Short answer. You can host a Stationeers server yourself for free: install the free "Stationeers Dedicated Server" (Steam app 600760) with SteamCMD and an anonymous login, start rocketstation_DedicatedServer.x86_64 with a -settings line that names your GamePort, and forward that port. Or rent a Stationeers server and skip the networking.
Players join from the in-game server list or with Direct Connect, typing your IP address and port.
Checked on 5 November 2026. The newest build RocketWerkz had announced on Steam by then was Hotfix v0.2.6428.27798 (13 August 2026).
This guide uses RocketWerkz's own Steam announcements and the setup our Stationeers servers use. Where the developer has not published a figure, it says so instead of guessing. To skip to the rental route, go to Option 2.
What you need
The server software: "Stationeers Dedicated Server", Steam app 600760, in the Tools category on Steam. RocketWerkz says it is free to download and run anonymously, so you do not need a Steam login that owns the game. It is a separate app from the game itself, which is app 544550.
A machine that stays on: a spare PC, a home server or a cloud virtual machine. This guide uses 64-bit Linux, which is what we run. We have not tested a Windows server.
RAM and CPU: RocketWerkz does not publish server requirements in its announcements, so treat any figure you read elsewhere as an estimate.
A free port: the game port you choose with GamePort. Pick one that is not in use and forward it on your router.
Option 1: host it yourself
Install SteamCMD from Valve's installer and unpack it in a folder of your own.
Check the download really finished. SteamCMD can report success when nothing was downloaded. Look for ~/stationeers/steamapps/appmanifest_600760.acf. If it is missing, run the command again.
Copy the Steam libraries from the SteamCMD folder. This is what our own installer does so the server finds them:
# run this inside your SteamCMD folder
mkdir -p ~/.steam/sdk32 ~/.steam/sdk64
cp linux32/steamclient.so ~/.steam/sdk32/
cp linux64/steamclient.so ~/.steam/sdk64/
Start the server. This is our start line with your own values in it. GamePort 27016 is only an example, so use the port you forwarded:
Wait for the ready line. With -logFile server.log the output goes to that file, so follow it from a second terminal with tail -f ~/stationeers/server.log. In our runs it prints registered with session when start-up has finished. That is the line our panel waits for before it calls the server running.
Forward the port. Forward your GamePort to the machine on your router and allow it in the firewall. RocketWerkz does not state the protocol in its announcements, so if players cannot connect, allow both TCP and UDP for that port before looking elsewhere.
What the start line means
-file start "stationeers_1" Lunar Normal DefaultStart LunarSpawnRoundRobin: the save name, the world, the difficulty, the start condition and the spawn point. In our tests, a save name that did not exist yet made the server create a new save with the world and difficulty given. The difficulties our panel offers are Creative, Easy, Normal and Stationeer.
UseSteamP2P false: we turn Steam P2P off so players reach the server directly on its own port. RocketWerkz brought Steam P2P back in March 2023, and in September 2025 it said it highly recommends not connecting through Steam P2P because it can cause desyncs.
UPNPEnabled false: do not rely on UPnP. Forward the port by hand.
AutoSave and SaveInterval: automatic saving and the gap between saves, in seconds. We run 300.
How players join
Server list: with ServerVisible true the server registers with the Stationeers server list. RocketWerkz rewrote that list in August 2024. Search for your server name.
Direct Connect: since May 2023 the Join Server window has a Direct Connect button that works once a valid IP address and port are typed in as IP:Port.
Password: players are asked for it when they join, if you set ServerPassword.
Mods
In our September 2026 test, the dedicated server scanned its mods folder on start and loaded every mod folder it found there, writing its own entry in modconfig.xml, so putting a mod's folder in ~/stationeers/mods was enough. The dedicated server has no Steam client, so it cannot subscribe to Workshop items for you. Download them anonymously with SteamCMD instead:
Each item lands in ~/stationeers/steamapps/workshop/content/544550/<item id>. Copy that folder into mods and restart. Players usually need the same mods on their own game, so check what each mod's page says.
Option 2: host it on PlayNHost
Renting removes the port forwarding, the SteamCMD routine and the start line. The ports and the start line are set for you.
Pick a plan. Open the Stationeers server hosting page and compare the plans (MOON, MARS and EUROPA at the time of writing, for 10, 20 and 30 players). Press Create Server on MOON or MARS, or Customize Plan on EUROPA, and finish the order. Prices change, so check them on that page.
