How to host a Mindustry server (2026)

Short answer. You can host a Mindustry server yourself for free: download server-release.jar from the Anuken/Mindustry GitHub releases, run java -jar server-release.jar, type host followed by a map name in its console, and open port 6567 for both TCP and UDP. Or rent a Mindustry server and skip the networking.

Players join from the game with Play, then Join Game, and enter your address and port.

Checked on 5 November 2026, accurate for Mindustry v160.7 (released 8 October 2026). The server turns away players whose game has a different build number, such as v159 against v160, so the server must match your players' game. The number after the dot is a hotfix and does not matter.

This guide uses the Mindustry wiki's server page, the GitHub releases, and what we run on our own Mindustry servers. To go straight to the rental route, see Option 2.

What you need

• Java: the server is a jar file, so it needs a Java runtime, version 17 or newer. The v160.7 server jar is compiled for Java 17, so an older Java cannot start it.
• The server file: server-release.jar, attached to the releases on GitHub. The wiki says the file should be called server.jar or server-release.jar.
• Network: port 6567 on TCP and UDP, reachable from the internet. The port setting changes it.
• The game: every player needs the same Mindustry build number as the server (v160 for a v160.7 server).

The server software is free. You pay for the machine, power and bandwidth.

Option 1: host it yourself

This works on a spare PC, a home server or a cloud virtual machine. The wiki warns against giving out your home IP address publicly, and suggests a VPN, a domain name, or a cloud machine instead.

Linux, or any system with Java

1. Install Java 17 or newer with your package manager if java -version says it is missing or older.
2. Download the server into its own folder.

   mkdir ~/mindustry && cd ~/mindustry
   curl -L -o server-release.jar https://github.com/Anuken/Mindustry/releases/download/v160.7/server-release.jar

   Change v160.7 to the newest release tag on the releases page if it has moved on, and match your players' game.
3. Start it.

   java -jar server-release.jar

4. Set your options with the config command before you host, for example config name My Server (no quotes: the server would keep them as part of the name) and config port 6567. The port is read when you host, so set it first. Type help to list every command.
5. Host a map. In the server console type:

   host <mapname> [mode]

   Per the wiki, without a map or mode it defaults to survival and a random map. maps all lists the map names, and for a name with a space you type an underscore in its place.
6. Open the port. Allow 6567 for TCP and UDP on the firewall (with ufw: sudo ufw allow 6567), then forward 6567 TCP and UDP on your router to this machine.
7. Become admin. Join the server, then type admin add <username> in the server console to make an online user an admin. admins lists them.
8. Stop it. stop stops hosting the map, and exit or Ctrl+C in the terminal closes the server.

Windows

1. Install Java 17 or newer, download server-release.jar from the same releases page and put it in a folder.
2. In a Command Prompt in that folder run java -jar server-release.jar.
3. The wiki says the Windows firewall blocks the needed port most of the time, so add an inbound rule for port 6567 on TCP and UDP, then forward it on your router.

Joining

In the game open Play, press Join Game, then Add Server, and type the server's IP address followed by a colon and the port, for example 203.0.113.10:6567. Unlike a LAN game, an internet server does not appear until you add its address once.

Option 2: host it on PlayNHost

1. Choose a plan. Open the Mindustry server hosting page. The plans are COPPER (20 players), TITANIUM (40 players) and THORIUM (60 players).
2. Order. Press Create Server on a plan and finish the order.
3. Wait for the install. The panel downloads the server jar for you. When the Console shows Server loaded., the server is up.
4. Set it up. Under Settings, in Game Settings, set Server Name and Map Name, then press Restart now in the notice that appears. The Max Players value comes from your plan and is read only.
5. Join. Give your friends the address from your server's page. They use Play, then Join Game, then Add Server. Our How to connect to your Mindustry server guide walks through it.

For names and settings see How to change your Mindustry server name and settings, and for maps and mods see How to add maps and mods to your Mindustry server.

What the panel does for you

• Keeps the server on the right version. While Version is left at latest, our start script checks GitHub's newest release at every start and downloads server-release.jar if it changed, because the server turns away players whose game has a different build number. It follows GitHub's plain latest-release link rather than the GitHub API, which allows sixty unauthenticated requests an hour per IP address. If the check or download fails, the server starts on the jar it already has. Only the jar is replaced: maps, saves and config live in config/ and stay as they are. Turn it off with Auto-update server, under Show advanced in Game Settings.
• Installs mods from GitHub. Add owner/repository names, comma separated, to Mods, or use the Modding tab, and restart. The dedicated server cannot fetch mods itself, so the panel downloads them before the server starts. It prefers the .jar attached to the newest release, otherwise the repository's default branch, and refuses a repository with no mod.json or mod.hjson, so a non-mod never loads as if it were one. That check also refuses server plugins (they carry a plugin.json), so upload a plugin's jar into config/mods with Files instead: the list never removes files you uploaded. Everyone joining needs the same mods, at the same versions, installed in their own game. The server turns a player away with an "Incompatible mods!" message that lists what is missing. Plugins run on the server only, so players do not need them.
• Console. The Console tab is the game's own server console, so commands such as say, nextmap and playerlimit work there.
• Save World. The Save World quick task writes the hosted map to save slot 1 on demand.

Self-hosting or renting: an honest comparison

• Cost. Self-hosted: the software is free, and you pay for hardware, power and bandwidth. Rented: a fee set by plan, billed monthly, quarterly or annually. See the current plans.
• Availability. Self-hosted: as reliable as your machine and home internet, and it has to stay on while your friends play. Rented: runs on the host's hardware, not your PC.
• Network exposure. Self-hosted: players connect to your public IP and you manage the firewall and router. Rented: your home IP is not involved.
• Skill needed. Self-hosted: command line, port forwarding, and an update routine. Rented: a web panel with form fields.
• Updates. Self-hosted: download the new jar and restart when Mindustry updates. Rented: Auto-update server does it at the next start.

Self-hosting suits you if a machine already runs all day and you are comfortable with networking. Renting suits you if you would rather not look after hardware.

Common problems and fixes

Players cannot join, or the server shows as offline

Cause: port 6567 is closed on TCP or UDP, the game and server build numbers differ, or the player's mods do not match the server's.

Fix: open both protocols, make the server match your players' version, and give everyone the server's mods. See Mindustry server shows as offline to players.

The server name or map name is refused (PlayNHost)

Cause: our start line passes settings to the server separated by commas, so Server Name cannot contain a comma, a double quote or a backslash, and Map Name cannot contain spaces, *, ? or those characters either.

Fix: remove them from the name, for example use a dash instead of a comma. For a map name with a space, type an underscore in its place: the server reads it as a space.

FAQ

Can I host a Mindustry server for free?

Yes. The server jar is free on GitHub. You still pay for the machine and internet, and it must stay on while people play.

Which port does a Mindustry server use?

Port 6567, TCP and UDP, according to the Mindustry wiki. The port setting changes it.

How many players can join?

Our plans are 20, 40 and 60 players. Self-hosted, you set it with the playerlimit command.

Can I add mods?

Yes. Put mod and plugin files in config/mods inside the server's folder. On PlayNHost, list mod repositories from GitHub in Mods, and upload plugins to config/mods with Files.

Ready to skip the setup? See the Mindustry plans and press Create Server.