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Don't Starve Together Server Hosting
Survive the Constant with friends, season after season, while the AI copilot keeps the fire lit.
What does a Don't Starve Together server need?
A DST dedicated server is really two: a Master shard for the surface and a Caves shard underground, each with its own server.ini, sharing one cluster.ini and a cluster token from your Klei account. Together they run in 2–4 GB of RAM, and every mod has to be enabled on both. With GameTeam's DST server hosting both shards run on one plan, you pay per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week with no per-slot price (DST allows up to 64 players), and the AI copilot keeps the mods in sync, edits the configs and reads the logs.
Run your Don't Starve Together server by just asking.
Most DST server trouble comes from the two shards drifting apart: a mod on one and not the other, a port both want, a token with a stray space. Tell the copilot what went wrong and it compares both shards, fixes the file and restarts them together.
Caves Included, Configured
Both shards set up and started — no manual second server to babysit.
Mods on Both Shards
The copilot enables mods on master and caves together, so the sinkhole does not kick people.
Seasons on a Weekly Bill
Play through winter, pause for real life — pay for the weeks you are in the Constant.
Don't Starve Together with friends
The co-op version of the gothic survival classic: gather, cook, build, and try not to go insane through winter and summer in a hand-drawn nightmare world. It is punishing alone and far better as a group, where everyone has a role and the base grows into something worth defending.
Don't Starve Together server RAM requirements
2-4 GB. Note that a DST world runs two processes, master and caves, and both share the plan.
| Your server | Starting RAM | From (Budget, weekly) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 6 players, vanilla, surface + caves | 2 GB | $0.98 / week |
| 6–16 players, a modded world or one that has run for many seasons | 4 GB | $1.96 / week |
Both shards share the memory on your plan. A vanilla camp with caves runs well on 2 GB; heavy mod lists, big player counts and worlds that have been running for many in-game years sit at the top of the range. Change RAM in one click and the world carries on. Player limit: max_players goes from 1 to 64. Most camps run 6–16, and a heavily modded world gets heavy past that.
How to set up a Don't Starve Together server on GameTeam
Pick RAM and a location
2 GB covers a vanilla group with caves. Pick the location closest to most of the camp; there are 25+ in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.
Add your token and settings
Generate a cluster token from your Klei account and paste it into cluster_token.txt, or hand it to the copilot. Then name the server and set the password, game mode and player count in cluster.ini, or just tell the copilot what you want.
Invite the camp
Friends open Browse Games, search for your server name and join with the password. If the list won't show it, they can open the console with ~ and type c_connect("IP", port, "password") with the address from your panel.
Good to know before you start
A world runs as two shards, master and caves, and both have to be configured and started for caves to be reachable.
The most common problem
Mods enabled on the master shard but not the caves shard cause players to be disconnected the moment they take a sinkhole.
Don't Starve Together server settings explained
cluster.ini holds what both shards share, and each shard's server.ini holds what is only its own, like the port and whether it is the Master. The settings people change most:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
cluster_name / cluster_description | How the server appears in Browse Games. |
cluster_password | Password to join. Leave it empty for an open server. |
max_players | Players at once, from 1 to 64. |
game_mode | survival, endless or wilderness. |
pvp | Lets players damage each other. |
pause_when_empty | Freezes the world while nobody is on, so a winter doesn't pass without you. |
vote_enabled | Turns player voting on or off. |
cluster_intention | The playstyle label in the server list: cooperative, social, competitive or madness. |
max_snapshots | How many saves are kept to roll back to. |
tick_rate | Network updates per second. Leave it at 15 for online servers. |
[SHARD] shard_enabled / cluster_key | Links Master and Caves. Both shards need the same cluster_key. |
is_master (server.ini) | true for the surface shard, false for the caves. |
server_port (server.ini) | Each shard's own UDP port, for example 10999 for Master and 10998 for Caves. |
id (Caves server.ini) | Written on first start. Changing it later makes the Master lose track of its caves. |
Don't Starve Together server commands
Type these into the Master shard's console, or in game: press ~, then Ctrl to switch to remote mode so the command runs on the server. The account that made the cluster token is admin; add others by their KU_ ID in adminlist.txt. The copilot can run any of them from the panel too.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
c_save() | Saves now. The server also saves itself at the end of every night. |
c_shutdown(true) | Saves and stops; on the Master it stops the caves too. false quits without saving. |
c_rollback(2) | Rolls back two saves. c_rollback() goes back one. |
c_reset() | Reloads the world from the last save. |
c_announce("Restart in 5") | Sends a message to everyone. |
c_listallplayers() | Lists players with their numbers. |
TheNet:Kick("KU_xxxxxxxx") | Kicks a player by user ID. |
TheNet:Ban("KU_xxxxxxxx") | Bans a player by user ID. |
TheNet:SetAllowIncomingConnections(false) | Stops new joins; true opens the doors again. |
c_despawn(AllPlayers[1]) | Sends a player back to character select. Their items are deleted, so have them drop everything first. |
c_skip(3) | Skips ahead three days. |
TheWorld:PushEvent("ms_setseason", "winter") | Jumps straight to a season. |
Can I add mods to a Don't Starve Together server?
