How to Play Terraria With Friends (Steam, IP and Servers)

To play Terraria with friends on PC, open Multiplayer > Host & Play, pick a character and world, choose Friends Only or Invite Only, and friends join through Multiplayer > Join via Steam. Without Steam, friends use Join via IP with your IP and port 7777, which needs port forwarding. For a world that stays online when you log off, run a dedicated server and everyone joins by IP.

What are the ways to play Terraria multiplayer?

Your character always stays with you. Characters live on each player's own device and travel between worlds, while the world, its chests, houses and boss progress live with whoever hosts it.

How do I host Terraria for friends on Steam?

The Terraria wiki's Steam multiplayer guide covers the details. The short version:

1. From the title screen, click Multiplayer, then Host & Play.
2. Choose the Steam multiplayer mode: Friends Only lets any Steam friend join, Invite Only lets in only people you invite.
3. Pick your character and the world you want to host.
4. Set a password, or leave it blank.
5. Once in the world, invite friends: open your inventory, click Settings, then Invite Friends, which opens the Steam overlay.

Friends join with Multiplayer > Join via Steam, which opens their Steam friends list, or by accepting your invite. Steam handles the connection, so nobody has to forward ports. This is the easiest way for a group of Steam friends who always play together.

How do friends join Terraria by IP?

Join via IP is the route for dedicated servers, GOG players and mobile players:

1. Click Multiplayer, then Join via IP.
2. Pick a character.
3. Enter the IP address and press Accept. The next screen asks for the port. Do not type a colon.
4. Enter the port, 7777 by default, then the password if there is one.

If you Host & Play by IP from your own PC, friends outside your home need your public IP, and TCP port 7777 must be forwarded on your router to your PC. Our port forwarding guide covers the router side. Some home connections sit behind carrier grade NAT, where forwarding does not work at all. A dedicated server with its own address avoids that problem.

Can I play Terraria with friends on mobile, Xbox or PlayStation?

Partly, as of October 2026:

Re-Logic explained in its February 2026 State of the Game that PC, mobile and the dedicated server share the same code, so they already play together when versions match. Console crossplay needs platform approval and is planned for Terraria 1.4.6 by IP and port, with no release date yet. Console friends can still play together on the same console family, including split screen. Our Terraria crossplay guide tracks the details.

The catch for mobile is versions. Mobile updates pass app store review, so phones can trail PC by days or weeks. The current PC version is 1.4.5.8. If your server updates before phones do, mobile friends cannot join until they catch up.

When should we use a dedicated server instead?

Host & Play ties the world to the host. When they quit, everyone is disconnected, and nobody can mine or build in that world until the host is back. A dedicated server fixes that:

• Anyone can play any time. The world is online whether or not the person who created it is.
• No host lag. The host's PC is not simulating events and bosses for everyone.
• One stable address for PC and mobile now, and consoles once Phase One ships.
• Admin control. Kick, ban, save and change the time from the server console.

The vanilla server is a free download from terraria.org and is set up with serverconfig.txt, which picks the world, player limit, port and password. Our Terraria server config explained lists every key, and how to make a Terraria server walks through the setup on your own PC.

How do we play modded Terraria with friends?

Vanilla Terraria has no mod support, so modded groups use tModLoader, a free separate entry on Steam. The rules:

• Everyone joins from tModLoader, not regular Terraria, on the same tModLoader version.
• When a player joins a tModLoader server or session, tModLoader downloads the host's mods for them.
• tModLoader worlds and characters are separate from vanilla ones.
• As of October 2026, stable tModLoader is still based on Terraria 1.4.4, so it does not include the 1.4.5 content yet.

Calamity and other big mods use much more memory than vanilla. See how to add mods to a Terraria server for the server side.

How many players can play Terraria together?

Up to 255 on a server in theory, set by maxplayers in serverconfig.txt. Most friend groups are 2 to 8. Bigger groups mean more enemies and events to simulate, which is where a modded server starts to need more RAM.

What should a Terraria group agree on before starting?

• World size: small, medium or large. Large suits 6 or more players who like to spread out.
• Difficulty: Classic, Expert, Master or Journey, picked when the world is made. Journey worlds only accept Journey characters, and the other three only accept Classic, Mediumcore or Hardcore characters.
• Character difficulty: Softcore, Mediumcore or Hardcore. Decide whether everyone drops items on death.
• Vanilla or tModLoader: you cannot mix them in one world.

FAQ

How do I invite friends in Terraria?

Host with Host & Play through Steam, then open your inventory, click Settings and Invite Friends. Friends can also use Join via Steam if you picked Friends Only.

What port does Terraria use?

TCP port 7777 by default, for both Host & Play by IP and the dedicated server.

Can my friends play on my Terraria world when I am offline?

Not with Host & Play. Move the world to a dedicated server so it stays online without you.

Can mobile and PC play Terraria together?

Yes, by IP and port, as long as both run the same version.

Why can't my friend join my Terraria world?

Usually a version mismatch, a missing port forward for IP joins, or one player using tModLoader while the other uses vanilla Terraria.

Hosting a Terraria world with us

If you want the world online without leaving a PC on, our Terraria server hosting runs vanilla, tModLoader or TShock, switchable from the panel, with world backups before every boss. Upload your existing .wld file and keep playing. Plans start at 4.99 USD a month for 2 GB, new customers get 50% off the first month on monthly plans, and each friend can pay their own share from a link.