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Project Zomboid Server Hosting
Survive Knox County — and each other — with your group while the AI copilot keeps the world turning.
What do you need to host a Project Zomboid server?
To host a Project Zomboid server you need 4–8 GB of RAM for the server on its own, the free Project Zomboid Dedicated Server (Steam app 380870), UDP ports 16261 and 16262 reachable from the internet, and two config files filled in: servertest.ini for the server and servertest_SandboxVars.lua for the world. Renting skips most of that. On GameTeam you pay per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week, with no per-slot fees (the 32-player default is the game's own), and the AI copilot adds mods, edits both files and reads the log when you ask in plain English.
Run your Project Zomboid server by just asking.
Project Zomboid splits its rules across two files and wants every mod listed twice. Say what you want instead: the copilot edits the right file, fills in both mod lists and reads server-console.txt when a friend can't get in.
Mods That Actually Load
The copilot sets WorkshopItems and Mods together — the classic mistake that leaves a mod installed but inactive is not one you can make.
Two Config Files, One Sentence
Sandbox rules and server settings live in different files; tell the copilot what you want and it edits the right one.
Grow with the Map
Per-GB pricing — a mature, spread-out server can add RAM when it needs to.
Project Zomboid with friends
The zombie survival game about how you died, not whether: an isometric world where hunger, injury, boredom and one careless moment all catch up with you eventually. A group can fortify a safehouse, farm, scavenge and build a life among the dead, and the world remembers everything you did there.
Project Zomboid server RAM requirements
4-8 GB. The map streams in as players explore, so a long-running server with several groups spread across the map uses considerably more than a fresh one.
| Your server | Starting RAM | From (Budget, weekly) |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 players in one safehouse | 4 GB | $1.96 / week |
| 5–10 players, a handful of Workshop mods | 6 GB | $2.94 / week |
| 10–32 players spread out, or a long mod list | 8 GB | $3.92 / week |
Project Zomboid keeps the map loaded around every player, so a group scattered across Knox County uses more memory than the same group holed up in one base, and an old world weighs more than a new one. Start from these numbers and add RAM from the panel in one click if the server starts to lag; the world stays where it is. Player limit: 16-32. Spread-out players cost more than grouped ones because more of the map stays loaded.
How to set up a Project Zomboid server on GameTeam
Pick RAM and a location
4 GB is plenty for a small vanilla group; go higher for mods or a bigger crew. Choose the location closest to your players, out of 25+ across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.
Set your rules
Tell the copilot what you want, from zombie speed and loot to day length, PvP and a join password, or edit servertest.ini and servertest_SandboxVars.lua yourself in the file manager. Workshop mods go in by ID.
Send your group the address
In Project Zomboid pick Join, add the IP and port shown in the panel, type the server password if you set one, choose an account username and password, then hit Join Server.
Good to know before you start
Sandbox rules live in SandboxVars.lua separately from the server settings in servertest.ini, so a rate or loot change made in the wrong file has no effect.
The most common problem
Setting WorkshopItems without also setting Mods is the classic mistake: the mod downloads, the server starts clean, and nothing about the mod is actually active — with no error to explain it.
Project Zomboid server settings explained
Server rules live in Zomboid/Server/servertest.ini and world rules in servertest_SandboxVars.lua beside it (both files take the server's name, so they are only called "servertest" by default). The server reads the sandbox file each time it starts; servertest.ini edits go live with /reloadoptions. The settings people change most:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
PublicName | Server name shown in the in-game browser and, for Steam servers, the Steam browser. |
Password | The password everyone types to join. It is separate from each player's own account password. |
Public | Lists the server in the in-game browser. Off by default, which suits a private group. |
Open | On (default): anyone who can connect creates an account. Off: whitelist only, and admins add accounts with /adduser. |
MaxPlayers | How many players fit at once, not counting admins. Default 32; the game itself warns that going higher can cause poor map streaming and desync. |
PVP / SafetySystem | Turns player-versus-player on or off, and whether each player toggles PvP mode for themselves. |
PauseEmpty | Stops game time while nobody is online. On by default. |
WorkshopItems / Mods | Workshop IDs to download and mod IDs to load, each list separated by semicolons. A mod needs an entry in both. |
Map | Map folders to load. Default Muldraugh, KY; map mods add their folder to this line. |
SaveWorldEveryMinutes | Saves loaded parts of the map every X real minutes. At 0 (default) an area is saved when players leave it. |
BackupsCount / BackupsPeriod | Backups to keep (default 5) and minutes between automatic backups (0 = off). The server also backs up on start and when the game version changes. |
RCONPort / RCONPassword | Remote console on port 27015. It stays off until you set a password. |
DayLength (sandbox) | Real time per in-game day: 4 is 1 hour 30 minutes (default), 5 is 2 hours, and 27 runs in real time. |
ZombieLore.Speed (sandbox) | Zombie speed: 1 sprinters, 2 fast shamblers, 3 shamblers, 4 random. |
HoursForLootRespawn (sandbox) | Refills containers in towns and trailer parks after this many hours, once they have been looted. 0 turns loot respawn off. |
Project Zomboid server commands
Admins type these in chat with a slash; in the server console, leave the slash off. Build 42 roles are admin, moderator, gm, observer, priority and user. On GameTeam the copilot can run any of these for you.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/setaccesslevel "name" admin | Gives a player a role. Use none instead of a role to take it away. |
/players | Lists everyone who is connected. |
/kickuser "name" -r "reason" | Kicks a player. The reason is optional. |
/banuser "name" -ip -r "reason" | Bans a player, and their IP too with -ip. /unbanuser "name" lifts it. |
/adduser "name" "password" | Creates an account on a whitelisted server (Open=false). |
/servermsg "message" | Sends a message to every player. |
/save | Saves the world right now. |
/quit | Saves the world and shuts the server down. |
/changeoption Name "value" | Changes one servertest.ini setting and writes it to the file. |
/reloadoptions | Reloads servertest.ini after an edit and sends the new options to players. |
/checkModsNeedUpdate | Checks whether any Workshop mod is out of date. The answer lands in the log and in chat. |
/teleport "name" | Takes you to a player. /teleportto x,y,z takes you to coordinates. |
/additem "name" Base.Axe 1 | Gives a player an item. Leave the name out to give it to yourself. |
Can I add mods to a Project Zomboid server?
