Factorio Server Hosting
Build the factory, grow the factory, defend the factory with friends while the AI copilot keeps it running.
What do you need for hosting a Factorio server?
Hosting a Factorio server takes the headless build (a free download from factorio.com for Linux, Space Age content included), 4–8 GB of RAM for most maps, UDP port 34197 reachable, and a server-settings.json with your server name, password and player limit. Or rent one that is already running: on GameTeam you pay per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week, there are no slot limits (Factorio itself sets none by default), and the AI copilot edits the settings, installs mods from the portal and reads the log when a mod stops the server from starting.
Run your Factorio server by just asking.
A Factorio server is a JSON file, a mods folder and a log. Say what you want in plain English and the copilot edits the file, installs the mods you name from the portal, and reads the log when the server refuses to start.
Mods Without the Manual
Name them; the copilot installs from the portal and joining players get them automatically.
"Failed to Start" — Named
A mod version mismatch stops Factorio at boot; the copilot tells you which mod, not just that it failed.
Megabase-Ready
Per-GB pricing — start small, add RAM when the factory outgrows it.
Factorio with friends
The factory-building game: mine, smelt, assemble and automate until raw ore becomes a rocket, while the planet's natives try to stop you. Every solved bottleneck reveals two more, and a group building one factory together will argue about belt layouts for hours — happily.
Factorio server RAM requirements
4-8 GB for most maps. Megabase saves with tens of thousands of entities are the case that needs more, since the whole factory is simulated every tick.
| Your server | Starting RAM | From (Budget, weekly) |
|---|---|---|
| A fresh map with a few friends | 4 GB | $1.96 / week |
| Mid-game: trains, oil, a handful of mods | 6 GB | $2.94 / week |
| Space Age across several planets, or a big mod pack | 8 GB | $3.92 / week |
Factorio simulates the whole factory every tick, so memory and CPU follow the size of the base, not the number of people online. A megabase with tens of thousands of entities can outgrow 8 GB. Start small and add RAM in one click when the factory does; the save stays as it is. Player limit: 10-50. Factorio is single-threaded for the game update, so a large factory limits tick rate long before player count does.
How to set up a Factorio server on GameTeam
Pick RAM and a location
4 GB covers a new map for a small group. Pick the location nearest most of your players: we have 25+ across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.
Upload a save or start fresh
A Factorio save is a single .zip, so a single-player world from %appdata%\Factorio\saves uploads as is. Then tell the copilot which mods you want and set a password, or edit server-settings.json yourself.
Send your friends the address
Copy the address from the panel. In Factorio, go to Multiplayer → Connect to address, paste it and join. If the server runs mods, the game offers to sync them on the way in.
Good to know before you start
The server starts from an uploaded save rather than generating a world, so the first step is either uploading an existing save or creating one.
The most common problem
A mod version that does not match the game version stops the server at start, and the log names the mod but not the required version.
Factorio server settings explained
Server options live in server-settings.json, which the server reads at start through --server-settings. Factorio ships an example at data/server-settings.example.json: work on a copy, not the example. Ore, biter and cliff settings are separate (map-gen-settings.json) and only apply when a new map is created. These are the keys people change most:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
name / description | How the server appears in the public game browser. The description can run to 5,000 characters. |
game_password | Password players need to join. Empty means anyone with the address can. |
max_players | Player cap. The default is 0, which means unlimited, and admins can still join a full server. |
visibility | public lists the game in Factorio's server browser; lan broadcasts it on the local network. Turn both off to make it join-by-address only. |
username / token | Your factorio.com login, needed only for a public listing. Use the token from your factorio.com profile rather than your password. |
require_user_verification | Only players with a valid factorio.com account can join. On by default. |
allow_commands | true, false or admins-only (the default). Running Lua commands disables achievements for that save. |
autosave_interval / autosave_slots | Minutes between autosaves (default 10) and how many rotating autosave files to keep (default 5). |
auto_pause | Pauses the game when nobody is online (default true). Set it to false to keep the factory running overnight. |
only_admins_can_pause_the_game | Stops regular players from pausing everyone. On by default. |
afk_autokick_interval | Minutes before an idle player is kicked. 0 means never. |
ignore_player_limit_for_returning_players | Lets people who already played on this map join even when it is full. |
max_upload_in_kilobytes_per_second | Caps the server's upload speed. 0 means no cap. |
Factorio server commands
Admins type these in game: open the console with the ` key (left of 1). The first admin comes from /promote in the server console, which also creates server-adminlist.json. The copilot can run any of them from the panel for you.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/promote <player> | Makes a player an admin. /demote <player> removes it. |
/admins | Lists the server's admins. |
/players online | Lists who is online. Plain /players lists everyone who has joined the map. |
/kick <player> <reason> | Removes a player from the game. |
/ban <player> <reason> | Bans a player. /unban <player> lifts it; /bans lists them. |
/whitelist add <player> | Only whitelisted players can join. /whitelist get shows the list; an empty whitelist lets anyone in. |
/server-save | Saves the map on the server right now. |
/config set password <text> | Changes a multiplayer setting live, for example max-players, autosave-interval or afk-auto-kick. |
/mute <player> | Stops a player from chatting. /unmute reverses it. |
Can I add mods to a Factorio server?
