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There is no completely unlimited free Core Keeper server that stays online without trade-offs. Your most dependable no-cost option is to run the official Core Keeper Dedicated Server on your own computer. Hosted free tiers can work for short sessions, but they may show ads, cap RAM or players, require regular extensions, or stop after a trial period.
Godlike.Host offers hosted Core Keeper servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
This guide compares the practical free routes, explains the exact self-hosting setup, and shows when a paid server becomes worthwhile.
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Free Core Keeper hosting options at a glance
The right choice depends on whether you value zero monthly cost, continuous uptime, private play, or the least technical setup. The table separates a genuinely free ongoing option from trials and promotional plans.
| Option | What you receive | Limits and conditions | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-host on your own PC | Free Steam Tool: Core Keeper Dedicated Server (App ID 1963720) | The world is online only while the host computer and server process are running | Regular play with a group when someone can keep a PC on |
| Squadnox free server | Ad-supported private server; the listing states no artificial slot limit, up to 8 CPU cores and 16 GB RAM | Advertising funds the service; availability and limits can change | A hosted server when ads are acceptable |
| AxentHost free server | Free server with no card required and no stated slot limit | Promotional plan; RAM is listed as 2–16 GB and is set by credits | Testing a hosted world without entering payment details |
| Hosted free tier | Free instance with one location | 4 player slots, 1 GB RAM, and a required extension every three hours | Short, small-group sessions |
| GHosting trial | Temporary hosted server | 48 hours; no card, subscription, or automatic renewal | Testing configuration and connectivity |
| Nodecraft trial | Temporary hosted server | 24 hours; no card required | A one-day technical trial |
Free hosted services are not equivalent to an always-on dedicated server. Ads, forced restarts, extension timers, low memory, and trial expiry are the usual trade-offs. Limits shown above come from provider pages or roundups surfaced for this topic and may change.
#1 Best Overall
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Why self-hosting is usually the best free answer
Steam distributes Core Keeper Dedicated Server as a separate free Tool. Its App ID is 1963720; the game itself uses App ID 1621690. You do not need to buy another game copy simply to run the server tool, although each player still needs a legitimate way to play Core Keeper.
Self-hosting avoids monthly fees, advertising, hosted-panel limits, and trial clocks. It also gives you direct access to the world files and server process. The unavoidable cost is availability: friends cannot join when the host computer is asleep, powered off, disconnected, or has the dedicated-server process closed.
What self-hosting can and cannot provide
- Cost: no hosting payment for the server software.
- Uptime: limited to the hours your machine and connection are available.
- Control: world files remain on your computer, so you control backups and when updates are installed.
- Technical work: you are responsible for launching the server, keeping the machine awake, and solving connection problems.
- Platform compatibility: PC storefronts (Steam, Epic, and GOG) can play together. Console-to-PC crossplay is not available according to the cited setup guide.
How to host a Core Keeper server free with Steam
The following procedure reflects third-party setup guidance for the official tool. Interface labels can change, so treat the wording as a path through Steam rather than a guarantee that every screen is identical.
- Open Steam Library. Change the library filter from Games to Tools.
- Install Core Keeper Dedicated Server. Confirm that the tool is the server package (App ID 1963720), not the main game (App ID 1621690).
- Launch the tool. Leave Launch Dedicated Server selected when Steam presents that option, then choose Play.
- Record the Game ID. The launched server displays a Game ID that friends use to find and join the world through the supported in-game flow.
- Keep the process running. Do not close the dedicated-server window or quit the process while people are playing. The server is unavailable after that process exits.
- Keep the host awake. Disable sleep for the play session and use a stable wired or strong wireless connection where possible. The world cannot remain reachable from a computer that has suspended or shut down.
Give friends the Game ID rather than exposing unnecessary system details. If the in-game join flow works, no router changes may be needed.
Rank #2
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Headless and Linux setup
For a machine that should run the server without the normal Steam desktop interface, a third-party guide gives this SteamCMD command:
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 1963720 validate +quitOn Linux, that guide says an X virtual framebuffer (xvfb) is needed for headless builds. The command downloads or validates the dedicated-server files; it does not by itself guarantee that your firewall, router, or launch script is configured. You still need to start the server process and keep it alive.
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- Install SteamCMD and the required 64-bit runtime libraries for your distribution.
- Run the App ID 1963720 update command under the account that will own the server files.
- Install and configure
xvfbwhen the build expects a display. - Create a service or screen/tmux session so the process does not end when you disconnect from SSH.
- Back up the world directory before changing versions or experimenting with launch parameters.
These Linux details come from community guidance rather than a retrieved developer FAQ, so check the current tool behavior on your distribution before treating any path or launch flag as permanent.
Networking and port-forwarding: what to try
The available setup sources disagree about whether port forwarding is required. One guide describes the official flow as requiring no forwarding. A Steam community discussion identifies UDP ports 27015–27016 as the defaults and recommends trying the connection without opening ports first, then forwarding those ports only if friends cannot connect.
Rank #3
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Use this lowest-risk troubleshooting order
- Launch the dedicated server and verify that the host can see the Game ID.
- Have a friend on the same or an outside network attempt to join through the normal game interface.
- Check that the host firewall allows the Core Keeper server process on the correct private network.
