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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To host a Factorio server in 2026, install the official Linux x64 headless package (or the regular Windows game package in headless mode), create or copy a save, launch it with --start-server, allow Factorio’s UDP port through your firewall and router, then give players the address and port. Every player must use exactly the same game version and mods.
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This guide covers home-hosted Linux and Windows servers, rented Linux machines, save preparation, server settings, networking, visibility, updates, administration and the failure modes that prevent friends from joining.
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Your first decision is the computer that will stay available whenever people want to play. There are three practical approaches: a Linux machine at home, a Windows machine at home, or a rented Linux host. Factorio’s official materials support all three categories, but they do not establish a particular hardware model or commercial provider as the right choice.
Linux at home
Linux is the natural choice for a dedicated process because Factorio provides a free, lightweight Linux x64 headless server package. Headless mode does not initialize graphics, so the machine does not need a monitor or a desktop environment. You retain the save files, mods and configuration locally, but you are responsible for operating-system updates, firewall rules, backups and keeping the computer powered and connected.
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Windows at home
On Windows, the normal Windows game package can run headlessly. The official FAQ points administrators to Factorio.exe --help for the available options. This is convenient if you already have a Windows computer, but the machine still has to remain on, reachable and maintained while the server is in use.
Rented Linux hosting
A rented Linux virtual or dedicated machine removes the requirement to keep a computer at home running and usually gives the server a public internet address. In exchange, it adds a recurring bill and Linux administration. You still manage the Factorio files, updates, settings and access controls unless the service explicitly provides management for them.
| Consideration | Home Linux | Home Windows | Rented Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software | Free Linux x64 headless package | Regular Windows game package in headless mode | Free Linux x64 headless package |
| Up-front hardware | Uses an existing computer or requires one | Uses an existing computer or requires one | No server hardware purchase |
| Recurring cost | Usually electricity and your existing internet service | Usually electricity and your existing internet service | Provider charge; no general price is established here |
| Availability | Computer must stay powered and connected | Computer must stay powered and connected | Host remains online under the rental agreement |
| Network work | Normally requires router port forwarding and firewall access | Normally requires router port forwarding and firewall access | Requires the host’s firewall and provider networking rules; home port forwarding is avoided |
| Control | Full access to files, mods, saves and backups | Full access to files, mods, saves and backups | Full access depends on the rental arrangement, but you administer the server files |
Check requirements without overpromising capacity
Wube Software’s general PC requirements list 4 GB of RAM, a dual-core 3 GHz-or-faster processor, 3 GB of disk space and a 64-bit operating system as minimums. The recommended general requirements list 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core 3 GHz-or-faster processor. Those figures describe general Factorio PC use, not a guaranteed dedicated-server size for a particular factory, mod set or player count.
Factorio’s FAQ states that multiplayer supports up to 500 players in one game. That is a published maximum, not a sizing formula. Real performance depends on the simulation, factory complexity, mods, save size, processor performance, memory pressure and network conditions. Start with a machine you can monitor and expand rather than treating the general minimum as a promise of a specific player count.
- Use a 64-bit operating system.
- Reserve at least the stated 3 GB of disk space for the software, while leaving additional room for saves, autosaves, logs and mods.
- Prefer the recommended 8 GB RAM and quad-core class only as a general baseline, not as a dedicated-server guarantee.
- Ensure the machine can remain powered and connected for the sessions you want to host.
- Keep a copy of important saves outside the live server directory before major updates or mod changes.
Download the correct Factorio package
The official download page listed stable Factorio 2.0.77 at the time of the source snapshot. Stable means the most recent stable release on that page; Factorio also distinguishes an experimental branch. Because that number is a dated snapshot rather than a permanent 2026 promise, check the official download page immediately before installing and make sure all players select the same branch and version.
Linux
Download the Linux x64 headless server package. The package includes Space Age content and is free to download. Extract it on the server and retain the directory structure, including the executable under bin/x64 and the data directory used by the supplied settings example.
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Install the normal Windows game package. Run it without graphics by using the headless command-line options documented by Factorio.exe --help. The executable name and path depend on where you installed the game, so use that actual path in each command.