Wait for the install. You get an email titled "Your Stationeers server is ready" and the server appears at panel.playnhost.com. If it has not started, press Start. The Console tab shows the server log, and the panel counts the server as running when it prints registered with session.
Open Settings. Under Game Settings, set:
Server Name: the name in the server list.
Server Password: players must enter it to join. Leave it empty for a public server.
World Name: Lunar (the Moon), Mars2 (Mars), Europa3 (Europa), MimasHerschel (Mimas), Vulcan or Venus. It applies when the save is first created.
Difficulty: Creative, Easy, Normal or Stationeer. It also applies when the save is first created.
Save Name: the name of your save. Changing it starts a fresh save and leaves the old one on disk under Files.
Auto Save and Autosave Interval (seconds): leave Auto Save on. The default interval is 300.
Auto Update, under Show advanced, checks Steam for a new build every time the server starts. Turn it off only if you must stay on one build for mod compatibility.
Restart. When the panel shows "Saved. The server must restart before these take effect.", press Restart now and wait for registered with session in the Console.
Add Workshop mods (optional). Open the Modding tab and use the Steam Workshop card. Enter the number from each item's Workshop URL in Steam Workshop mods, separated by commas, then restart. The server downloads each item on start, so the first start after a change takes longer. Blueprints and IC10 scripts from the Workshop are not mods and are ignored.
Join. Copy the Server Address from the Overview tab and use Direct Connect in the game, or search for your server name in the server list.
What our setup does for you
The start line. Every start rebuilds the command from your settings, and we write no config file of our own. Your game port, update port, name, player limit, password and autosave values are passed on the start line, and we set UseSteamP2P false and ServerVisible true for you.
World and start condition. Each World Name is paired with the matching start condition and spawn point: Lunar uses DefaultStart and LunarSpawnRoundRobin, Mars2 uses DefaultStart and MarsSpawnRoundRobin, Europa3 uses EuropaDefault and EuropaSpawnRoundRobin, MimasHerschel uses MimasDefault and MimasSpawnRoundRobin, Vulcan uses VulcanDefault and VulcanSpawnRoundRobin, and Venus uses VenusDefault and VenusSpawnRoundRobin. Any other value falls back to Lunar.
Install retries. SteamCMD can report success while downloading nothing, which used to leave a server that died on its first boot. Our installer checks for the app manifest and retries up to three times.
Mods. Only the ids in Steam Workshop mods are managed. Remove an id and restart, and its folder is deleted. A mod you uploaded to mods by hand is never deleted.
Backups. If your plan includes backups, take one from Backups before you change the mod list or the save name.
Self-hosting or renting: an honest comparison
Cost. Self-hosted: the software is free, and you pay for hardware, power and bandwidth, or a cloud virtual machine. Rented: a monthly fee set by plan. See the current plans.
Availability. Self-hosted: as reliable as your machine, power and home internet, and it has to stay on when your crew plays. Rented: runs on the host's hardware, not your PC.
Network exposure. Self-hosted: players connect to your public IP and you look after the firewall and router. Rented: your home IP is not involved.
Skill needed. Self-hosted: command line, port forwarding and an update routine. Very doable. Rented: a web panel with form fields.
Updates. Self-hosted: stop the server, run the SteamCMD command again, start it. Rented: Auto Update installs a new build when the server starts, so press Restart after a patch.
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
The server never prints the ready line
Cause: often the download did not finish, so the folder is empty or incomplete.
Fix: check for steamapps/appmanifest_600760.acf and run the SteamCMD command again with validate.
The console did not answer until someone joined
Cause: a bug in older builds. RocketWerkz fixed the dedicated server console being unresponsive until a player joined in its Sanitation Update of July 2026.
Fix: update to the current build.
A mod shows nothing after a restart
Cause: often the Workshop item is a blueprint or an IC10 script, not a mod. In our tests a mod folder had About/About.xml in it, and the server skipped a script item without one, with no message.
Fix: use a real mod's id, or put blueprints and scripts in the game on your own PC instead.
We use cookies to keep the site working, to understand how it is used, and to measure our marketing. You can accept all, accept essential cookies only, or choose per category.We use cookies to keep the site working, to understand how it is used, and to measure our marketing. They are on by default here. You can switch off anything you do not want.Read our privacy policy