- Restart Steam and the server process, then try again before changing router settings.
- If outside players still cannot connect, forward UDP 27015 and 27016 to the host computer’s local address, then retry.
- Remove the forwarding rule if it does not help or if you no longer use the server.
Because the sources conflict, do not assume either “forwarding is always required” or “forwarding is never required.” Your router, firewall, internet provider, and network type determine the result.
Hosted free servers: strengths and compromises
Ad-supported hosting
Squadnox lists a free private Core Keeper server funded by advertising. Its published specifications say there is no artificial player-slot limit and that an instance can use up to eight CPU cores and 16 GB of RAM. That is unusually generous on paper for a free plan, but the service is not cost-free in the practical sense: ads support it, and provider policies or capacity can change.
Credit-based promotional hosting
AxentHost advertises a free server with no card required and no stated slot limit. The promotional page lists 2–16 GB of RAM, assigned according to credits. “No slot limit” does not mean unlimited performance; memory and the credit balance determine how much world activity the instance can handle.
Small, timer-based free tiers
Another listed free tier provides one location, 1 GB of RAM, and four slots. The server must be extended every three hours. It can be useful for a short evening with a small group, but the extension requirement makes it unsuitable for unattended or overnight availability.
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Trials are not ongoing free hosting
GHosting lists a 48-hour trial with no payment card, subscription, or automatic renewal. Nodecraft lists a 24-hour trial with no card required. Use these windows to test joining, save transfers, mods or configuration, and latency. Plan the next home-hosted or paid destination before the trial expires; neither listing represents a permanent free server.
How much RAM and how many slots do you need?
The published free plans do not provide a reliable like-for-like performance test, so treat their specifications as ceilings or marketing terms rather than a guarantee of smooth play. Compare the actual needs of your group against the plan’s memory, CPU allocation, slot policy, and restart behavior.
| Group situation | Most practical route | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| One to four friends, occasional sessions | Self-hosting or the four-slot, 1 GB tier | Low player count keeps the technical and cost burden small; the hosted tier still needs three-hour extensions |
| Friends play at unpredictable times | Self-hosting on an always-on PC or a paid host | Trials and timed free tiers cannot provide dependable continuity |
| Larger group or expanding world | A higher-memory hosted plan or self-hosted machine with adequate resources | Free plans may impose memory, advertising, or restart constraints even when slots are nominally unrestricted |
| Testing before spending | 24- or 48-hour trial | Short trials expose connection and administration problems without a card |
When paying is the sensible choice
One listed provider, Game Host Bros, starts at $11.99 per month and advertises unlimited player slots. The same listing says an existing server can be transferred there for free. The price is a provider-listed starting rate, not a universal market price, and may change.
Paying becomes easier to justify when the host computer cannot stay online, the group needs a predictable join time, or repeated extensions and ads are disrupting play. Check more than the slot headline: ask how much RAM is included, whether backups are automatic, where the location is, how world files can be downloaded, and what happens during inactivity.
Best Value
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- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Nodecraft also lists a Lite plan that hibernates when unused and says that plan is not recommended for Core Keeper. Hibernation can reduce cost for some games but undermines the always-available behavior many persistent-world groups expect.
Moving from a free host without losing your world
- Stop the server cleanly so the latest world state is written.
- Download the complete world and configuration files from the current host, or copy them from the self-hosting directory.
- Make a second backup on a different drive before uploading anything.
- Start the destination server once with a new test world to confirm the service works.
- Stop it, upload the backed-up world files to the destination’s documented directory, and preserve the required permissions.
- Start the server and verify the world name, player inventories, progression, and connection before inviting everyone back.
Do not overwrite your only copy during a migration. File locations and transfer methods differ by host, so follow the destination panel’s current instructions.
Common problems and fixes
Friends cannot see or join the server
- Confirm the dedicated-server process is still running.
- Check that everyone is using a compatible PC storefront; console players cannot join PC worlds through crossplay.
- Verify the Game ID and restart both the game and server.
- Allow the server through the host firewall.
- Only then test UDP 27015–27016 forwarding if outside connections still fail.
The world disappears after the host leaves
This is expected for self-hosting. The server exists only while the machine and process are active. Use an always-on computer, schedule a supervised launch, or move to a hosted plan.
A free hosted server stops during play
Check whether the plan reached its three-hour extension deadline, a trial expired, an ad-supported instance was recycled, or a resource ceiling was reached. Save regularly and keep a recent world backup before relying on any free service.
The server feels unstable with a larger group
Review RAM and CPU allocation rather than relying on a “no slot limit” label. The free listings do not establish a common performance benchmark. Reduce simultaneous activity, move to a higher-memory instance, or self-host on stronger hardware.
Important availability and pricing caveats
Trial lengths, prices, locations, memory allocations, and free-tier rules are volatile. The figures in this article reflect provider pages and roundups surfaced for the listed options; those provider pages were not independently verified here. Treat the 48-hour and 24-hour trials, the $11.99 starting price, and each memory or slot figure as time-specific listings rather than guarantees.
The dedicated-server installation and networking details come from third-party guides and community discussion, not a retrieved official Core Keeper FAQ or announcement. If a future Steam build changes the launch flow, ports, or crossplay behavior, follow the current tool interface and developer documentation.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
