How to host an Unturned server (2026)

Short answer. You can host an Unturned server yourself for free: install the Unturned Dedicated Server (Steam app 1110390) with SteamCMD using an anonymous login, start it with ./ServerHelper.sh +InternetServer/MyServer, and create a free Steam Game Server Login Token (GSLT) for App ID 304930 and turn on Fake IP or forward the ports, so it shows in the Internet server list. The default ports are UDP 27015 and 27016. Or rent an Unturned server and skip the setup.

Players join through the in-game server list, the Steam Friends list, or the 17-digit Server Code in the Connect Directly menu.

Checked on 5 November 2026, accurate for game version 3.26.3.13 (30 September 2026), the newest patch in Steam's community announcements for Unturned.

This guide uses Smartly Dressed Games' own server documentation and what we run on our own Unturned servers. To go straight to the rental route, see Option 2.

What you need

• Operating system: Windows or Linux. The documentation says macOS is not supported for servers.
• Hardware: the documentation gives no server hardware requirements.
• Network: UDP 27015 and the next port up, 27016. Each server uses two consecutive ports: the first answers server list queries and the second carries the game traffic. Port forwarding is only needed if you want players to join by IP address or domain name, because Server Codes and Fake IP work without it.
• Steam account: not needed to download the server (the login is anonymous). You do need one to create the GSLT.
• The game: every player needs Unturned on Steam, which is free to play.

The server software is free. You pay for the machine, power and bandwidth, not the software.

Option 1: host it yourself

This works on a spare PC, a home server or a cloud virtual machine. The simplest start on Windows is to launch "Unturned Dedicated Server" from your Steam Library, which opens the server console. The steps below are the SteamCMD route, which is the one for a Linux machine.

Linux

1. Install the libraries SteamCMD needs and SteamCMD itself (Debian or Ubuntu), as a normal user rather than root.

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install lib32gcc-s1 curl
   mkdir ~/Steam && cd ~/Steam
   curl -sqL "https://client-update.steamstatic.com/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz" | tar zxvf -

2. Download the server.

   ~/Steam/steamcmd.sh +quit
   ~/Steam/steamcmd.sh +login anonymous +app_update 1110390 validate +quit

   The first line lets a fresh SteamCMD update itself. On our own servers SteamCMD downloads sometimes fail without a clear error, so our install script checks the result and tries up to three times. Check that an appmanifest_1110390.acf file exists in the same steamapps folder that holds common/U3DS. If it does not, run the download again. The documentation puts the server in steamapps/common/U3DS/ under your SteamCMD folder. The same app_update command updates an existing install.
3. Start the server. In the server folder:

   ./ServerHelper.sh +InternetServer/MyServer

   MyServer is your server ID, and its files go in Servers/MyServer/. Use +LanServer/MyServer for a LAN-only server. Boot is finished when the console shows Loading level: 100% together with a Server Code.
4. Edit the basics. Stop the server with the Shutdown command, which saves and closes it. Then edit Servers/MyServer/Server/Commands.dat, one command per line:

   Name My Unturned Server
   Map PEI
   MaxPlayers 24
   Password yourpassword

   Lines starting with // are comments. There is no autosave, so run Save now and then while the server is up.
5. Make it joinable from the internet. Without a GSLT the server counts as anonymous and stays out of the Internet server list. Create a GSLT at https://steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers with App ID 304930, then add it as a GSLT line in Commands.dat or in the Login_Token property of the server configuration. A GSLT also stops the Server Code from changing at every start.
6. Choose how players reach you. Either forward UDP 27015 and 27016 on your router and firewall (with ufw: sudo ufw allow 27015:27016/udp), or turn on Fake IP by setting Use_FakeIP to true in the server configuration. With Fake IP, run CopyFakeIP in the console after startup and give players that address. It changes after every restart, and it does not work with Steam's Favorites or History lists.
7. Add Workshop mods (optional). Put each Workshop file ID in the "File_IDs" list in Servers/MyServer/WorkshopDownloadConfig.json, separated by commas. The server installs and updates them at start, and joining players download them automatically.

Windows

1. Install SteamCMD, then run steamcmd.exe and enter login anonymous, then app_update 1110390 validate, then quit. Or launch "Unturned Dedicated Server" from your Steam Library.
2. For SteamCMD installs, start the server with a .bat file in the U3DS folder containing start "" "%~dp0ServerHelper.bat" +InternetServer/MyServer.
3. Then follow Linux steps 4 to 7: Commands.dat, the GSLT, Fake IP or port forwarding, and Workshop.

