How to Host a Satisfactory Server

A Satisfactory dedicated server keeps your factory running around the clock, independent of any single player's machine. Instead of one person hosting the session, the world lives on a server that stays online so you and your co-op partners can join, build and automate at any time. This guide walks through installing and running your own Satisfactory dedicated server, from SteamCMD setup to claiming the server, managing saves and keeping it updated.

Satisfactory dedicated server basics

Satisfactory ships a free, standalone dedicated server application that is separate from the game itself. You do not need a copy of the game to run the server, and you do not run it from your normal game install. It is downloaded anonymously through SteamCMD using its own Steam app ID, 1690800. The server runs on both Linux and Windows, so you can host it on a home machine, a VPS or a dedicated box. Satisfactory reached its 1.0 full release in 2024, so the dedicated server is a mature, supported feature rather than an experimental add-on.

Requirements

Factory simulation is heavy on both CPU and memory, and the load grows as your factory does. As a realistic baseline, allow at least 8 GB of RAM, and plan for 16 GB or more for larger saves or sessions with four or more players. Satisfactory leans hard on single-core performance, so a CPU with strong per-core speed matters more than a high core count; a reasonably recent Intel or AMD chip (for example an Intel i5-3570 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 class processor, or better) is a sensible minimum. Use a 64-bit Linux distribution or Windows, and keep the server on an SSD where possible, as large saves load and write faster.

Installing via SteamCMD

Install SteamCMD first, then use it to pull down app 1690800 anonymously. On Linux:

steamcmd +force_install_dir ~/SatisfactoryDedicatedServer \
  +login anonymous \
  +app_update 1690800 validate \
  +quitCopy

The validate flag verifies the downloaded files, which is worth keeping for first installs and after updates. On Windows the same command works from the SteamCMD prompt, with a Windows-style install path. Once the download finishes, the server binaries live in the directory you specified.

Claiming and configuring your server

This is where Satisfactory differs from games like Terraria or Project Zomboid, which you configure through text files before launch. Satisfactory is configured almost entirely in-game through the Server Manager. After the server is running, open Satisfactory on your own PC, go to Server Manager and add the server using its IP and port (for example YOUR-IP:7777). The first time you connect, the server is unclaimed: you give it a display name and set an administrator password to claim it. Once claimed, you can either create a brand-new save on the server or import an existing local save to continue a world you started in single-player or peer-to-peer co-op. Player limits, auto-save behaviour and restart options are all managed from this same panel rather than from a config file.

Starting the server

Launch the server from its install directory. On Linux run ./FactoryServer.sh; on Windows run FactoryServer.exe -log -unattended. The server then listens for connections so you can claim it from the in-game Server Manager. For networking, the default game port is 7777 (both UDP and TCP). Since Patch 1.1.0.0 the server also uses a second Reliable Messaging port, 8888 (TCP), so forward and allow both 7777 and 8888 through your firewall or router. Older ports such as 15000 and 15777 are no longer used.

Saves and mods

Saves are managed through the in-game Server Manager, where you can upload a local save, download the server's current save as a backup, and switch between saves. Keeping periodic off-server backups of your save files is sensible insurance against corruption. For mods, the community uses the Satisfactory Mod Manager (SMM) together with the ficsit.app mod repository; mods generally need to be installed on both the server and every connecting client, and the versions must match. Blueprints you create are stored with your save, so they travel with the world rather than needing separate setup.

Keeping the server updated

When a game update lands, the server must be updated to match before clients can reconnect. Re-run the same SteamCMD command to pull the latest build:

steamcmd +force_install_dir ~/SatisfactoryDedicatedServer \
  +login anonymous \
  +app_update 1690800 validate \
  +quitCopy

By default this tracks the public release branch. If you want to test upcoming changes you can opt into the experimental branch by appending -beta experimental to the app_update step, but keep your clients on the same branch as the server or they will not connect.

Zeros Host does not currently offer Satisfactory hosting. If you would like managed hosting for Garry's Mod, Minecraft, Rust, Terraria, Project Zomboid, Valheim, Unturned or Discord bots instead, see our pricing page, where most plans include a 24-hour free trial so you can test a server before committing. If you specifically want Satisfactory hosting, let us know through the contact form so we can gauge demand.