plugins, take Standard. Unsure? Choosing a plan and how much RAM a game server needs go deeper, and you can change plan later without losing anything.

New customers get 50% off the first month on any plan, so Standard is about 15 USD for the first month.

Step 2: Split the bill with friends (optional)

Rust is a group game, 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 share and the server starts straight away. Nobody has to wait on anyone.
• 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. Split four ways, the Standard plan works out at roughly 8.50 USD each.
• If you are a new customer, your friends get 50% off their first month too.
• If someone drops out later, the remaining shares go up (never above the full price) and everyone is emailed before anything changes.

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

Step 3: Pay and open your dashboard

Name your server, sign in or create an account on the same page, and pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe. After payment you land on your dashboard. Your server shows Setting up for about a minute, then Online.

Open the server to reach its control panel. The address sits at the top, for example 203.0.113.10:28015. Click it to copy. The first start of a new Rust server generates the map, so give it a few minutes before the first join.

Step 4: Join your server

Send the address to your friends, then everyone joins the same way:

1. Launch Rust and wait for the main menu to load.
2. Press F1 to open the console.
3. Type client.connect followed by the address, for example client.connect 203.0.113.10:28015, and press Enter.
4. Once your server shows up in the Community tab (or the Modded tab when plugins are installed), you can also find it by name and add it to Favorites.

New servers can take a while to appear in the browser. The F1 connect command always works in the meantime. If it still does not show after a while, see Rust server not showing in the server browser.

Step 5: Make yourself the owner

Admin powers in Rust come from your SteamID64 (the 17 digit number starting with 7656). Open the Console tab in the panel and run:

ownerid 76561198000000000 "YourName"
server.writecfg

Then reconnect. server.writecfg saves it to users.cfg so it survives restarts. Use moderatorid for moderators you trust with fewer powers. The full walkthrough, including Oxide permission groups, is in how to make yourself admin on a Rust server.

Step 6: Set up server.cfg

Open the Files tab and go to server/, then your server's identity folder, then cfg/server.cfg. Anything you can type in the console can go here, one setting per line. A good starting point:

server.description "Weekly wipe Thursdays. 2x gather. No racism. Discord: example"
server.url "https://example.com"
server.headerimage "https://example.com/banner.png"
server.logoimage "https://example.com/logo.png"
server.tags "weekly,vanilla"
server.saveinterval 300

• server.description: the text players read in the browser before joining.
• server.headerimage and server.logoimage: image links shown on your listing.
• server.tags: labels the browser uses for filters, such as weekly, biweekly, monthly, vanilla or pve.
• server.saveinterval: how often the world saves, in seconds.

The map comes from server.worldsize and server.seed, or server.levelurl for a custom map. A new seed only takes effect after a map wipe, so change it right before one. Restart from the panel after editing the file.

Step 7: Add Oxide or Carbon plugins

Rust plugins run only on the server, so players never download anything. You need one framework:

• Oxide (uMod): the classic choice with the biggest plugin library at umod.org. Plugins go in oxide/plugins.
• Carbon: a newer framework that runs most Oxide plugins. Plugins go in carbon/plugins.

Pick one, never both. Upload .cs plugin files with the file manager (or SFTP for a big batch) and they compile and load on the fly. The Reload plugins button in the panel reloads everything without a restart. Plugin settings appear as JSON files in oxide/config (or carbon/configs) after the first load.

Popular first plugins for friend servers: Gather Manager, Stack Size Controller, NTeleportation, Kits, Remover Tool and Better Chat. Step by step instructions are in how to install Rust plugins with Oxide or Carbon.

Step 8: Plan your wipes

Facepunch releases a big update on the first Thursday of every month, and old maps do not load on the new version, so every server wipes then. Many communities also wipe weekly or every two weeks between force wipes.

A map wipe means stopping the server and deleting the .map and .sav files in your identity folder. Deleting the player.blueprints files as well wipes blueprints. How to wipe a Rust server lists exactly which files to delete for each type of wipe. Press Backup first so you can undo a mistake.

After the monthly update, press Restart so the server updates too, then everyone can join again.

Step 9: Backups, Sleep when empty and upgrades

• Backups: the Backup button stores a snapshot, and you keep 3. Take one before every wipe and before installing new plugins.
• Sleep when empty: stops the server after 90 minutes with nobody online, and anyone with access starts it again in one click. It is great for a private friend server. Turn it off in Settings if you want the server listed in the browser around the clock, because a sleeping server does not show up.
• Upgrading: if memory runs high late in a wipe, pick a bigger plan in Settings. The price is prorated and the new RAM applies after a restart.
• Handy buttons: Save world, Broadcast and Kick player sit next to the console for everyday jobs.

Self hosting vs GamezServers

If you would rather run it yourself, our Rust self hosting guide covers the full SteamCMD setup.

FAQ

How much does it cost to host a Rust server?

Plans run from 19.99 USD a month for 8 GB to 39.99 USD for 16 GB, with 50% off the first month for new customers. Split with up to 9 friends and each share costs a fraction of that plus a 1 USD fee.

Can I host a Rust server for free?

You can self host for free on your own PC, as long as it has enough RAM and stays on while people play, and you can forward ports on your router. Hosting on a rented server is paid, which is what keeps it online when you log off.

How many players can my Rust server hold?

Up to 50 on Starter, 100 on Standard and 200 on Pro. Most friend groups never get close, so the map size and plugin count matter more than the player cap.

Do I have to wipe my Rust server?

The map has to wipe on the first Thursday of each month when Facepunch updates the game. Blueprint wipes and extra wipes between updates are up to you.

Can I change plan or game later?

Yes. Change plan any time in Settings, prorated. You can also switch the server to another game with a plan of the same memory, and your Rust world is backed up first.