A plain Terraria server is light. The Terraria wiki lists 500 MB of free RAM for a small world, adding that memory depends on world size and player count. On our 2 GB plan, an empty vanilla server used about 570 MB in an August 2026 boot test. Mods are where memory climbs: tModLoader's own guide says that with a lot of mods you may run out of memory, and that the fix is using fewer mods.
Terraria's maxplayers setting accepts 1 to 255 players. On our servers the slot count comes from your plan (4, 8 or 15 players) and you set it with Edit Player Slots: How to change player slots on your Terraria server.
How much RAM does a Terraria server need?
| Setup | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Vanilla, small world | 500 MB free (Terraria wiki); about 570 MB used at idle in our boot test |
| Bigger world, more players | More, says the wiki, without a figure |
| tModLoader with content mods | Depends on the mods; tModLoader 1.4 is 64-bit, which its guide says eases the 4 GB limit of 32-bit tModLoader 1.3 |
No source gives a reliable figure for a given modpack, so read the Usage card with players online: How much RAM does a Terraria server need?
How big is each Terraria world size?
| World size | Size in tiles | autocreate value |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 4200 × 1200 | 1 |
| Medium | 6400 × 1800 | 2 |
| Large | 8400 × 2400 | 3 |
A large world has four times the tiles of a small one. The wiki notes that a medium world made with the server's autocreate option is 6300 tiles wide. Size is fixed when the world is made, so pick it for the group you have: How to choose world size, difficulty and seed on your Terraria server.
Which settings make a Terraria server run smoother?
Slow liquids. Terraria 1.4.0.4 added a slowliquids server setting, off by default. Per the patch notes it decreases the amount of liquid that can move at once, but may reduce lag. On our panel it is Slow liquids in Game Settings. After draining a lake, the settle console command settles all water at once.
NPC streaming. With npcstream (NPCStream on our panel), lower values mean less enemy skipping but more data sent, and 0 turns it off.
Spawn limits on TShock. Vanilla Terraria has no spawn rate setting. TShock has two: DefaultMaximumSpawns, the most mobs per wave (default 5), and DefaultSpawnRate, the delay between waves (default 600; lower means more mobs). Leave them at the defaults unless you are watching the effect: How to change TShock settings on your Terraria server.
Dropped items. Terraria limits these itself: once more than 400 dropped items exist, the oldest start to despawn. On TShock, admins can also remove them with /clear item and a radius.
Restarts. Restarting at a quiet hour is simple practical advice, and the panel can schedule it: How to schedule backups and restarts for your Terraria server.
Vanilla, TShock or tModLoader?
Every PlayNHost Terraria plan runs all three, and you switch with Edit Server Type on the Overview page: Terraria server types compared.
- Terraria Vanilla is the official server. Players join with the normal game.
- TShock adds plugins, accounts and permissions, and players still join with the normal game. It does not load tModLoader mods.
- tModLoader runs Steam Workshop mods such as Calamity. Every player needs tModLoader too: its guide says it will not connect to non-tModLoader servers.
You do not have to match tModLoader mods by hand. For a normal content mod, tModLoader's documentation says a player who joins without it is sent the mod by the server, which enables it. That is different from Valheim, where players install client mods themselves.
Our Terraria server hosting plans are 2 GB with 4 slots, 4 GB with 8 and 8 GB with 15, and each runs Vanilla, TShock or tModLoader.
Do you need a dedicated server at all?
Not always. With Host & Play, one player starts the world from the game and the others join, at no cost. The catch, per the wiki: the world runs on that player's device and shuts down when they leave. A dedicated server is worth paying for when people play at different times, because the world stays up without anyone connected.
