How to host a Palworld server (2026)

Short answer. You can host a Palworld server yourself for free: install Steam app 2394010 with SteamCMD, start it with ./PalServer.sh -publiclobby and open UDP port 8211. Or rent a Palworld server and skip the hardware and the networking.

Players join by picking your server in the community server list, or by typing the server's IP address and port into the form below the list.

Checked on 5 November 2026 against Palworld v1.0.5, the newest patch Pocketpair had announced on Steam (15 September 2026).

This guide uses two sources: the official Palworld server documentation from Pocketpair, and what we run on every Palworld server we host. To skip to the rental route, go to Option 2.

What you need

• The server software: "Palworld Dedicated Server", Steam app 2394010. It downloads with an anonymous Steam login, so you do not need to own the game to install it.
• A machine that stays on: a spare PC, a home server or a cloud virtual machine. Pocketpair lists 64-bit Windows and 64-bit Linux (Ubuntu, AlmaLinux and others) as supported. This guide uses Linux.
• CPU: Pocketpair recommends 4 cores or more.
• RAM: Pocketpair lists 16 GB as the baseline and suggests more than 32 GB. It says 8 GB can boot but raises the risk of out-of-memory crashes. See How much RAM does a Palworld server need?
• Network: UDP port 8211 by default (it can be changed). On a home network it must be forwarded in your router.
• Passwords: a server password if you want a private server, and an admin password for admin rights.

Option 1: host it yourself

Install the server

1. Install SteamCMD for your system, following Valve's instructions for Linux.
2. Download the server.

   steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit

   By default the files land in ~/Steam/steamapps/common/PalServer. If you chose another install folder, use that path instead.
3. Start it once as a community server.

   cd ~/Steam/steamapps/common/PalServer
   ./PalServer.sh -publiclobby

   Pocketpair says you can leave out -publiclobby to run a private server instead of a community server; players then join by typing its IP address and port.

Write the settings

1. Stop the server. The settings folder is created only after the first start.
2. Copy the defaults. Copy DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini from the PalServer folder to Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini and edit the copy. Editing the default file does nothing.
3. Set the keys that matter: ServerName, ServerPassword, AdminPassword, ServerPlayerMaxNum, and CrossplayPlatforms, which defaults to Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac.
4. Optional start arguments from the official list: -port=8211 to change the listening port and -players=32 for the player cap. The list also names -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS, but Pocketpair says that in v1.0 and later, leaving them unset may improve performance.

The full list of options is in Palworld server settings: every option explained.

Open the port and join

• Game: allow UDP 8211 on the machine's firewall and forward it on your router.
• Community servers only: if your router does not support hairpin NAT, you cannot join a community server hosted on the same network. Pocketpair says so in its docs.
• Join: in Palworld, pick the community server option on the left of the server list and click your server, or type the IP address and port in the form below the list.

Option 2: host it on PlayNHost

1. Pick a plan. Open the Palworld server hosting page. The plans are LAMBALL (8 players), GRIZZBOLT (16 players) and JETRAGON (32 players). Press Create Server on LAMBALL or GRIZZBOLT, or Customize Plan on JETRAGON, and finish the order.
2. Wait for the install. The server appears in the panel. Its Console prints Running Palworld dedicated server on when it is ready.
3. Name it. Open the Settings tab, then Game Settings. Set the Server Name and a Server Password if you want a private server. Every new server gets its own Admin Password; you can change it, but it cannot be left empty. Then restart the server.
4. Choose your rules. Click Gameplay Settings and either pick a preset under Start from a preset or change single settings, then press Save & restart.
5. Invite your players. Give them the server name and password, and they find it in the community server list. For the join steps, see How to join your Palworld server.

What the panel does for you

• The server runs with -publiclobby, so it is a community server from the first start, on a port the panel assigns.
• Before every start, a settings tool copies the panel's values (server name, passwords, ports, crossplay) into PalWorldSettings.ini. Passwords are hidden from the Console output, which the tool would otherwise print in plain text.
• If a world holds a WorldOption.sav file, the Console warns you at start. Worlds from single-player or co-op carry their settings in that file, and on our servers Palworld then ignored PalWorldSettings.ini, so changes on the Gameplay Settings page did nothing. See Palworld Gameplay Settings changes do nothing.
• Steam sometimes answers "Missing configuration" and leaves no game files while still reporting success. The install checks for the app manifest and retries up to three times.
• A reinstall keeps your own PalWorldSettings.ini.
• Auto Update is on by default, so the server checks Steam for a game update every time it starts.

Self-hosting or renting: an honest comparison

• Cost: self-hosting costs nothing for the software, but you pay for the machine and its power or its monthly bill. Renting is a monthly plan.
• Hardware: Pocketpair's own guidance is 16 GB of RAM and 4 cores, so a small spare PC may not be enough. On a rented plan you pick a plan by player count instead of buying hardware.
• Network: self-hosting means port forwarding, a firewall and, on a home network, hairpin NAT for your own players. A rented server comes with its port ready.
• Control: self-hosting gives you full access to the machine and every start argument. A rented server gives you the panel pages for the common settings.
• Uptime and updates: your own machine must stay on and be updated by you. A rented server installs game updates at each start while Auto Update is on.

Ready to play? See the Palworld server plans.