Create or copy a save before starting
The multiplayer guide requires a save to exist before --start-server is used. You can generate a new world on the server or transfer an existing save into its save directory.
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Create a new save on Linux
From the Factorio installation directory, run:
./bin/x64/factorio --create ./saves/my-save.zipThis creates my-save.zip in the server’s saves directory. Choose a filename that identifies the world; the filename is also the path you will pass when starting the server.
Transfer an existing save
Copy the world’s .zip save file into the server’s save directory. Do not unzip it unless the official documentation for your version specifically instructs you to; the documented server command points to the zip file itself. If the save came from another installation, preserve a backup before opening it with a new game version or a changed mod set.
Windows save preparation
Use the same approach with the Windows installation: place the existing zip in its save directory, or create a world with the Windows executable and the corresponding command-line options shown by Factorio.exe --help. The important requirement is the same: a valid save must be present before the dedicated process starts.
Configure the server settings file
Factorio ships an example server-settings JSON file. Use that supplied example as your starting point, make a copy, and edit the copy rather than inventing a new JSON structure. The settings file controls listing information and visibility, player limits and other server options.
Keep the edited file with the server installation and validate JSON syntax carefully. A missing comma, an unmatched quote or an invalid value can prevent startup. Make one change at a time while diagnosing a problem, and retain the original example so you can restore a known-good configuration.
Settings are separate from the save. You can therefore change how the server is listed, who may join and how it behaves without creating a new world, provided the setting is supported by your installed version.
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Start a named save on Linux
The basic command from the multiplayer guide is:
./bin/x64/factorio --start-server ./saves/my-save.zipRun it from the Factorio installation directory, or replace the relative paths with the full paths on your machine. Leave the process running for as long as you want the world available.
Load the latest save with server settings
To load the latest save and apply a settings file, use:
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./bin/x64/factorio --start-server-load-latest --server-settings ./data/server-settings.jsonThe settings path above is the documented example location. If you copied the example to a different filename, pass that filename instead. The latest-save option is useful when the server has produced successive autosaves and you do not want to type a specific archive each time.
Start on Windows
Use the Windows executable with the corresponding flags, for example by adapting the same --start-server, --start-server-load-latest and --server-settings options to the path of Factorio.exe. Confirm the exact options and syntax with Factorio.exe --help for your installed build.
Useful command-line controls
The command-line reference documents options for the game port, bind address, whitelist, ban list, admin list and console log. Use those documented options when you need to bind to a particular network interface, move the port, restrict access or direct console output to a log. Do not copy an option name from an unrelated version; check the help output for the executable you installed.
Make the server reachable
Understand the default port
Factorio uses UDP, and the documented default game port is 34197. If you change the port in your server configuration or command line, forward and allow the port you actually use instead of 34197.
Home-hosted networking
- Give the server computer a stable address on your home network, using your router’s reservation feature or an equivalent method.
- Create a router port-forwarding rule for the Factorio UDP port to that computer’s local address.
- Allow the same UDP port through the operating system firewall on the server computer.
- Start Factorio and have a friend test from outside your home network, not only from the same LAN.
- If you changed the port, communicate the changed value along with the address.
Some routers can alter outbound source ports, so a forwarding rule that appears correct may still fail in a particular network configuration. If local players can join but remote players cannot, check the router’s forwarding table, the firewall profile, the public address and whether your internet service places you behind another layer of address translation.
Rented-host networking
On a rented Linux machine, configure the host firewall and any provider-level firewall for the Factorio UDP port. The provider’s public address is normally the address players use, but the exact network controls differ by service. Verify that the process is listening on the intended interface and port before distributing connection details.
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Choose visibility and give players connection details
The multiplayer guide distinguishes public listing, LAN visibility and hidden or private access.
Public listing
A public server can appear in the in-game server list according to its listing settings. Use a clear name and description in the settings file, and set an appropriate player limit. Public visibility increases discoverability and therefore increases the importance of moderation and access controls.
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LAN visibility
LAN visibility is suitable when everyone is on the same local network. It avoids exposing the server to the wider internet, but it does not help friends connecting from another home.
