Terraria Server Hosting

Why choose a rented server for Terraria?

A rented Terraria server keeps the world online 24/7 without depending on the host being in the game, and lets every player connect whenever they like. With the in-game “Host & Play” option, the world runs on the host's computer; when the host leaves, everyone is dropped from the game, and a home connection requires port forwarding.

Although Terraria itself is a light game, a home computer struggles with busy servers and especially with large mod packs. When the host runs both the game and the server at the same time, sharing memory and CPU can cause stutters in the game. Sharing a home IP address also gives malicious players an open target.

A rented game server runs continuously in a data center; NVMe storage writes world saves quickly, and regular backups protect against world corruption. For players connecting from Türkiye and the surrounding region, a server located in Türkiye keeps the route short, which improves hit response in boss fights and busy events. Groups of friends gain something else too: everyone plays on their own schedule, and the shared world and progress do not depend on anyone's computer.

What is the difference between vanilla, tModLoader and TShock?

Terraria has three server types: the vanilla server, which is the official, unmodified game; tModLoader, which runs content mods (new items, bosses, biomes); and TShock, which adds admin and protection plugins to the vanilla game. Your choice also determines what needs to be installed on players' computers.

tModLoader is published on Steam as a separate free application and comes with its own server files; when players connect, missing mods can be downloaded automatically. TShock works with the vanilla client and requires players to install nothing; it is the most common solution against cheating and vandalism on busy public servers. TShock and tModLoader are generally not used together; pick one depending on whether you want content mods or admin plugins.

How much RAM and CPU does a Terraria server need?

A vanilla Terraria server is extremely light: on a small or medium world, 1–2 GB of memory and a single CPU core are usually enough for up to 8 players. What really increases resource needs are mod packs used with tModLoader; the table values are estimated ranges that reflect this difference.

Keep these factors in mind when planning resources for Terraria:

• World size: small, medium and large worlds differ in memory and save time. A large world gives big groups room to explore but needs more resources.
• Mod pack size: comprehensive mods such as Calamity add hundreds of new items, enemies and bosses. Running several large mods together can multiply memory needs.
• Concurrent players and events: CPU load rises when many enemies appear at once, as in Blood Moons, invasions and boss fights.
• Automated farms: contraptions that constantly spawn and kill large numbers of enemies create noticeable server-side load.

Because the Terraria server's main loop runs largely on a single thread, one high clock speed core is more useful than many slow cores. On Linux, tools such as htop let you follow memory and CPU usage.

Ready-made package or VDS for a Terraria server?

Since Terraria is a light game, it runs comfortably even on a small VDS, and you can host several worlds or other game servers on the same machine; the package table on this page shows the current options suitable for Terraria live.

You can open a Terraria server in two ways:

1. Your own installation: on a VDS server you choose Ubuntu or Windows Server and install the vanilla server from the official distribution, tModLoader from SteamCMD, or TShock from its own release page. On Linux, running the server inside screen or tmux, or as a systemd service, keeps it from stopping when you log out.
2. Installation via support ticket: if you would rather not deal with the command line, you can open a ticket for a Terraria installation from the Support section of the customer panel after ordering the VDS. Just state which server type (vanilla, tModLoader, TShock), world size and mods you want.

Because resources on a VDS are reserved for you, you can add a Minecraft server or a Valheim server next to your Terraria server; simply calculate each game's memory needs separately. For a general comparison of the two approaches, see the game server package or VDS page.

Which port and config file does a Terraria server use?

A Terraria server uses port 7777/TCP by default; unlike many game servers, Terraria traffic flows over TCP. The server's core settings are passed as command-line parameters or through the serverconfig.txt file referenced with -config:

world=/home/terraria/Worlds/MyWorld.wld
autocreate=2
worldname=MyWorld
difficulty=1
maxplayers=16
port=7777
password=secretpassword
motd=Welcome to our server
secure=1

On Linux, the server is started with its config file using ./TerrariaServer -config serverconfig.txt. Remember to open port 7777 as TCP in the firewall.

If you want to run a second Terraria world on the same server, give it a separate config file and a different port (for example 7778); two servers cannot use the same port. When connecting, players enter the server address on the “Join via IP” screen, plus the port number if it differs from the default. Changes to the config file apply when the server restarts; creation settings such as world size and difficulty only take effect when a new world is created.

How do you install mods on a tModLoader server?

To install mods on a tModLoader server, you put the mod files (.tmod) in the server's Mods folder and specify which mods are enabled in the enabled.json file in the same folder. Mods downloaded from Steam Workshop can also be fetched automatically through the Workshop support of the server startup script.

1. Install the tModLoader server with SteamCMD and start it once so the folder structure is created.
2. Copy the .tmod files of the mods you want into the Mods folder.
3. Write the names of the enabled mods into enabled.json, or enable them from the mod menu in the server console.
4. Restart the server; when players connect, missing mods can be downloaded automatically.

Things to watch when managing mods: large content mods usually depend on a library mod, which must be installed with them. Creating a world with mods and then removing a mod causes the items and blocks belonging to it to disappear; tModLoader keeps this data separately in the .twld file, but taking a backup before removal is the safest route. After tModLoader updates, you may need to wait for mod authors to release compatible versions. Plan resources for modded servers using the tModLoader rows in the table; a modpack with several large mods can need several gigabytes of memory on its own.