Yes, from the official mod portal. Mods live in the mods folder and clients download them from the server automatically on join, so players do not install anything by hand.
When a player joins a modded server, Factorio offers to sync mods and downloads the exact versions the server is running, startup mod settings included. Space Age works the same way: it is a set of built-in mods, switched on or off in mods/mod-list.json before the map is created, and every player needs the expansion to join while it is enabled.
Factorio server ports
Nothing to forward on GameTeam. Your server's address and port are in the panel, and the port is not always 34197.
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
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
Factorio server hosting FAQ
Can you host a Factorio server?
Yes. Any copy of Factorio can host with --start-server, and Wube offers a free headless build for Linux (x64 and arm64) that skips graphics and sound. A dedicated server keeps the map running when the host logs off. If you would rather not keep a PC on and forward UDP 34197, Factorio dedicated server hosting does that part: on GameTeam the server is running in minutes.
How much RAM does a Factorio server need?
4–8 GB covers most maps. A new map with a few players runs on 4 GB; Space Age across several planets or a large mod pack wants 8 GB. Megabases with tens of thousands of entities can need more, because every entity is simulated every tick. Raising it later is one click in the panel.
How do I host my own dedicated Factorio server?
Download the headless build from factorio.com, create a save with --create (or copy one in), copy data/server-settings.example.json to server-settings.json and edit it, then start with --start-server and forward UDP 34197. Our Factorio dedicated server guide covers Linux, Windows and Docker step by step.
Do I need to buy anything to run a Factorio server?
Not for the software: the headless server is a free download. Every player who joins needs their own copy of Factorio, and Space Age if the server has it enabled. Renting means you pay only for RAM: from $0.49/GB a week on GameTeam.
Do you offer Factorio Space Age server hosting?
Yes. The headless server includes Space Age content, and it runs as built-in mods that mods/mod-list.json turns on or off. Pick a side before the map exists, since a save made with Space Age won't load without it and players who don't own the expansion can't join. Ask the copilot to switch it off if your group wants a vanilla run.
How many players can join a Factorio server?
Factorio sets no cap by default (max_players 0 means unlimited) and the hard limit is 65,535. In practice 10–50 is comfortable, because a big factory slows the game long before player count does. We never charge per slot.
Can I move my single-player world to the server?
Yes. Upload the save .zip from your saves folder (%appdata%\Factorio\saves on Windows) and the server loads it. If the world uses mods, install the same ones on the server first, or the copilot can do it from the portal.
How much does Factorio server hosting cost?
A Factorio server rental on GameTeam is billed per GB of RAM: $0.49/GB a week on Budget, or $1.99/GB billed monthly. A 4 GB server is $1.96 a week, which makes it cheap Factorio server hosting for a small group; 8 GB is $3.92 a week. Slots are unlimited, and DDoS protection and the AI copilot are included.
Where are your Factorio servers located?
In 25+ locations: Germany, France, the Netherlands, England and Turkey in Europe; the USA and Canada for Factorio server hosting in North America; Singapore and India in Asia-Pacific. Playing from Australia? Singapore is the nearest. Pick the location closest to most of your players, and you can move the server later without losing the map.
Run it yourself — or let the copilot.
Same server, any game.
The factory must grow. Your server keeps up.
Deploy it, upload your save or start a new map, and send the crew the address.
Deploy your Factorio server