How to Set Up a Palworld Dedicated Server: The Complete Guide

Dedicated server, community server or co-op?

Palworld has two kinds of server you host yourself, and Pocketpair's docs describe them like this: a dedicated server hosts the world without a game client, so nobody has to keep Palworld running and more people can join; players connect with an IP address and port. A community server is the same dedicated server, registered in the in-game server list. The only difference is whether it shows up in that list. Both are crossplay enabled by default for Steam, Xbox (and the Microsoft Store PC version), Mac and PS5.

Co-op is the other route: the host starts a multiplayer session from the game menu and friends join it. It costs nothing, but the world only exists while the host is playing and the host's PC does all the work.

Palworld left early access on 10 July 2026 with version 1.0; the latest patch at the time of writing is 1.0.5. Everyone on the server needs the same game version as the server, so after an update, console and PC players should update before joining.

Host it yourself or rent a server: an honest comparison

Running your own is free and a good way to learn. Pocketpair publishes the hardware it expects:

Source: Pocketpair's requirements page. Pocketpair also advises against running its Docker image through Docker Desktop because of storage speed and the risk of corrupted saves.

What hosting it yourself involves

1. Install the server with SteamCMD: steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit, or find Palworld Dedicated Server in the tools section of your Steam library.
2. Start it once (PalServer.exe on Windows, ./PalServer.sh on Linux) so the config folders are created, then copy DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini to Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/PalWorldSettings.ini (LinuxServer on Linux) and edit that copy.
3. Forward UDP 8211 (or your own -port) to the machine and open it in the firewall. To appear in the community list, start with -publiclobby.
4. Repeat the SteamCMD command after every Palworld patch, then restart.

Your own PC or home server

Free and fully yours. But it is only online while the machine is, your home IP is shared with every player, you need router access (and no CGNAT), there is no DDoS protection, and the server competes with your own game for CPU and RAM.

A rented server

Online 24/7 without your PC, a safe address to share, DDoS protection, a control panel for settings, mods, backups and restarts, and support when something breaks. It costs a monthly fee, so it pays off once your group plays most days.

Our view after hosting game servers since 2008: if you play with one or two friends and have a spare machine, start at home. Rent when the world must stay up while you are offline or the group grows. On GTX every Palworld server includes up to 10 GB of RAM and 100 GB of NVMe storage, with 12 GB on the 16-slot plan and 16 GB on the 32-slot plan, plus crossplay, the Mod Manager and backups. See our Palworld server hosting plans for the current prices.

Setting up your server in the GTX game panel

Palworld servers on GTX run in our game panel. After you order, the server is online within minutes. This is the order we tell new customers to work in:

1. Log in to the Client Area, open Services, pick your Palworld server and press Auto Login to Control Panel.
2. Stop the server before you change anything. Press STOP.
3. Open Configuration Files and edit PalWorldSettings.ini with the Config Editor: server name, password, admin password, player count. Press Save & Exit.
4. Check Start.bat in the same place: the Community Server option must be enabled if players should find the server by name (this adds the official -publiclobby argument).
5. Press START and give it a few minutes to come online. Your IP and port are under Connection Info in the Connection & Controls box.
6. Join it: in Palworld pick Join Multiplayer Game, then either search your server name in the Community Servers tab or type the IP:PORT into the box at the bottom and press Connect.

World settings in PalWorldSettings.ini

Every rule of your world lives in one file. Since 1.0 the default dedicated-server settings are close to single-player Normal difficulty; you change what you want and leave the rest. These are the settings players change most, with Pocketpair's own description:

The full list is on Pocketpair's configuration parameters page. For recommended values for beginners, normal and veteran worlds, read our best world settings for Palworld guide, which also explains the Casual, Normal and Hard presets and how to change difficulty.

Crossplay: Xbox, PS5, Mac and Steam on one server

Palworld servers are crossplay by default. The platforms allowed to join are set by CrossplayPlatforms in PalWorldSettings.ini, and Pocketpair's default is (Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac); remove a platform from the list only if you want to keep it out. The old AllowConnectPlatform setting is not available any more: use CrossplayPlatforms instead.

You cannot run the dedicated server on an Xbox or PlayStation itself: the server software runs on a PC or server. That is why console groups rent one. Console players then find it like this:

1. Make sure the server runs as a community server (on GTX: the Community Server option in Start.bat) and has a unique name in PalWorldSettings.ini.
2. Players open Palworld, go to Join Multiplayer Game and search the name in the Community Servers tab.
3. Steam players can also type the IP:PORT from Connection Info instead.

