Factorio Server Hosting

How does a Factorio server work, and why do you need a separate one?

Factorio multiplayer uses a lockstep architecture: every client simulates the whole world itself, and only player actions travel over the network. The server is the referee that orders and distributes those actions. This keeps traffic low, but every participant must run exactly the same game version and mod set, otherwise the connection is refused or a desync occurs.

Hosting from your own PC is fine for short sessions, but when you quit the factory stops and your friends cannot join. A dedicated server keeps the map online, takes regular autosaves and does not depend on your home upload speed. When nobody is connected, the headless server pauses the game by default; if you want the world to keep running while empty, start it with --no-auto-pause.

The official server software comes in two forms: the Linux headless package from factorio.com, which ships without graphics and sound libraries, and the regular game files started with --start-server. On a rented server the lightweight headless package is the usual choice.

How much RAM and CPU does a Factorio server need?

For a small group of friends on an early-game map, 2–3 GB of RAM and two fast cores are usually enough; what really decides the requirement is the size of the factory. The table above is an estimate: two factories with the same player count can consume very different resources once one of them becomes a train-filled megabase.

Factorio performance is measured in UPS (updates per second), with a target of 60. The main simulation loop runs largely on one core, so the cure for UPS drops is usually higher clock speed and fast memory access rather than more cores. Because of lockstep, if the server slows down every player slows down, and the weakest client can also drag the factory's rhythm down.

• RAM: grows with map size, explored area and entity count. Space Age simulates several planets at once, so the requirement rises.
• Disk: autosave files grow over time; NVMe storage for several slots and backups reduces stutter while saving.
• Network: traffic is low but grows linearly with players; a nearby data center lowers latency for players in Türkiye and the surrounding region.

Size the server for your factory goals rather than the number of players.

Should you choose a game package or a VDS for Factorio?

This page lists VDS packages for Factorio: you can install the server yourself or request a ready-made setup through a support ticket. On a VDS the CPU cores and memory are reserved for you, so a neighbour's load does not cut your UPS, a difference you feel directly in a game as sensitive to single-core speed as Factorio.

A VDS also gives you full root access: you can pin the headless package to any version, switch to the experimental branch, open an RCON port and run a second test map on the same machine. Choose the package that matches your factory goals from the live table; you can add resources later if you grow.

To compare the two models, see game server package or VDS. In short: a group playing one map that never wants to touch a terminal is better served by a managed setup; anyone running several maps, testing mods or using custom scripts benefits from the flexibility of a VDS. NVMe storage, KVM virtualisation and network-level DDoS filtering are shared by both models on LIONFIN infrastructure.

You can also run several Factorio servers side by side, each started with its own port and folder, and test a new mod pack or Space Age map on a staging server without touching your main factory.

Which settings in server-settings.json matter most?

server-settings.json controls how the server behaves. You create it by copying the bundled server-settings.example.json and point the server at it with --server-settings. The most used fields are:

The admin list lives in server-adminlist.json and updates automatically when you use /promote in game. Use --create for a new map and --start-server-load-latest to open the latest save.

How do you add mods and Space Age to a Factorio server?

Mods go into the server's mods folder as .zip files and are enabled in mod-list.json. When a player connects, Factorio lists missing or mismatched mods and lets the client sync mods from the official mod portal in one step, so running a modded server is less painful than in most games.

• Version lock: when the game updates, bring the server to the same version; some mods do not support a new release immediately. Back up the map before updating heavy mod packs.
• Space Age: the expansion that arrived with Factorio 2.0 is enabled on the server as an official mod. Players need to own Space Age to join a map created with it.
• Large mod packs: comprehensive packs such as Krastorio 2 or Space Exploration noticeably increase RAM needs and save size; use the upper rows of the table.

Restart the server after changing the mod list. Adding a mod to an existing map is usually painless; removing one deletes its items from the map, so rolling back means restoring a backup.

How do you prevent UPS drops and desyncs on a Factorio server?

The most common cause of UPS drops is the factory itself, so reviewing the in-game design is often more effective than upgrading hardware. On the server side, a fast single core, dedicated resources and sensible save settings make the difference.

1. Tune autosave: on a big map every save causes a freeze of a few seconds. Pick an autosave_interval that suits your pace; saving too often hurts gameplay, too rarely increases the risk of data loss.
2. Watch entity counts: many fluid systems, moving trains and robot networks increase simulation load. The timing readouts in the in-game F4 debug menu show which system is expensive.
3. Keep clients in sync: desyncs mostly come from different mod versions. A desynced player drops out; if it repeats, compare the mod list and game version.
4. Don't share the server: running other heavy jobs on the same machine makes UPS fluctuate. Increase resources if needed.

Use top or htop to watch load from the command line: a single core sitting near 100% means the factory has reached the CPU limit.