Yes, through Steam Workshop. Workshop IDs go in WorkshopItems and the mod IDs in Mods; both lists must be set or the mod loads but does nothing.
The Workshop ID is the number at the end of the mod's Steam page address; the mod ID is usually listed on the page and always on the id= line of its mod.info. One Workshop item can hold several mod IDs. A Build 42 server needs mods that have been updated for Build 42, and players are asked to download the server's Workshop items when they join. The full walkthrough is in how to add mods to a Project Zomboid server.
Project Zomboid server ports
Port forwarding isn't your job on GameTeam. Give friends the IP and port pair from the panel, which can differ from the defaults above.
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
Project Zomboid server hosting FAQ
How much RAM do I need to host a Project Zomboid server?
Plan on 4–8 GB for the server alone. Four friends in one safehouse run fine on 4 GB; a bigger group spread across the map, or a long Workshop mod list, wants 8 GB. Memory grows as more of the map gets explored, so a server that is comfortable in its first week can need more later. On GameTeam you raise RAM in one click.
Does it cost money to host a Project Zomboid server?
The server software is free: anyone can download the Project Zomboid Dedicated Server from Steam. Hosting it yourself costs a PC that stays on. Renting on GameTeam costs $0.49 per GB a week on Budget, so 4 GB is $1.96 a week and 8 GB is $3.92 a week, or $1.99/GB billed monthly. You never pay per slot, and the AI copilot is included on every plan.
Why can't I host Project Zomboid with the Host button?
The Host button runs a server on your own PC next to the game, so it shares your memory and stops when you quit. If it ends with "Server has stopped during launch", shows "Terminated", or gets stuck on "Initializing" or "Loading world", open coop-console.txt in your Zomboid folder: the usual causes are a mod failing to download or load, a broken sandbox file, or too little "Server memory" on the Host screen. A dedicated server avoids most of this because the server is no longer competing with your game.
What does "The host must allow you to join" mean?
You tried to join a game someone started with the Host button without being invited. The host has to invite you from the Invite Friends screen in game. On a dedicated server there is no invite step: anyone with the address and the server password can join.
Can I rent a modded Project Zomboid server?
Yes, and there is no separate modded plan. Every server can download Steam Workshop mods, so modded Project Zomboid server hosting costs the same per GB as vanilla. A long mod list simply needs more RAM, usually 8 GB. Tell the copilot which mods you want and it fills in both mod lists for you.
Do you offer Project Zomboid Build 42 server hosting?
Yes. Multiplayer returned in Build 42.13 (December 2025), and Build 42 became the default stable version on July 29, 2026. Build 41 saves do not load in Build 42, and players must run the same version as the server or they get "Client version (…) does not match server version (…)". On GameTeam, stopping and starting the server updates it to the latest release.
How do I become admin on my Project Zomboid server?
On a dedicated server, the first start asks for an administrator password and creates an account called admin. Log in with it, or have an admin run /setaccesslevel "yourname" admin. On GameTeam, tell the copilot "make me admin" with your username and it runs the command in the console.
Why are my mods not working when hosting?
Nine times out of ten the Workshop ID is in WorkshopItems but the mod ID is missing from Mods, or the other way round. A mod made only for Build 41 won't load on a Build 42 server either. If players get "Workshop item version is different than the server's", a mod updated after the server started: restart it and it downloads the new version.
Can I move my existing Project Zomboid world to GameTeam?
Yes. A world is the folder Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/<server name>, its settings are Zomboid/Server/<server name>.ini and _SandboxVars.lua, and player accounts sit in Zomboid/db/<server name>.db. Upload all of them with the same server name and the server picks up where you left off. Worlds from the Host button are stored the same way on your PC.
Run it yourself — or let the copilot.
Same server, any game.
Your safehouse, open whenever your group is.
Deploy a server, tell the copilot your sandbox rules, and send your group the address.
Deploy your Project Zomboid server