How to Make a Satisfactory Server (2026 Guide)

A Satisfactory dedicated server keeps your factory available when the host is offline, so your team can log in and expand it whenever they like. The server is free, runs natively on Windows and Linux, and is set up mostly from inside the game. This guide covers the whole process, from installing the server to claiming it and uploading your save, and ends with a quicker option if you would rather skip it.

Short on time? A hosted Satisfactory server is online in about 60 seconds with ports 7777 and 8888 already open, ready to claim in Server Manager. The quick start guide shows each step.

What you need

• A PC or server that stays on. Windows 10 and 11, Windows Server and 64 bit Linux such as Debian or Ubuntu are supported. If the machine is off, nobody can play and the factory produces nothing, which is the main reason groups move to a hosted server.
• A CPU with good single core speed. The factory simulation leans on one fast core. A Ryzen 5 3600 or similar is a reasonable floor.
• Enough RAM for the size of your factory:

• Around 15 GB of disk space.
• Access to your router to forward two ports.

For more on why factory size matters more than player count, see how much RAM a game server needs. On a hosted plan you can move up in RAM as the factory grows and keep the same save.

Step 1: Install SteamCMD

Download SteamCMD from Valve. On Windows, extract it into a folder like C:\steamcmd and run it once. On Linux, install the steamcmd package or the tarball, and run the server as a normal user, not root.

Owners on Steam can also install Satisfactory Dedicated Server from the Tools section of their library, and it is available as a free add-on on the Epic Games Store. SteamCMD is the simplest route for a machine that is not your gaming PC.

Step 2: Download the server

The Satisfactory dedicated server is Steam app ID 1690800 and downloads anonymously.

Windows:

steamcmd +force_install_dir "C:\satisfactory-server" +login anonymous +app_update 1690800 validate +quit

Linux:

./steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /home/satisfactory/server +login anonymous +app_update 1690800 validate +quit

Run it again after every game update. The server and every player must be on the same version. Hosted servers pick up the update with a restart.

Step 3: Start the server

Windows:

FactoryServer.exe -log -unattended

Linux:

./FactoryServer.sh

-log shows the log in a console window and -unattended stops the server from waiting on dialog boxes. To change ports, add -Port=7777 for the main port or -ReliablePort=8888 for the reliable messaging port. Leave the defaults unless you run more than one server on the same machine.

Step 4: Open the ports

Since update 1.1, Satisfactory needs two ports:

Forward them to the server's local IP and allow them through Windows Defender Firewall or ufw. Keep the external and internal port numbers the same, since remapping the main port to a different number is not supported. If players can see the server but hang on the loading screen, port 8888 is almost always the cause. Our port forwarding guide covers setting up and testing forwards, and Satisfactory server can't connect covers every connection error. With a hosted server, both ports are open from the start.

Step 5: Claim the server in Server Manager

This is where Satisfactory differs from most games: there is no config file to edit first. Instead you set the server up from the game.

1. Launch Satisfactory and click Server Manager on the main menu.
2. Click Add Server and enter the server's IP address and port 7777. Use the local IP if you are on the same network, or the public IP otherwise.
3. The server shows up as unclaimed. Claim it by giving it a name and an admin password. Keep that password safe, it controls the server's settings.
4. Optionally set a player password in the server settings so only your friends can join.

Step 6: Create a game or upload your save

In Server Manager, open your server and either:

• Create Game: pick a session name and starting location for a fresh world, or
• Manage Saves: upload a save from your own game and load it. Your existing factory moves onto the server. See how to upload a Satisfactory save to a dedicated server if it gives you trouble.

The server settings tab also controls autosaves and whether the server pauses when nobody is online. If you want production to keep running with an empty server, turn the auto pause option off.

Step 7: Let friends connect

1. Launch Satisfactory and open Server Manager.
2. Click Add Server and enter your public IP and port 7777.
3. Enter the player password if you set one.
4. Select the server and click Join Game.

Steam and Epic players can play on the same server. Everyone needs their own copy of Satisfactory.

Where files live

Saves and server settings are stored in the profile of the user running the server:

• Windows: %LocalAppData%\FactoryGame\Saved\SaveGames\server
• Linux: ~/.config/Epic/FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server

Copy that folder regularly as a backup. Advanced settings are in Game.ini and Engine.ini under the server's FactoryGame/Saved/Config/ folder. The player limit is 4 by default, and many hosts raise it in Game.ini, but most settings are safer to change from Server Manager.

Adding mods

Satisfactory mods run on the Satisfactory Mod Loader and are installed with Satisfactory Mod Manager, downloaded from ficsit.app. The mod manager has a Manage Servers option that installs mods onto a dedicated server, either in a local folder or over SFTP. Only mods marked as server compatible on ficsit.app will work, and every player needs exactly the same mods and versions as the server. Check mod compatibility after each game update, since mods often lag behind big patches. The full walkthrough is in how to install mods on a Satisfactory server.

Common problems

• Server not in Server Manager: port 7777 is not forwarded for both UDP and TCP, the firewall blocks it, or the IP is wrong.
• Stuck on the loading screen: port 8888 TCP is closed. Forward it and allow it through the firewall.
• "Certificate not yet valid" or login errors: the clock on your PC or the server is wrong. Fix the date, time and time zone, then try again.
• Lost the admin password: stop the server and delete the ServerSettings.7777.sav file (named after your port) in the save folder, then claim the server again. Back up the folder first. Step by step: how to reset a Satisfactory server admin password.
• Mismatched version: update the server with SteamCMD after every patch.
• Lag as the factory grows: add RAM, and check the CPU is not being shared with other heavy programs.

The easy way

Hosting Satisfactory yourself means a machine with a strong single core left on around the clock, two ports and two protocols forwarded on your home network, and a SteamCMD update after every patch before anyone can join. A hosted server handles that for you. It is online in about 60 seconds with its own address, ready to claim in Server Manager, with nothing to forward and your home IP kept private. You get a browser file manager, SFTP for Satisfactory Mod Manager, and 3 backups in case a blueprint goes wrong, and plans start at 19.99 USD a month with the option to split the bill with your team.

See Satisfactory server hosting for plans, or follow the quick start guide from checkout to your first build.