How to Host a Palworld Server

A Palworld dedicated server lets you and your friends share a single persistent world that stays online around the clock, rather than relying on one player to host from their own game session. Everyone connects to the same world, so captured Pals, bases and progress are shared and saved centrally, and the world keeps running even when you log off. This guide walks through hosting your own Palworld dedicated server from scratch.

Palworld dedicated server basics

The Palworld dedicated server is a separate, free download distributed through Steam. You install it with SteamCMD, the command-line version of the Steam client, using anonymous login (no Steam account credentials are needed for this app). The server runs on both Linux and Windows. On Linux the executable is PalServer.sh; on Windows it is PalServer.exe. The Steam app ID for the dedicated server is 2394010, which you will use in the install command below.

Requirements

Palworld is notably memory-hungry, and RAM is the resource you are most likely to run short of. Plan capacity by player count:

• 4-8 players: around 16 GB of RAM is recommended. 8 GB can work for a small group of 4-6 players, but you will see less headroom over long sessions.
• 8-16 players: 16 GB minimum, paired with a strong 4-plus core CPU.
• Large or modded servers: plan for 32 GB.

CPU single-thread performance matters because much of the simulation is not heavily multi-threaded, so a modern 4-plus core processor with good per-core speed is ideal. The initial server download is roughly 12-15 GB, so allow disk space for that plus your save data. A 64-bit Linux distribution or Windows Server / Windows 10+ both work.

Installing via SteamCMD

With SteamCMD installed, download the server files using anonymous login and the app ID. On Linux:

steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quitCopy

The files install to steamapps/common/PalServer/. Run the server once before editing any settings, so it generates the configuration files you will edit in the next step.

Configuring your server

The active configuration file on Linux lives at Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini (on Windows, WindowsServer replaces LinuxServer). Copy DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini from the server root into that folder and edit the copy. Editing the default file has no effect. Key settings to set:

• ServerName: the name shown in the server browser.
• ServerPassword: leave blank for an open server, or set a password to keep it private.
• AdminPassword: required to run admin commands.
• ServerPlayerMaxNum: the player cap (default 32). Lower it to match your hardware.
• Difficulty and rates: values such as experience rate, Pal capture rate, and gathering and breeding multipliers tune how fast players progress.

One important caveat: the server rewrites PalWorldSettings.ini when it shuts down, so always stop the server fully before editing, or your changes will be overwritten and lost.

Starting the server

Launch the server with ./PalServer.sh on Linux (or run PalServer.exe on Windows). The default network port is 8211 UDP, which must be open on your firewall and, if you are behind a router, forwarded to the machine running the server. Players connect using your public IP address and that port. If you change the port with a launch flag, update your firewall and forwarding rules to match.

Crossplay and mods

Palworld supports crossplay, but it is controlled per platform. The CrossplayPlatforms setting in PalWorldSettings.ini lists which platforms may join, for example (Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac). Note that Steam and Xbox / Game Pass copies of the game historically run on separate networking stacks, so a server built for Steam players will not necessarily accept Game Pass clients without the right configuration, so check current platform compatibility before committing. Mods such as PalGuard add admin and anti-cheat tooling, but mods must be installed on both server and clients and can break after game patches, so treat them as optional and keep backups before adding them.

Keeping the server updated

Palworld is patched frequently, and clients usually cannot connect to an out-of-date server. To update, stop the server and re-run the same SteamCMD command:

steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quitCopy

Because the game updates often, it is worth scripting this and scheduling periodic restarts (every 6-12 hours) to apply updates and clear accumulated memory use, which helps with Palworld's known appetite for RAM.

Zeros Host does not offer Palworld hosting yet, but it is on our roadmap. If you would like it, register your interest on our Palworld page so we can gauge demand. For the games we host today (Garry's Mod, Minecraft, Rust, Terraria, Project Zomboid, Valheim, Unturned and Discord bots) see our pricing, most with a 24-hour free trial so you can test performance before you commit.