Valheim Server Hosting
Sail into the fog, raise a longhouse and take the fight to the Forsaken with your clan while the AI copilot keeps the server running.
What do you need to host a Valheim server?
A Valheim dedicated server needs 4–8 GB of RAM, the free Valheim Dedicated Server tool (Steam app 896660), UDP ports 2456–2457 open to the internet and a launch line that sets the server name, world and password. Valheim server hosting skips that part: on GameTeam you rent the server and pay per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week, never per slot (Valheim itself stops at 10 players), and the AI copilot sets world modifiers, updates the server and reads the log when a mod breaks.
Run your Valheim server by just asking.
Valheim has no settings menu for a server. The name, world, password and every world modifier sit on one launch line, and mods live or die with each patch. Ask the copilot instead: it edits the line, updates the server when your clan hits a version error, and reads the BepInEx log when a mod stops loading.
Update Broke Your Mods? Told.
After a Valheim patch, the copilot reads the log and names the mods that stopped loading.
A World That Waits
The longhouse and the ship at the dock are there whoever logs in first.
One Server, Any Game
When the Forsaken fall, the same server becomes the clan's next game.
Valheim with friends
A Viking survival game where the world pushes back: biomes get harder as you sail out, bosses gate your progress, and a good base is the difference between an expedition and a corpse run. Your clan builds, explores and dies together in one persistent map, and the ship you left at the dock is still there tomorrow.
Valheim server RAM requirements
4-8 GB. The world file grows as players explore and build, so a mature world needs more than the 2 GB a fresh one runs on.
| Your server | Starting RAM | From (Budget, weekly) |
|---|---|---|
| 2–5 players on a fresh world | 4 GB | $1.96 / week |
| 5–10 players, explored map, big bases | 6 GB | $2.94 / week |
| A full clan of 10, mods or a mature world | 8 GB | $3.92 / week |
A Valheim server's memory follows the world, not the headcount: every zone your clan has explored and every piece in your builds is data it keeps loaded, so the same five Vikings need more RAM in month three than on day one. Start at 4 GB and upgrade from the billing dashboard when it starts to stutter. Player limit: 10 is the practical maximum, and Valheim performs best well under that because every loaded structure and creature is simulated.
How to set up a Valheim server on GameTeam
Pick RAM and a location
4 GB covers a fresh world and a few friends; go to 6–8 GB for a big, explored world or a modpack. Choose the location closest to your clan from 25+ across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.
Name it and set the rules
Tell the copilot the server name, world name and password (at least 5 characters), plus any world modifiers, like "hard combat, no raids". Bringing your own world? Upload its folder from worlds_local (or the .db and .fwl pair from before 1.0) in the file manager.
Send your clan the address
Copy the address from the panel. In Valheim, pick your character, open the Join Game tab, click Join IP, paste the address and enter the password.
Good to know before you start
The world is created on first start and the server name, world name and password are passed as start parameters rather than set in a config menu.
The most common problem
A Valheim update leaves BepInEx mods built for the previous build silently unloaded, so the world opens without mods rather than showing an error. Checking the mod list after a game update avoids it.
