Valheim Server Hosting

Why use a rented server for Valheim?

The main reason to use a rented server for Valheim is that the world no longer depends on the host keeping the game open: a world opened with the in-game “Start server” option can only be joined while the host is playing, whereas on a rented server every player can connect whenever they like and keep progressing.

The host model has other weaknesses too. Part of the world simulation runs on the host's computer, so if their connection is slow, other players see enemies stutter and objects teleport. If the host's game crashes, progress since the last save can be lost. A home connection also requires port forwarding and sharing your IP address.

A dedicated server solves these problems: it runs continuously in a data center, NVMe storage keeps saves fast and the world is backed up at regular intervals. For players connecting from Türkiye and the surrounding region, a server located in Türkiye keeps the route short, which is especially noticeable in boss fights and sea voyages. Another gain for groups of friends: everyone can play on their own schedule, and the shared base and progress do not depend on anyone's computer.

How many resources does a Valheim server need per player count?

A Valheim server is a light game: in a vanilla world, 2–4 GB of memory and 2 cores are usually enough for up to 5 players; the real increases come from explored area, the number of structures and mods. The values in the table are estimated ranges that take these factors into account.

The main factors that determine resource usage in Valheim are:

• Explored area: the world is procedurally generated and only visited regions are added to the save. As players open up new biomes, the .db file grows and the server holds more data in memory.
• Building density: large bases contain many pieces and light sources. Lots of structures in the same area can slow down both the player loading that area and the server.
• Concurrent players: as players spread out across different regions, the server tracks more regions at once.
• Mods: BepInEx plugins and large mods that add new content noticeably increase memory needs.

Because Valheim is largely single-threaded, high clock speed cores are more useful than many slow cores. On a Linux server, tools such as htop let you monitor memory and CPU usage. The most common symptom on a server short on memory is long freezes at save time and players being disconnected.

Should a Valheim server be a ready-made package or installed on a VDS?

The most flexible route for Valheim is to install the server on a VDS, or to request the installation through a support ticket after ordering a VDS; the package table on this page shows the current options suitable for Valheim live. Because Valheim is light, it runs comfortably even on a small VDS, and you can host other game servers on the same machine.

The two approaches differ as follows:

• Your own installation: on a VDS server you choose Ubuntu or Windows Server, run app_update 896660 with SteamCMD and edit the startup script yourself. BepInEx installation, the backup scheme and automatic restarts are entirely under your control.
• Installation via support ticket: if you do not want to deal with Linux or the command line, you can open a ticket for a Valheim installation from the Support section of the customer panel. Simply specify the world name, server password and the mods you want.

Another advantage of a VDS is that resources are not shared with you; a busy neighbouring server does not affect your Valheim world's performance. That flexibility becomes important if you later want to share the server with Minecraft or another game. To compare the options in detail, see the game server package or VDS page.

Which ports and parameters does a Valheim server use?

By default, a Valheim server receives game traffic on 2456/UDP and Steam queries on the port above it, 2457/UDP; the value you set with the -port parameter and that value plus one must always be opened together. All core server settings are passed as parameters on the launch line:

./valheim_server.x86_64 -name "Server Name" -port 2456 -world "MyWorld" -password "secret123" -public 1 -savedir /home/valheim/saves

A password that contains the server name or is shorter than 5 characters is the most common reason a server fails to start. On Linux, open the ports in your firewall (for example UFW) as UDP.

If you use a ready-made panel, most of these parameters appear as form fields; on a VDS, editing the startup script once and registering it as a systemd service ensures the server starts with the same settings after every reboot. After changing parameters you must fully stop and restart the server; they are not applied to a running server.

Should you run a Valheim server on Linux or Windows?

Valheim Dedicated Server is officially released for both Linux and Windows and delivers the same game experience on both; the choice should depend on who will manage the server and which tools you will use. In terms of performance, there is no difference players would notice, but Linux reserves less memory for the operating system, so slightly more resources are left for the game on small servers.

• Linux (such as Ubuntu 24.04 LTS): installation with SteamCMD, automatic start with a systemd service and scheduled restarts with cron are easy. On Linux, the server runs from the valheim_server.x86_64 file via the sample script start_server.sh. It is the most efficient option for users comfortable with the command line.
• Windows Server: the server runs with valheim_server.exe and is managed from a graphical interface over Remote Desktop. It is a more familiar environment for people without command-line experience or who will run other Windows-specific tools on the server.

BepInEx works on both systems; on Linux you need to use the special startup script shipped with the mod pack. Whichever system you choose, keeping the server files up to date with game updates through SteamCMD is the easiest way to prevent version mismatch errors. Since you choose the operating system when ordering a VDS, you can also change your mind later; world files can be moved directly between the two systems.

How do you set up a Valheim crossplay server?

To let Steam and Xbox/PC Game Pass players play on the same Valheim server, simply start the server with the -crossplay parameter; it establishes connections over the PlayFab infrastructure instead of the Steam network. With crossplay enabled, the server generates a join code that players can use to connect.

What you need to know when using crossplay:

• The connection method changes: because the PlayFab network is used, direct IP connections may behave differently from Steam mode. The join code can change each time the server restarts; give your players the current code.
• Admin IDs: in the adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt and permittedlist.txt files, write the SteamID64 for Steam players and the platform ID for Xbox players. You can see a player's ID in the connection lines of the server log.
• Mods: Xbox and Game Pass clients cannot run BepInEx mods. If you want a server that is both modded and crossplay, choose mods that run only on the server and do not require a client install; otherwise Xbox players cannot connect.

