How to Host a Valheim Server: Hosted, Self Hosted or Free (2026)

There are three ways to host a Valheim server. Host it with us and it is online about a minute after checkout, with its own address, a join password and crossplay on. Host it yourself for free by installing the dedicated server (SteamCMD app 896660) on a Windows or Linux PC with 4 GB of RAM to spare and forwarding UDP ports 2456 to 2458. Or skip the server and tick Start server in your own game, which is free but goes offline when you log off. Valheim holds up to 10 players a world either way. This guide covers all three.

Which way should you host Valheim?

Hosting from your game is fine for a crew that always plays together. As soon as someone wants to build, farm or sail while the host is offline, you need a dedicated server, at home or hosted.

How much RAM does a Valheim server need?

Valheim is light on memory compared with most survival games. What hurts performance most is heavy building in one area, so fast single core speed and room to grow matter more than raw RAM.

At home, give the server an SSD with 5 to 10 GB free for the install, the world and backups. If the same PC also runs the game, you want 16 GB of system RAM or more. More in Valheim server requirements and how much RAM a game server needs.

Option 1: Host a Valheim server with GamezServers

1. Pick a plan from the table above. You can change plan any time, so starting small costs nothing. New customers get 50% off the first month.
2. Split the bill if you like. Choose Split with friends at checkout to share it between 2 and 10 people, each paying their own share by card with a 1 USD fee per share. A Pro server split four ways is about 6 USD each a month. Your server starts as soon as you pay your share, and friends who make an account with the email they paid with see the server in their own dashboard.
3. Pay and open your server. Name it, sign in or create an account on the same page and pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. It appears under Your servers as Setting up, then Online. The address at the top of the control panel looks like 203.0.113.10:2456. Click it to copy.
4. Check the main settings. Every server has a Join password, made for you if you leave it empty, and shown in the panel. Set the World name, pick a Difficulty preset, and choose whether to Show in the community list. Crossplay is on by default on the vanilla server type.
5. Share the address and password. Friends launch Valheim, click Start Game, pick a character, open Join Game, click Add server, paste the address and click Add server again, then Connect and enter the password. On Xbox, PlayStation or Switch 2, they type the server's join code in the Join Game tab instead. It shows in the panel next to the address.

Billing is monthly with no contract, and you can cancel any time from the dashboard. The server runs until the end of the paid month. See billing and cancellation and the control panel guide.

Password rules

Valheim refuses to start when the password is shorter than 5 characters or is part of the server name. Every server name on our servers ends with our credit, so the password must be 5 to 20 characters and must not contain a word from the server name, "gamez", "server" or ".com". The password is case sensitive.

How do you change the difficulty?

Pick a Difficulty preset in the panel: Normal, Casual, Easy, Hard, Hardcore, Immersive or Hammer (free building). Then fine tune combat, death penalty, resources, raids and portals. Changes apply on the next restart. See Valheim world modifiers on a dedicated server.

How do you make yourself an admin?

Open Files, go to .config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/ and add your player ID on its own line in adminlist.txt, then restart. IDs use the platform format shown in the in game F2 panel, such as Steam_76561198000000000. bannedlist.txt and permittedlist.txt in the same folder handle bans and a whitelist. The Valheim server has no command console, so admins run commands like kick, ban and save from the in game console (F5). Full list in Valheim admin commands.

Upload your existing world

Stop the server, then upload your world folder, or the .db and .fwl files from a world saved before 1.0, into .config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local through Files, or over SFTP for big worlds (in Settings, click Show FTP login). Set World name to the same name and start. Step by step: how to upload a Valheim world to a dedicated server.

Option 2: Make a Valheim server on your own PC

The dedicated server is free from Iron Gate, downloads without a game license, runs on Windows and Linux and needs no graphics card. The PC has to stay on while people play.

Step 1: Install SteamCMD and download the server

• Windows: download SteamCMD from Valve, extract it to a folder such as C:\steamcmd and run steamcmd.exe once.
• Linux: install the steamcmd package for your distribution, or use Valve's tarball and run ./steamcmd.sh.

The server is app ID 896660 and downloads anonymously:

steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\valheim-server +login anonymous +app_update 896660 validate +quit

On Linux use a path like ~/valheim-server. Windows players who own Valheim can also install Valheim Dedicated Server from the Tools section of their Steam library. Run the update again after every Valheim patch, or your crew gets "Incompatible version".

Step 2: Set up the start script

The server comes with start_headless_server.bat on Windows and start_server.sh on Linux. Copy it to a new name such as start_myserver.bat so updates do not overwrite it, then edit the line that starts the server:

valheim_server -nographics -batchmode -name "Viking Crew" -port 2456 -world "Midgard" -password "secret123" -public 1

Run the script. The server is ready when the console reports that the game server has connected.

Step 3: Add yourself as an admin

The server creates adminlist.txt in its save folder: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim on Windows, ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim on Linux, or your -savedir. Add your ID in the Steam_76561198000000000 format from the F2 panel on its own line, then restart.

Step 4: Open the ports

Forwarding the small range UDP 2456 to 2458 covers everything. Forward it on your router to the server's local IP and allow valheim_server through your firewall. With crossplay on, the server prints a join code in its log that players can use instead of an address. Our port forwarding guide covers the router side. If your provider uses CGNAT, forwarding does not work at all. See how to tell if you are behind CGNAT and how to host a game server without port forwarding.

Step 5: Let your crew connect

Friends open Join Game, click Add server, enter your public IP and port, for example 203.0.113.10:2456, then Connect and enter the password. Public servers also show up in the community list after a few minutes. Console players use the join code.