Hidden or private access
A hidden server does not rely on public discovery. Players join when they know the host address and port. This is often the simplest choice for a small group: share the address privately, use a whitelist if appropriate, and avoid publishing the endpoint unnecessarily.
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Keep every client compatible
Factorio requires every game instance in a multiplayer session to use exactly the same game version and mods. “Almost the same” is not sufficient: a client on a newer stable build, an experimental build or a different mod version can be rejected.
- Record the server’s exact game version before inviting players.
- Have every player select that same version and branch.
- Install the identical mod list and versions on the server and every client.
- After a game update, update the server and clients as one coordinated change, or keep all of them on the previous compatible version.
- When troubleshooting, temporarily test an unmodded save to separate networking problems from mod compatibility problems.
Understand saving, pausing and shutdown
Headless servers autosave normally and save on exit. A clean shutdown therefore protects more progress than simply terminating the process. Keep the console available so you can observe save activity and errors.
By default, the server pauses when no players are connected. Server settings can disable auto-pause if you deliberately want the simulation to continue while empty. That choice affects CPU use and the state players find when they return, so make it explicit in your settings rather than assuming the world always runs.
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Access control
Use the documented whitelist, ban-list and admin-list options when the server needs controlled membership or designated administrators. A private address alone is not an access policy: addresses can be forwarded, guessed or shared.
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Updates
Before changing Factorio versions or mods, stop the server cleanly and preserve the current save archives and settings file. Update the server package, then update clients to the identical version and mod set. If the new build cannot load the world, restore the prior package and backup rather than repeatedly opening the only copy.
Logs and diagnosis
Use the console-log option documented in the command-line reference when you need a persistent record. Logs help distinguish a failed process, a bad settings file, a missing save, a rejected client version and a network connection that never reaches the machine.
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Troubleshoot the common failures
The server says the save cannot be found
Confirm that the file exists in the server’s save directory, that the spelling and capitalization match the command, and that the process has permission to read it. Use the full path if a relative path is resolving from an unexpected working directory.
The process exits immediately
Run the executable’s help output to confirm the flags for your build, inspect the console or log for JSON syntax errors, and test with the untouched example settings file. A malformed settings file or an option copied from another version is a common cause.
Players on the same LAN can join, but internet friends cannot
Check that the router forwards UDP rather than only TCP, that the operating-system firewall allows the actual port, and that the forwarded destination is the current local address of the server. Test the public address from an external network. If your router changes outbound source ports or your internet service uses an additional translation layer, ordinary forwarding may not be sufficient.
Players see a version or mod error
Compare the exact game version, branch and mod versions on every machine. Remove recently changed mods from a test copy, confirm an unmodded connection, then add the mod set back consistently.
The server is listed but nobody can join
Listing visibility and reachability are separate. Verify the advertised port, the bind address, the firewall and the router rule. A public name can appear even while the endpoint is unreachable from the internet.
Home server or rented host?
Choose home hosting when you already have a suitable computer, want maximum control over files and mods, and can maintain port forwarding and uptime. Choose a rented Linux host when keeping a home machine powered is inconvenient or your internet connection is not suitable for inbound connections, and accept the recurring cost and additional administration.
Neither approach removes the core Factorio requirements: a compatible save, a correctly started process, matching client versions and mods, and a UDP path from players to the server. Decide based on uptime, control, network reachability and the amount of system administration you are willing to perform.
Quick Recap
A practical launch checklist
- Check the official download page for the current stable or experimental version you intend to use; the previously listed stable snapshot was 2.0.77.
- Install the Linux x64 headless package or the Windows game package.
- Create a save with
--createor copy an existing zip into the save directory. - Copy and edit the supplied server-settings example.
- Start with
--start-serveror--start-server-load-latest --server-settings. - Confirm the UDP port, defaulting to 34197 unless you intentionally changed it.
- Configure the host firewall and, for home hosting, router forwarding.
- Choose public, LAN or hidden visibility and share the correct address and port.
- Give every player the exact game version, branch and mod list.
- Test one connection, verify autosaves, and preserve a backup before updates.
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