Every player needs the same game version as the server, so after a Palworld patch update your game before you join.

Mods: Steam Workshop, UE4SS and anti-cheat

Palworld has official mod support through the Steam Workshop, and a dedicated server can load Workshop mods. Pocketpair is clear on the limits: server-side mods only work on the Windows dedicated server, only mods built for servers work, and mods can cause save corruption or crashes, so use them at your own risk. Mods are switched on in Mods/PalModSettings.ini: set bGlobalEnableMod=true and list each mod's PackageName (the value in its Info.json, not the folder name) as an ActiveModList line. The launch argument -NoMods forces every mod off, which is the quickest way to test whether a mod causes a problem.

On GTX the Steam Workshop tool installs Workshop mods and the Mod Manager installs UE4SS (the mod loader many mods need) and PalDefender in one click. Your server starts vanilla until you choose otherwise.

Admin and commands

Set an AdminPassword in the config, start the server, join it, press Enter to open chat and type /AdminPassword followed by your password. You get a confirmation message and you are admin. Keep that password private: anyone who has it can kick, ban and shut down the server. Pocketpair's official command list:

Source: Pocketpair's commands page. Prefer a console over the chat box? The GTX panel has Web Console and Web RCON, and Palworld's settings include RCON and a REST API (RCONEnabled, RESTAPIEnabled). To give a co-admin access to the panel without sharing your login, create a sub-user.

Backups, restarts and updates

A Palworld world is worth protecting. On GTX the panel makes automatic daily and weekly backups, stores them on your server and sends them to offsite storage, where they are kept for up to six months even if you cancel. You can also make your own: stop the server, open Backup Manager, choose Backup World (or Restore World, Wipe World, Download Backups), tick the confirmation box and press Execute. Restore and Wipe replace your current world, so back up first.

The game has its own safety net too: bIsUseBackupSaveData keeps rolling copies of the save (5 per 30 seconds, 6 per 10 minutes, 12 per hour and 7 per day, per Pocketpair), at the cost of more disk load.

Restarts and updates on a timer

Create a task under Scheduled Tasks: Backup and Restart with Messages repeating every 6 hours is a good start (every 4 hours for a busy server, every 12 for a small group). Players get warnings at 10, 5, 2 and 1 minutes, the world is saved, the server restarts and takes a backup. Palworld broadcast messages are limited to 48 characters, so keep warnings short. A Steam Update task keeps the server on the current game version, and you can send all of these messages to a Discord channel.

Moving an existing world? A single-player or co-op save can move to your server with your character, Pals and bases intact, but your character ID changes on a dedicated server, so the guide below walks through the fix.

Performance, RAM and player count

Palworld servers are hungry because every base, worker Pal and wild Pal is simulated. Pocketpair's guidance is 16 GB of RAM and four cores for a comfortable server, and its docs mark the settings that raise load: BaseCampMaxNumInGuild, BaseCampWorkerMaxNum (up to 50 Pals per base) and PalSpawnNumRate. ServerReplicatePawnCullDistance (5000 to 15000 cm) sets how far away Pals are synced to players.

Launch arguments from the official docs: -players=32 sets the maximum players, -port changes the port, and -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS are the multithreading options; Pocketpair now says that in version 1.0 and later, leaving them unset may improve performance. Version 1.0 also optimised dedicated server processing for many players.

These are our own sizing notes based on the plans we sell, not an official figure. You can change slots or RAM later without losing the world. Playing on a weak PC rather than hosting? Our Palworld FPS boost guide covers the graphics settings that matter.

Troubleshooting a Palworld server

• Players cannot find the server in the list: the Community Server option must be on in Start.bat (the -publiclobby argument), the server needs a unique name in PalWorldSettings.ini and a few minutes online. IP:PORT always works while you wait.
• Settings did not change: the server was running while you edited, or you edited DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini. Stop, edit PalWorldSettings.ini, save and start.
• Cannot join after an update: the game version must match the server. Update the server (Steam Update) and ask players to update.
• Crashes or loops after adding mods: set bGlobalEnableMod=False in PalModSettings.ini and restart. If it runs, a mod is the cause; many Workshop mods are client-only, and game updates break mods until their authors fix them.
• Server restarts at the wrong time: restarts follow the server machine's clock, not yours. Compare with Machine Local Time under Server Details.

Things to do in Palworld: play guides

Once the server is running, these guides from our team help your group make the most of it: Pals, base building and crafting, combat and exploring. Many were first written during early access; where Palworld 1.0 changed something we corrected the guide, and the in-game numbers always win. They are all in one list: browse the 26 play guides.