Yes, through Steam Workshop. Mods are declared in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua and enabled per shard.
Don't Starve Together server ports
Each shard needs its own UDP port, and a home server has to forward both. On GameTeam there is nothing to forward: the panel shows the address and port players need.
Pay per GB of RAM. Never per slot.
You pay for memory, not seats, and billing can be weekly, so you are never locked into a month the group might not play. Change RAM in one click, or switch the same server to another game. The AI copilot is included on every plan.
- ✓ AI copilot included on every plan
- ✓ Unlimited player slots — we never charge per slot
- ✓ Ryzen 9 7950X · NVMe storage
- ✓ DDoS protection included
- ✓ Switch to another game anytime
- ✓ 25 GB NVMe storage · 160 Gbps DDoS protection
- ✓ AI copilot included on every plan
- ✓ Unlimited player slots — we never charge per slot
- ✓ Ryzen 9 7950X · Unlimited NVMe storage
- ✓ 480 Gbps DDoS protection
- ✓ Switch to another game anytime
- ✓ Dedicated threads
- ✓ Automatic backups
- ✓ Priority support
Hardware & network
Locations
What server owners say
"Honestly didn't expect much from an 'AI manager', but it's how I run my server now. I'll type something like 'why did the server crash last night' and it actually reads the logs and tells me."
Verified review
"I'd been on two other hosts before this. What sold me was the AI manager catching a memory leak in one of my mods and naming the exact one — something I'd been chasing for weeks."
Verified review
"I'm not very technical and setting up servers always stressed me out. Now I just ask the assistant to fix a config, and it either walks me through it or does it for me."
Verified review
Don't Starve Together server hosting FAQ
Why can't I connect to my Don't Starve Together server?
Check four things. Version: after a DST update, a server on the old version disappears for players on the new one, so update it. Ports: on a home server both shards' UDP ports must be forwarded. Token: an expired or mistyped cluster token (often a stray space) stops the server from going online. Mods: a mod enabled on one shard but not the other drops players at the sinkhole. "Server not responding" can also just mean the world is still generating. On GameTeam, ask the copilot and it reads both shard logs for you.
How do I invite someone to my Don't Starve Together server?
Give them the server name and password. They open Browse Games, search for the name and join. If it doesn't show up, they can connect directly from the console with c_connect("IP", port, "password"), using the address and port from your panel.
How do I host my own DST dedicated server?
Install Don't Starve Together Dedicated Server from Steam's Tools list (or SteamCMD app 343050), generate a cluster token, build a cluster folder with cluster.ini, a Master and a Caves folder each with a server.ini, then start one process per shard and forward their UDP ports. Our DST dedicated server guide covers every file.
How much does DST server hosting cost?
You pay per GB of RAM, and both shards share the plan. A 2 GB server is $0.98 a week on Budget, and 4 GB is $1.96 a week; billed monthly it is $1.99/GB. All player slots and the AI copilot are included, and the first 72 hours are money-back.
Do I need the caves shard?
Not to play, but a lot of the game's later content is underground, and sinkholes stay closed without it. On GameTeam both shards are set up on the one plan, so there is no reason to skip it.
How do I add Workshop mods to a DST server?
Two files. Add a ServerModSetup("id") line per mod (the number from its Workshop link) to dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua so the server downloads it, then enable workshop-id in modoverrides.lua in both the Master and Caves folders. Or tell the copilot which mods you want on both shards.
Can I move my existing world to a GameTeam server?
Yes. A world you hosted from the game is already a cluster folder under Documents\Klei\DoNotStarveTogether. Upload its Master and Caves folders and cluster.ini, add your cluster token, and start both shards. Leave the Caves id line as it is so the shards still recognise each other.
Who is admin on the server?
The Klei account that generated the cluster token. To add more admins, put their user IDs (they start with KU_) in adminlist.txt, one per line, and restart.
Run it yourself — or let the copilot.
Same server, any game.
Keep the fire lit, even when nobody's home.
Deploy both shards on one plan, tell the copilot which mods you want, and send the camp your server name.
Deploy your Don't Starve Together server