How to host a Terraria server (2026)

Short answer. You can host a Terraria server yourself for free: download the dedicated server from terraria.org, unzip the Linux folder, start TerrariaServer.bin.x86_64 with a serverconfig.txt and open TCP port 7777. Or rent a Terraria server and skip the networking.

Players open Terraria, choose Multiplayer, then Join via IP, and type your IP address and port.

Checked on 5 November 2026 against Terraria 1.4.5.8, the newest dedicated server build terraria.org offered.

This guide uses two sources: the dedicated server download from terraria.org, including the example serverconfig.txt it ships, and what we run on every Terraria server we host. To skip to the rental route, go to Option 2.

What you need

• The server software: the free "Terraria Dedicated Server" archive from terraria.org. You do not need to own the game to download it, but every player needs Terraria, and each must be on the same version as the server.
• 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. The same archive has Windows and macOS builds that we do not cover here.
• RAM and CPU: the server download comes with no hardware requirements. For what we see in practice, read How much RAM does a Terraria server need?
• A player cap: set with maxplayers, any number from 1 to 255.
• Network: TCP port 7777 for the game, reachable from the internet. Behind a home router you must forward it.

Option 1: host it yourself

These steps are for Debian or Ubuntu. The download address and the files are the ones our servers use.

Install the server

1. Install the tools.

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install -y wget unzip tmux

2. Download and unpack the server. The archive holds one folder named after the build, with a Linux folder inside:

   mkdir -p ~/terraria && cd ~/terraria
   wget https://terraria.org/api/download/pc-dedicated-server/terraria-server-1458.zip
   unzip terraria-server-1458.zip
   cp -R 1458/Linux/* .
   chmod +x TerrariaServer.bin.x86_64

   1458 is Terraria 1.4.5.8. For a newer version, change the number in both places.
3. Create the world folder.

   mkdir -p ~/terraria/saves/Worlds

Write the settings

1. Create serverconfig.txt in the server folder. These are the keys from the example serverconfig.txt in the archive's Windows folder:

   worldpath=/home/YOURUSER/terraria/saves/Worlds
   worldname=myworld
   world=/home/YOURUSER/terraria/saves/Worlds/myworld.wld
   autocreate=2
   difficulty=0
   maxplayers=8
   port=7777
   password=
   motd=Welcome!

   Replace YOURUSER with your user name. autocreate makes a world when none exists: 1 is small, 2 medium, 3 large. difficulty is 0 classic, 1 expert, 2 master, 3 journey. Leave password empty for an open server.
2. Edit the file only while the server is stopped.

Open the port

• Game: allow TCP 7777 on the machine's firewall (for example sudo ufw allow 7777/tcp) and forward it on your router.
• No port forwarding possible? Some internet providers do not let you forward ports at all. Then run the server on a cloud machine, or rent one.

Start it and join

1. Start the server inside tmux, so it keeps running after you close the terminal:

   tmux
   cd ~/terraria
   ./TerrariaServer.bin.x86_64 -config serverconfig.txt

   It is ready when the console prints Type 'help' for a list of commands. Detach with Ctrl+b then d.
2. Join it. In Terraria choose Multiplayer, then Join via IP, and pick a character. Enter your server's IP address, then the port on the next screen (7777), then the password if you set one. Friends outside your home network need your public IP address.
3. Update by stopping the server and repeating the download with the new build number. Steam updates Terraria on players' PCs, and a player whose game is on a different version is turned away with You are not using the same version as this server.

The world that crashes an older server

This is a trap we found on real servers. A world saved by a newer Terraria cannot be opened by an older server. It does not say why: in October 2026 a server pinned to 1.4.4.9 was pointed at a world saved by 1.4.5.8 and stopped with Server crash and a NullReferenceException at Terraria.Main.DedServ.

The first four bytes of a .wld file hold the release number that saved it. On our servers, 1.4.4.9 saves 279 and 1.4.5.8 saves 326. Check yours with:

od -An -t d4 -N4 ~/terraria/saves/Worlds/myworld.wld

If that number is higher than your server build can read, update the server instead of fighting the crash. Keep a copy of the .wld file before any update.

Option 2: host it on PlayNHost

Renting removes the install, the port forwarding and the update routine. You still choose a world, a difficulty and a password.

1. Pick a plan. Open the Terraria server hosting page and compare the plans: COPPER (4 players), DEMONITE (8) and LUMINITE (15) at the time of writing. Press Create Server (Customize Plan on LUMINITE) and finish the order. Prices change, so check them on that page.
2. Set up the world before the first start. World size, difficulty and seed only matter when a new world is created. In the panel, open Settings, then Game Settings, and set World Name, World Size, Difficulty and, if you want one, World Seed or a special seed. Add a Password for a private server.
3. Start it. The Console prints Type 'help' for a list of commands when the server is ready.
4. Invite your players. The Play with friends card on Overview shows the IP and the port, and Copy invite message copies them. Players choose Multiplayer, then Join via IP, enter the IP, then the port on the next screen. See How to join your Terraria server.
5. Bring a world from your PC if you have one: see How to upload your own Terraria world.

What the panel does for you:

• The port is assigned and open from the start, and the server software is installed from terraria.org's own release feed.
• With Auto-update server on and Terraria version on latest (both the default; Auto-update server sits under Show advanced in Game Settings), each start checks for a newer Terraria build and installs it, so a restart keeps your players able to join. Your worlds and serverconfig.txt are not touched by that update. If the update cannot run, the server starts on the build it already has.
• If you turn Auto-update server off or pin an older Terraria version, each start checks the world's save number against the builds we have measured and prints a warning in the Console when the world was saved by a newer Terraria than the server's build, the crash described above.
• Your settings are written into serverconfig.txt at every start, so you change them in the panel, not in the file. See How to set up your Terraria server: key settings.

Self-hosting or renting: an honest comparison

• Cost: the server software is free. Self-hosting costs power, hardware and bandwidth, or a cloud machine. Renting is a monthly fee set by the plan.
• Uptime: a home server is only up while your PC, power and internet are. A rented server runs on the host's hardware.
• Exposure: at home, players connect to your public IP address and you look after the firewall and router. A rented server keeps your home IP out of it.
• Setup: self-hosting needs the command line, a forwarded port and manual updates. Renting needs a world name, a difficulty and a password.
• Control: self-hosting gives you every file. On our servers you change settings in the panel and still have the Files tab and SFTP for your own files.

Ready to skip the setup? See the Terraria server plans. Already have a server? Start with Terraria server settings: every option explained.