Step 6: Bring your existing world

Valheim 1.0 moved to a new save format: each world is a folder inside worlds_local, split into smaller pieces that save faster. Copy the world's folder from your own worlds_local into the server's and set -world to its name. Worlds last saved before 1.0 are a .db and .fwl pair. Copy both in, and the server converts them the first time it loads the world, keeping a backup of the old files. That first load can take several minutes, so do not stop the server while it works. See Valheim world save location.

Option 3: Host Valheim from your own game for free

1. Launch Valheim, pick your character and choose a world.
2. Tick Start server and set a password of at least 5 characters.
3. Friends on Steam join through your name in their friends list, or with the join code if crossplay is on.

The world only runs while you play. Log off and everyone is kicked, and your PC runs the game and the server at once. How to play Valheim with friends covers it in detail.

What are the catches with hosting for free?

• Electricity. A PC left on around the clock uses real power. At 150 W that is about 108 kWh a month, roughly 18 USD at 0.17 USD per kWh.
• CGNAT. If your provider uses it, you cannot forward ports and friends never see the server.
• Updates are manual. Steam updates players but not your server. Miss a SteamCMD update and the crew sees "Incompatible version".
• Lag from players, not just the server. In vanilla Valheim, the player who owns an area simulates it, so one weak PC or bad connection can lag everyone nearby. See Valheim server lag fix.
• Your home IP is exposed to everyone who joins. See is hosting a game server at home safe.
• Backups live on the same disk. The server keeps a few automatic backups, but copy the world folder somewhere else now and then.

Can you get a hosted Valheim server without paying cash?

Yes, with credits. Every GamezServers account gets a share link from the dashboard. It earns 5 cents for every person who clicks it, counted once a day per person, and 10 USD in credits for every person who clicks and subscribes, once per person. Credits come off your bills automatically and have no cash value outside GamezServers.

A 3 day one-time rental costs about 2.50 USD on 4 GB, 3.75 USD on 6 GB and 5 USD on 8 GB. A month of Starter is about 200 clicks, or one person who subscribes through your link, and a 3 day rental is about 50 clicks. See how game server credits work.

How do you add mods to a Valheim server?

Valheim mods run on BepInEx and are shared through Thunderstore. On our servers, pick the BepInEx server type, then open the Mods tab: any Thunderstore mod or modpack installs in one click, with everything it needs. Most gameplay mods need to be installed on the server and on every player's game in matching versions, which is easiest with an r2modman or Thunderstore Mod Manager profile everyone imports with a share code. Console players cannot use mods, so modded servers are for PC players and crossplay servers stay vanilla. Mods often need an update after big patches, so check each one before updating. More in how to install Valheim mods on a dedicated server and how to add a Thunderstore modpack.

Backups, updates and upgrades

• Backups: on our servers, press Backup before every boss fight, big build or update. Each server keeps 3. At home, copy the worlds_local folder.
• Updates: our servers update Valheim on every restart, so restart after a patch and have players update their game. Update game reinstalls it, and on the BepInEx type also pulls BepInEx and your modpack again. Your worlds stay. At home, run the SteamCMD command again. See how to update a Valheim server after a game patch.
• Sleep when empty: our servers stop after 4 days with nobody online. Your world is saved, and anyone with access starts it again in one click. Turn it off in Settings to keep the world online around the clock.
• Upgrading: in Settings, pick a bigger plan. The price is prorated and the new RAM applies after a restart.

Common problems

• Server will not start: the password is under 5 characters or is part of the server name.
• Wrong password or cannot connect right after a start: the password is case sensitive, and the server needs a minute or two to load the world after a start or update.
• Friends cannot see the server in the list: the community list can take a few minutes. Adding it by IP under Join Game works straight away. See Valheim server not showing up.
• "Incompatible version": the server or a player is out of date. Restart our server, or update yours with SteamCMD. See the Valheim incompatible version fix for beta branch and mod causes.
• Stuttering near big bases: too many objects in one area. Give the server more CPU headroom and spread builds out.
• World missing after uploading: the world name does not match the folder or file name exactly.

FAQ

Is the Valheim dedicated server free?

Yes. It is free on Steam as app 896660 and downloads through SteamCMD with an anonymous login. You only pay for the PC or server it runs on.

How much does it cost to host a Valheim server?

With us, plans start at 9.99 USD a month for 4 GB, with 50% off the first month for new customers. Split four ways, a Pro server is about 6 USD each. More in Valheim server hosting cost.

What ports does a Valheim server need?

UDP 2456 and 2457 by default. Forwarding 2456 to 2458 covers everything.

How many players can join a Valheim server?

Valheim supports up to 10 players per world. Our Standard plan handles a full crew.

Do my friends need to own Valheim?

Yes. Every player needs their own copy of the game. The server itself does not need one.

Can I play with friends on Xbox or PlayStation?

Yes. With crossplay on, Xbox, PC Game Pass, PlayStation 5 and Switch 2 players join Steam players with the join code, as long as the server runs without mods. See Valheim dedicated server crossplay.

Can friends play my world when I am offline?

Only on a dedicated server. A world hosted with Start server goes offline when you leave.

Can I make my Valheim server private?

Yes. Every server has a password, and you can keep it out of the community list so only the people you invite find it.

What happens to my world if I cancel?

The server keeps running until the end of the paid month. Download your world folder from the Files tab before then if you want to keep it.

See Valheim server hosting to pick a plan and get your crew sailing.