How do you manage a Terraria server with TShock?

TShock is open-source server software that extends the vanilla Terraria server with admin commands, user groups, permissions, region protection and server-side characters (SSC). Because it does not require players to install any mods, it is the most common choice for public community servers.

• Initial setup: on first launch, TShock writes a one-time setup code to the console. In the game, you create the first admin account with /setup code, then define a permanent admin account with /user add.
• Groups and permissions: you can split players into groups such as guest, member, moderator and admin, and give each group its own command permissions.
• Region protection: you prevent vandalism by protecting the spawn area and player bases with the /region commands.
• Server-side characters (SSC): characters are kept on the server instead of the player's computer, blocking the trick of bringing items in from other worlds.
• Storage: user and ban data are kept in SQLite by default, and optionally in MySQL on large servers.

TShock's REST API (default 7878/TCP) lets management tools connect to the server; if you do not use it, disable it, and if you do, open the port only to your own IP address. Settings are kept in the tshock/config.json file.

How can you improve Terraria server performance?

Performance problems on a Terraria server mostly come from farms that spawn too many enemies, lots of items left on the ground, heavy mod packs and insufficient memory. Players notice these problems as enemies teleporting, blocks breaking late or a laggy inventory.

1. Limit farms: contraptions that constantly spawn and kill enemies put serious load on the server, especially when several players use them at once.
2. Clear items from the ground: regularly remove items piling up on the ground with the cleanup commands in admin tools such as TShock.
3. Trim the mod pack: on tModLoader servers, removing unused mods noticeably reduces startup time and memory.
4. Pick the right world size: a large world is usually unnecessary for a group of 4–6; a medium world loads faster and uses less memory.
5. Scheduled restarts: on modded servers that stay up a long time, one restart per day clears memory build-up.

Server-side slowness and a player's network latency are different problems. Because Terraria uses TCP, a player suffering packet loss may feel latency more strongly than in other games.

How do you keep a Terraria server secure?

The foundation of a secure Terraria server is a strong server password, an admin layer such as TShock on public servers, and network-level DDoS protection. Since the vanilla server's admin tools are limited, public servers need extra measures against cheating and vandalism.

• Password: always use the password setting on a server only your friends will join.
• secure=1: enables basic cheat protection on the vanilla server.
• TShock: on public servers, region protection, server-side characters and permission groups largely prevent vandalism and item cheats.
• REST API and admin ports: disable them if unused; if used, open them only to the admin IP address.
• Operating system security: on a VDS, keep the system up to date, use key-based SSH access and open only the ports you need.

On LIONFIN infrastructure, the RouteFence firewall filters DDoS traffic at the network level, and the network is monitored 24/7 by the NOC and SOC in our data center. Since Terraria is TCP-based, setting a per-IP connection limit on the server side also helps against connection flood attacks.

How do you move a Terraria world to a server and back it up?

A Terraria world is stored in a single .wld file; tModLoader worlds also have a .twld file containing mod data. To move a world from home to a rented server, copy these files to the server's world folder and point the world setting to them.

On Windows, vanilla worlds are usually in Documents/My Games/Terraria/Worlds, and tModLoader worlds in Documents/My Games/Terraria/tModLoader/Worlds. Worlds stored in Steam cloud saves must first be moved to local storage from within the game.

1. Stop the server or run the save command in the console.
2. Upload the .wld (and, if present, .twld) files to the server's world folder via SFTP.
3. Edit the world path in serverconfig.txt to match the file.
4. For modded worlds, make sure the same versions of the same mods are installed on the server, then start it.

In vanilla and tModLoader, characters are kept on the player's own computer; in TShock, they are stored on the server if server-side characters are enabled. On the server's file system, the world file is kept together with a .bak backup created while writing; even so, keep a weekly copy in another location.

What are the most common Terraria server errors?

The most common problems on Terraria servers are refused connections, version mismatches, modded worlds failing to load and the server stopping when the session closes. Most can be solved quickly by reading the messages in the server console.

When game updates are released, compatible versions of tModLoader and TShock may follow some time later; during that period, check compatibility before updating the server.

Which difficulty and world settings should you choose on a Terraria server?

A Terraria server's game experience is shaped most by world difficulty, world size and world seed; these three settings are chosen when the world is created and cannot be changed later. That is why it is important to decide together with your group before opening the server.

• Difficulty: classic mode suits beginners, while expert and master modes suit experienced groups who want stronger enemies and special rewards. Journey mode gives players creative tools such as item duplication and time and weather control; journey characters can only enter journey worlds.
• Size: a small or medium world is enough for groups of 2–4; a large world gives big groups a wide area to explore but needs more memory and save time.
• Seed: the same seed produces the same world. Special seeds recommended by the community are an interesting option for groups who want an unusual experience.
• Evil biome: choosing Corruption or Crimson when creating the world affects some boss and item paths in the game.

After the server opens, state the rules, the difficulty level and the mods in use in the server message (motd) and in your community channels. That way, new players arrive with the right character and the right expectations.