How to Host a Valheim Server for Free (3 Ways, 2026)

You can host a Valheim server for free three ways: tick Start server in your own game, run Iron Gate's free dedicated server (Steam app 896660) on a PC you leave on, or get a real hosted server paid for with GamezServers credits instead of cash. The first two cost nothing in software, but the world either goes offline with you or needs your PC on, UDP ports 2456 to 2458 forwarded and updates after every patch. Here is each option with its real catches.

Can you host Valheim for free?

Yes. Iron Gate gives the dedicated server away, and it downloads through SteamCMD without a game license. Every player still needs their own copy of Valheim.

Option 1: host from your own game

The quickest free way to play together:

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 catch: the world only runs while you are playing. Log off and everyone is kicked, and nobody can build, farm or sail until you are back. Your PC also runs the game and the server at once. How to play Valheim with friends covers this in detail.

Option 2: run the free dedicated server yourself

The dedicated server runs the world on its own, so friends can play while you are offline. It runs on Windows and Linux and needs no graphics card.

What PC do you need?

Give it a CPU with good single core speed and 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. Details in Valheim server requirements.

Set it up in five steps

1. Install SteamCMD and download the server:

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

2. Copy the start script. Copy start_headless_server.bat (Windows) or start_server.sh (Linux) to a new name so updates do not overwrite it.
3. Edit the launch line, for example:

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

Add -crossplay if friends play on Xbox, PC Game Pass, PlayStation 5 or Switch 2. Mods do not work with console players.

4. Open the ports. Forward UDP 2456 to 2458 on your router to the server PC and allow valheim_server through the firewall. See how to port forward a game server.
5. Start the server and have friends add your-ip:2456 under Join Game, or use the join code printed in the log when crossplay is on.

The full guide, including admin lists and moving an existing world, is how to make a Valheim server.

What are the catches of hosting Valheim 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. Use your own numbers.
• CGNAT. If your internet provider uses CGNAT you cannot forward ports at all, and friends will never see the server. How to host a game server without port forwarding covers workarounds.
• Updates. Steam updates players automatically, but not your server. After every patch, run the SteamCMD command again or your crew sees "Incompatible version".
• Lag from players, not just the server. In vanilla Valheim, the player who owns an area simulates it, so a weak PC or bad connection on one player can lag everyone nearby. See Valheim server lag fix.
• Your home IP. Everyone who joins sees it.
• Backups. The server keeps a few automatic backups, but they live on the same disk. Copy the world folder somewhere else now and then.

Option 3: a real Valheim server paid with credits

If nobody has a PC to leave on, this is how to get a hosted Valheim server without paying cash. Every GamezServers account gets a share link from the dashboard in one click, and it earns credits:

• 5 cents for every person who clicks the link, counted once a day per person.
• 10 USD in credits for every person who clicks the link and subscribes, once per person. Anyone counts, not just your crew.

Credits are money for servers, not a discount. They come off your bills automatically, and once they cover a server, which can be a few days of a small prepaid one, you can get it with credits alone and no card. They have no cash value outside GamezServers.

What you get: a real dedicated Valheim server with DDoS protection, backups, a live console and a file manager, live in about 60 seconds. Pick vanilla with crossplay, or BepInEx for Thunderstore mods. World presets and modifiers are panel settings, and the server updates Valheim on every restart.

In credits, a month of the Starter plan is about 200 clicks, or one person who subscribes through your link. A 3 day rental is about 50 clicks. See how game server credits work and free game servers.

Other cheap ways to host Valheim

• Split the bill. Up to 10 friends each pay their own share, plus a 1 USD fee per share. The 6 GB plan split five ways is about 4 USD each. See splitting a game server with friends.
• Half price first month. Your first subscription gets 50% off the first month.
• Prepaid rentals for a weekend run at a boss. See cheap game server hosting.

Moving your world later is simple either way. How to upload a Valheim world to a dedicated server shows how, and the plans are on Valheim server hosting.

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.

What ports does a Valheim server need?

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

Can friends play my Valheim world when I'm offline?

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

How much RAM does a Valheim server need?

About 4 GB for up to 5 players, 6 GB for a crew of 10 or big bases, and 8 GB for BepInEx modpacks.

Can I get a Valheim server with credits alone?

Yes. Once your credits cover a server, for example 3 days of the 4 GB plan at about 2.50 USD, you can get it with credits and no card.