Valheim server settings explained
Valheim has no settings file. Everything is a start parameter on the server's launch line (start_headless_server.bat on Windows, start_server.sh on Linux), plus three text files for admins, bans and a whitelist. These are the ones server owners change:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
-name "My server" | The name shown in the server list. |
-world "Dedicated" | The world to load, or to create if it doesn't exist. For a 1.0 world this is the name of its folder in worlds_local. |
-password "Secret" | The join password. It must be at least 5 characters or the server refuses to start, and Valheim's own start script notes it can't be part of the server name. |
-public 1 | 1 (default) lists the server in the in-game Community list; 0 hides it so only people with the address can join. Recruiting strangers? Keep it at 1 and share the address on Discord or Reddit. |
-port 2456 | The game port. Valheim also uses the next one up, so the default range is 2456–2457. |
-crossplay | A game option that runs the server on the Crossplay (PlayFab) backend so players on other platforms can join with a join code. Without it, only Steam players can see and join. |
-preset hard | A world modifier preset: Normal, Casual, Easy, Hard, Hardcore, Immersive or Hammer. It overwrites any modifiers set before it. |
-modifier raids none | One modifier and its value: combat, deathpenalty, resources, raids or portals. Put it after a preset if you use both. |
-setkey nomap | Turns on a checkbox modifier: nobuildcost, playerevents, passivemobs or nomap. |
-saveinterval 1800 | Seconds between world saves. The default is 30 minutes. |
-backups 4 | How many automatic world backups to keep: by default one 2 hours old (-backupshort 7200) and three 12 hours apart (-backuplong 43200). |
adminlist.txt / bannedlist.txt / permittedlist.txt | One player ID per line ([Platform]_[User ID], shown in the F2 panel). Adding anyone to permittedlist.txt blocks everyone who isn't on it. |
Valheim server commands
Valheim's admin commands are typed in the game's console, not the server window. Add your ID to adminlist.txt, turn on the console in Valheim's gameplay settings (or use the -console launch option), join, and press F5. The copilot can edit the admin, ban and whitelist files for you.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
kick <name/ID> | Removes a player from the server. |
ban <name/ID> | Bans a player. unban <name/ID> lifts it. |
banned | Lists everyone who is banned. |
save | Saves the world right now. |
setworldpreset <name> | Switches every world modifier to a preset, such as hard or casual. |
setworldmodifier <name> <value> | Changes one modifier on the running world, for example setworldmodifier raids none. |
resetworldkeys | Puts world modifiers back to default without touching boss progress. |
sleep / skiptime <seconds> | Skips to the next day, or jumps ahead by a number of seconds. |
Can I add mods to a Valheim server?
Yes, through BepInEx, with packages from Thunderstore. Anything that changes gameplay has to be installed on the server and on every client at the same version; server-only mods such as admin tools are the exception.
Valheim 1.0 (September 9, 2026) broke plenty of older plugins, and any patch can do it again. After an update the copilot reads BepInEx/LogOutput.log and tells you which plugins stopped loading. One catch with crossplay: console players can't install mods, so mods every player needs keep a server PC-only, while server-side-only mods don't.
Valheim server ports
A server started with -crossplay talks through a relay and needs no port forwarding. On GameTeam there is nothing to forward either way: the panel shows the exact address and port to send your clan, and it may differ from these defaults.
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
Valheim server hosting FAQ
How much does a Valheim server cost?
On GameTeam you pay 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 and an 8 GB server is $3.92 a week, with unlimited slots and the AI copilot included. Weekly billing makes it a Valheim server rental you can stop when the clan takes a break.
What's the cheapest way to run a Valheim server?
Hosting it yourself costs nothing beyond the PC, as long as that PC stays on, has 4 GB or more to spare and can forward UDP 2456–2457 (or you use -crossplay). If it can't, the cheapest hosted Valheim server here is 4 GB on Budget at $1.96 a week, which runs a fresh world for a small group. Upgrade the RAM later from the billing dashboard.
How much RAM does a Valheim server need?
Plan for 4–8 GB. A brand-new world uses about 2 GB, and every area players are active in adds roughly 100–300 MB, so long-running worlds with big bases need more. Start at 4 GB for a small group and move to 6 or 8 GB for a full clan or mods.
How many players can join a Valheim server?
Up to 10. Iron Gate builds Valheim for 1 to 10 players per world, and that limit comes from the game, not from us. GameTeam never charges per slot.
Can you join a Valheim server without the host?
Yes, on a dedicated server. The world runs on its own, so anyone with the address and password can log in, build and sail while the person who made it is offline. A world hosted with Start Server from someone's game closes the moment they quit.
Can I run a modded Valheim server?
Yes. Mods run through BepInEx with packages from Thunderstore, and anything that changes gameplay must be installed on the server and on every player's game at the same version. Server-only mods are the exception. Back up the world before adding mods, and expect to update them after each Valheim patch.
Can I move my existing Valheim world to GameTeam?
Yes. Since 1.0 a world is a folder inside worlds_local (on Windows: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local). Upload that folder with the file manager and set the world name to match. A world from before 1.0 is a .db and .fwl pair instead; upload both, and the game converts it on first load after making a backup. Rather not do it yourself? Support offers a migration service.
How do I become admin on my Valheim server?
Put your player ID in adminlist.txt (or ask the copilot to). Find the ID in the F2 panel in game; it looks like [Platform]_[User ID]. Then turn on the console (gameplay settings or -console), join and press F5 to use kick, ban, save and the world modifier commands.
Run it yourself — or let the copilot.
Same server, any game.
Your longhouse, still standing when you log back in.
Deploy the server, tell the copilot the rules of your world, and drop the address in the clan chat.
Deploy your Valheim server