How is a Factorio server protected against DDoS and unauthorised access?

A publicly listed Factorio server exposes its IP address, so it is open both to denial-of-service attacks and to unwanted players. The first layer of defence is the network: at LIONFIN traffic is filtered at network level by the RouteFence firewall, DDoS attacks are filtered before they reach your server where possible, and the infrastructure is monitored 24/7 by our NOC and SOC (see our data center).

• Leave only 34197/UDP and, if you use it, the RCON port open; close the rest with a firewall such as UFW.
• Keep require_user_verification enabled and use game_password or a whitelist for a private community.
• Open RCON (--rcon-port, --rcon-password) only with a strong password and, if possible, to specific IP addresses.
• Run the server as a separate user rather than root; log in to SSH with keys and limit password attempts with Fail2ban.

Factorio saves can contain commands and mod scripts; check saves and mods from unknown sources before uploading them.

How do you move a Factorio save to the server and back it up?

A map you played single-player or on a friend's PC can be moved straight to the server: a save is a single .zip file. On Windows saves are in %APPDATA%\Factorio\saves; upload the file over SFTP to the server's saves folder and start it with --start-server mysave.zip.

• The server's game version must not be older than the version that created the save.
• The same mods used in the save must be present in the server's mods folder.
• A save played with Space Age will not open on a server without the expansion enabled.

Factorio's rotating autosave slots are the first safety net, but not enough on their own: saves on the same disk do not protect against disk failure or a wrong command. Copy the save folder off the server daily and take a manual copy before big updates, following the 3-2-1 rule.

How does server location affect ping and game feel in Factorio?

In Factorio the server's location determines how quickly your commands are confirmed, so if most of your players connect from Türkiye a nearby data center makes the game feel noticeably smoother. In lockstep the client only applies the final result of an action once the server has scheduled it. Factorio hides this wait with client-side latency hiding: walking and building previews appear instantly, the real result arrives a few frames later.

Latency hiding doesn't cover everything. At high latency fast belt placement, driving vehicles or firing weapons in combat feel “sticky”. Packet loss is worse: the player's simulation waits until a lost packet is resent, which shows up as short freezes.

If your group is spread across cities, keep the server in the region that is closest on average. Bandwidth is rarely the bottleneck, since even a factory with hundreds of trains generates little traffic. What matters is network stability and whether the CPU keeps up with the simulation: a slow server slows the game even with low ping, and high ping delays actions however powerful the server is.

How do you update a Factorio server and pin a version?

Updating a Factorio server means downloading the new headless package and replacing the old files; as long as saves and settings are kept separate it takes a few minutes. Wube Software publishes two channels: stable and experimental. The server must run the same version as players' Steam clients, otherwise connections are refused with a version mismatch error.

For community servers: keep players on stable, move to experimental only when you all agree, and copy the save folder before updating. Once a new version converts a save, it may not open on the old version; rolling back is only possible with a pre-update backup.

Pinning matters even more on modded servers. After a big update mod authors may need time to catch up; meanwhile you can keep the server on the old version and ask players to select the same version in Steam's beta tab. On a VDS you can keep several headless versions in separate folders and choose which to start in the service definition. Update during quiet hours and warn players in advance.

What admin commands does a Factorio server provide?

Factorio offers in-chat commands to players with admin rights; the same commands work from the server console and over RCON.

• /promote and /demote: grant or remove admin rights.
• /kick, /ban, /unban: remove or ban players who break the rules.
• /whitelist: creates a closed community server only listed players can join.
• /server-save: saves immediately without waiting for the autosave; useful before maintenance.
• /players: lists connected and known players.

Larger communities often connect the server to Discord through RCON-based tools, relaying in-game chat to a channel or showing the online player count; you can run such a bot as a small process on the same VDS. Lua /c console commands are powerful, but using them disables achievements for that save; use them carefully or turn them off with --disallow-commands. Keeping the admin list short is the best protection against accidental damage to the map.

What are the most common Factorio server errors?

Most Factorio server problems come from version, mod or port mismatches, and the log file factorio-current.log usually states the cause clearly.

• “Mod mismatch” / cannot connect: the player's mod list differs from the server's. Use the mod sync screen or compare with the server's mod-list.json.
• Server not in the list: public is not enabled in visibility, or username/token is missing. Connecting directly by IP works independently of the list.
• Timeout: 34197/UDP is closed in the firewall, or only TCP was opened. Factorio uses UDP only.
• Dropped with a desync: client and server versions or mods differ; rarely a buggy mod causes it.
• Long freeze when saving: the map has grown; lengthen the save interval and make sure the disk is NVMe.
• The game isn't progressing: the headless server pauses automatically with nobody connected; this is default behaviour, not a bug.

If you get stuck, open a support ticket from the customer panel with the log file attached.