If your group consists only of Steam players and you do not need crossplay, leaving the parameter out makes connection problems easier to diagnose.

How do you install mods on a Valheim server with BepInEx?

Almost all Valheim mods run on the BepInEx framework; you first install the BepInExPack_Valheim package published on Thunderstore on the server, then drop mod files into the BepInEx/plugins folder. To load BepInEx, the server is started with a special startup script (usually start_server_bepinex.sh on Linux).

1. Stop the server and back up the world.
2. Extract the contents of BepInExPack_Valheim into the server root folder.
3. Copy the mod .dll files you will use into BepInEx/plugins.
4. Start the server with the BepInEx script; on first launch, mod config files are created in BepInEx/config.
5. Edit the settings and restart the server.

Most mods must be installed with the same version both on the server and on players' computers. A practical way to help players install the right mod set is to create a profile in a mod manager such as r2modman and share the profile code. Libraries such as Jotunn are dependencies of many mods and must be installed alongside them. Some mods automatically distribute settings from the server to players, so everyone plays by the same rules.

How do you configure Valheim world settings and difficulty presets?

Valheim lets you change difficulty and gameplay rules on the server side through world modifiers; these are passed on the launch line with the -preset, -modifier and -setkey parameters. This way you can design a relaxed or a punishing experience without installing mods.

• -preset: selects one of the built-in presets, for example casual, easy, normal, hard, hardcore, immersive or hammer.
• -modifier: sets a single rule, for example -modifier combat hard or -modifier deathpenalty casual. Combat difficulty, death penalty, resource amounts, raid frequency and portal rules are changed this way.
• -setkey: enables specific global keys, for example to disable map sharing or to create a build mode where enemies do not attack.

Presets can be set when the server is created and changed later, but changing the rules mid-game can spark debate in the community. It is best to define the rules up front and post them in the server description or your Discord channel. The setting that allows portals to carry metal is the rule groups of friends change most often; it noticeably speeds up the pace of the game.

How can you improve Valheim server performance?

Performance problems on a Valheim server mostly come from excessive building density, pauses during saves and network synchronisation; some of these are solved with server settings, others with player habits.

1. Balance the save interval: if -saveinterval is too short, large worlds pause frequently; if it is too long, a crash loses more progress. The default value is balanced for most communities.
2. Control the number of backups: use -backups, -backupshort and -backuplong to set the number and interval of automatic backups; needlessly frequent backups fill the disk.
3. Limit base density: hundreds of light sources and decorative pieces in one area raise the frame time of everyone entering it and the server's sync load.
4. Use mods selectively: after adding a new mod, watch memory and CPU usage over a play session.
5. Schedule restarts: on servers that stay up a long time, one restart per day to refresh memory is common practice.

In Valheim, part of the network synchronisation in an area is handled by one of the players in that area; a player with a weak connection can therefore affect the experience of everyone nearby. In that case, remember the problem lies with the player's connection, not the server.

How do you keep a Valheim server secure?

The foundation of a secure Valheim server is a strong server password, correct use of the admin and permission lists, and network-level DDoS protection. Since Valheim's built-in cheat protection is limited, controlling who can connect becomes even more important.

• Password: servers shown in the public list (-public 1) require a password; share it only with your community.
• permittedlist.txt: once player IDs are added to this file, only the listed players can connect. This is the strongest protection for closed groups of friends.
• adminlist.txt: grant admin rights only to players you trust; admins can kick and ban players from the console.
• bannedlist.txt: permanently blocks players who break the rules.

On LIONFIN infrastructure, the RouteFence firewall filters DDoS traffic at the network level, supported by 24/7 NOC and SOC monitoring in our data center. If you use a VDS, keep the operating system up to date and use SSH keys instead of passwords for SSH access.

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

A Valheim world consists of two files: WorldName.db, which holds all world data, and WorldName.fwl, which holds the world metadata (seed, name). To move a world from home to a rented server, copy these two files to the server's world folder and start the server with the same -world name.

On Windows, worlds are usually found in AppData/LocalLow/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local. Older worlds using Steam cloud saves may be in the worlds folder; you can access the files by moving the world to local storage in the game. On a Linux server, the default location is ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local; if you set -savedir, the files are written under that folder.

1. Stop the server.
2. Upload the .db and .fwl files to the server's world folder via SFTP.
3. Make the -world parameter match the file name (without extension).
4. Start the server and check in the log that the world loaded correctly.

Characters are stored on players' own computers, so they are not moved; everyone connects with their own character. In addition to the server's automatic backups, keep a weekly copy in another location.

What are the most common Valheim server errors?

The most common problems on Valheim servers are the server not showing in the list, failing to start because of the password rule, mod version mismatches and a new empty world being created because of a wrong world name.

After a game update, BepInEx mods may break temporarily; waiting for mod developers to update, or running the server vanilla for a short while, can be the solution.

If the problem is not in the table, look at the last lines of the server log; Valheim writes world loading and connection errors with clear messages. On game update days, updating the server first and then waiting for new mod versions is the safest order. If you cannot solve it, open a support ticket from the Support section of the customer panel and attach the log output.