Admins

Add administrators with the Owner command, with Admin while the server runs, or by listing Steam IDs in Adminlist.dat. Commands can be typed in the server console, or in in-game chat by an admin with an @ or / prefix. See How to become admin on your Unturned server and use admin commands.

Option 2: host it on PlayNHost

Renting removes the install, the firewall and the update routine. The ports and the startup line are set up for you.

1. Pick a plan. Open the Unturned server hosting page and compare the plans (ANNUSHKA, FIGHTER JET and APC at the time of writing). Press Create Server on a plan (on APC the button says Customize Plan) and finish the order. Prices change, so check them on that page.
2. Wait for the install. You get a "server ready" email and the server appears at panel.playnhost.com.
3. Create your Steam token. Sign in to Steam, open https://steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers, and create a token for App ID 304930. Use your own Steam account: a token belongs to the account that made it.
4. Open Settings and fill in the fields.
   • Server Name: the name in the server list.
   • Server Password: leave it empty for a public server.
   • Steam Login Token (GSLT): paste the token here. It must be exactly 32 letters and digits.
   • Steam Workshop Item IDs: optional, Workshop item IDs separated by commas with no spaces.
   Auto update, under Show advanced, is on by default.
5. Start the server and read the Console. The panel counts the server as running when it prints Loading level: 100%. If no token is set, the console prints a box saying so before the game starts.
6. Join. Find your server in the in-game Internet server list, or use the Server Code from the console.
7. Add mods and plugins (optional). The Workshop tab adds Workshop items. RocketMod comes with every Unturned server here, and plugins go in Servers/<server id>/Rocket/Plugins under Files. See How to add mods to your Unturned server.

What our setup does for you

• Port and name. The startup line passes your server's game port with -port, plus your Server Name and Server Password, so you do not edit launch arguments.
• Max players. At every start, the panel rewrites the MaxPlayers line in Servers/<server id>/Server/Commands.dat to your server's slot count, which is your plan's limit unless you lowered it with the pencil beside Slots on the Overview. A hand edit to that line is replaced at the next start.
• A wrong token is worse than none. The field only accepts exactly 32 letters and digits. A missing token only hides the server from the Internet list, but a token that is wrong, for example one deleted on Steam or made for another game, leaves the server sitting at Starting instead of booting. Create a new token for App ID 304930 and paste it in.
• Workshop guard. On our servers, Unturned has frozen while starting on a Workshop item that holds no Unturned assets, for example a mod made for players' game clients. Our startup script leaves such an item out of that start and says so in the console, so remove it from Steam Workshop Item IDs. If the item turns out to be a code module, it is copied into Modules/ instead.
• Install retries. The install checks that the game really downloaded and tries again up to three times.
• Backups. If your plan includes backups, see How to back up and restore your Unturned world.

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 and home internet, and it has to stay on when your friends play. Rented: runs on the host's hardware, not your PC.
• Network exposure. Self-hosted: with port forwarding, players connect to your public IP. Fake IP avoids that. Rented: your home IP is not involved.
• Skill needed. Self-hosted: command line, a Steam token, editing text files. Rented: a web panel with form fields.
• Updates. Self-hosted: stop, run the SteamCMD app_update command again, start. Rented: Auto update is on by default.

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

FAQ

Can I host an Unturned server for free?

Yes. The dedicated server is free on Steam (app 1110390) and downloads with an anonymous login. You still pay for the machine, power and internet, and it must stay on while people play.

Why is my Unturned server not in the server list?

Without a GSLT the server counts as anonymous and is hidden from the Internet server list, and the Server Code changes every restart. Create a token for App ID 304930 and add it. Our Unturned server problems and fixes guide covers more cases.

Which ports does an Unturned server use?

UDP 27015 and 27016 by default. Change them with the Port command, and the next port up is used as well. More in Unturned ports and firewall explained.

Do I need port forwarding?

Not since update 3.23.14.0. Server Codes and Fake IP work without it. It is only needed if you want players to join directly by IP or domain name.

Do I need to own the game to run the server?

Not to install it. Players need the game to join.

Can I use Workshop mods?

Yes. Add the Workshop file IDs to WorkshopDownloadConfig.json, or on PlayNHost use the Workshop tab. Players download them when they join.