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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThere is no current, authoritative Starbound dedicated-server specification that maps RAM, CPU or bandwidth to a player count. Chucklefish’s published 2 GB RAM figure is for the game client, not the server. For a server, use a 64-bit operating system, verify the network settings for the version you run, and size the machine by monitoring an actual test session with your players and mods.
You can host a session from the game, run the dedicated process on a separate computer, or rent a managed game-server service. The right choice depends less on a mythical “RAM per player” number than on whether the world must stay online, who can administer the machine and router, and how much maintenance you want to perform.
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What is the system requirement to run a server?
Chucklefish’s official system-requirements page lists 2 GB of RAM for Windows, macOS and Linux. Those figures describe the Starbound game client. The same page includes client operating-system, processor, graphics and storage information, but it does not publish a dedicated-server minimum or a RAM-per-player formula.
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That distinction matters. A client is rendering a world, processing input and playing audio for one user. A dedicated server maintains the world state, simulates entities, accepts network connections and may load server-side mods for several users. The client requirement therefore cannot be used as a safe server specification. A computer with 2 GB may run the client acceptably and still have too little headroom for a persistent, modded server and its operating system.
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Starbounder’s Linux server guide identifies a 64-bit operating system as a requirement. Its examples use Ubuntu Server 16.04 and Debian 9 and show a server version 1.3.3 in sample output. Treat those distributions, package names and paths as guide-era context, not a guarantee that every command remains current on a modern installation.
The practical answer is consequently a process rather than a single number: start with a 64-bit machine, install the current server files, run a controlled session, and observe memory, CPU, tick or simulation stability and network traffic while your expected players perform normal and heavy activities.
What the published numbers do—and do not—mean
| Figure or setting | What it describes | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| 2 GB RAM | Official Chucklefish client requirement for Windows, macOS and Linux | A dedicated-server minimum, a per-player allowance or enough memory for mods |
| 64-bit operating system | Requirement stated by the Starbounder Linux server guide | A particular distribution, kernel, package set or performance level |
maxPlayers = 8 by default |
Default session-limit value listed in the Starbounder multiplayer guide | A hardware capacity guarantee or an assurance that eight players will be lag-free |
| Port 21025 | Default port named by the Linux guide for TCP and UDP | A universal rule for every build or configuration |
The default maxPlayers value is a configuration ceiling. It tells the server how many simultaneous sessions it will accept by default; it is not a benchmark. You may be able to host fewer players smoothly on a heavily modded world, or more only after deliberately changing the setting and validating the result.
How much RAM and CPU does Starbound need for a certain number of players?
The exact question—“how much bandwidth, ram, processor power for a certain number of players?”—has no current published answer in the available official documentation. No authoritative table assigns server RAM, CPU cores or bandwidth to two, four, eight or any other player count.
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Why player count alone is a poor sizing model
- Mods change the workload. New creatures, scripts, production chains, world-generation features and large content packs can consume more memory or simulation time than a lightly modified installation.
- Activity matters. Several players spread across planets, travel simultaneously, trigger many NPCs or operate complex bases can create a different load from several players standing in one quiet room.
- Other processes compete for resources. A home machine may also run backups, file sharing, voice chat or a desktop environment. A virtual server may have shared host contention that is invisible from inside the guest.
- Connection quality is separate from CPU and RAM. A server can have spare memory yet feel poor because of upload saturation, packet loss, firewall problems or a long route between players and the host.
What the 2014 forum discussion tells us
A Chucklefish Community Forums discussion opened on January 21, 2014 contains conflicting user anecdotes. One participant reported allocating 2 GB to a 12-player server; another described CPU becoming a bottleneck at roughly 75 players. These are personal observations from old software and unspecified environments, not controlled tests or current recommendations. They demonstrate that experiences varied, not that 2 GB is suitable for 12 players or that a particular processor is required for 75.
A defensible way to size a server
- Define the real workload. Record the maximum simultaneous players, the mod list, the number of worlds or planets likely to be active, and whether the server must remain online continuously.
- Start with headroom. Use a 64-bit system with enough memory for the operating system and monitoring tools in addition to the server process. Do not treat the client’s 2 GB as your target.
- Run a representative trial. Have the expected number of players connect, travel, fight, build and use the most demanding mods. A quiet login test is not enough.
- Measure during peaks. Watch per-process RAM, total memory pressure, swap or paging, CPU utilization by core, load average, disk activity and network upload. Capture several busy periods rather than relying on one reading.
- Increase one resource at a time. If memory pressure or swapping appears, add RAM or reduce the workload. If one CPU core remains saturated while memory is comfortable, a faster CPU or fewer simulation-heavy mods may help. If upload or packet loss is the problem, changing RAM will not fix it.
- Repeat after updates. Game updates, server builds and mods can alter resource use. Re-test after a significant change instead of assuming an old measurement still applies.
This method produces a capacity figure for your installation. It is deliberately different from presenting an invented universal “X GB for Y players” table.
Home hosting, a player-hosted session and a dedicated process
Starbound supports more than one way to make a multiplayer world available. Chucklefish’s FAQ directs players to its Multiplayer Setup Guide, which documents joining through Steam and inviting friends to a hosted game. You can also run the dedicated server software separately from the game client.
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A player starts the game and hosts, then invites friends through the documented multiplayer flow. This is the quickest option for occasional co-op because it avoids installing and maintaining a separate service. The trade-off is availability: when the host exits the game or loses the connection, the session is no longer available. The host’s computer must also perform client and server work at the same time.
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Dedicated server on a home machine
The dedicated process runs independently of the host’s game. It can continue serving players while the owner’s game is closed, provided the server process and its machine remain running. This suits a group that wants a persistent world without paying for an external service, but it requires administration.
- Keep the operating system, server files and mods updated and backed up.
- Configure the router and host firewall, and understand the security implications of exposing a listening port.
- Ensure the machine does not sleep, reboot unexpectedly or run out of disk space.
- Provide reliable upstream bandwidth and a stable connection, not merely a fast download plan.
Managed hosting
A managed Starbound-compatible host can remove much of the router and operating-system work. You still need to verify the provider’s current Starbound build, mod support, backup policy, location options, player limits and renewal cost. No source establishes a universal price or performance advantage for this category, so compare the service terms with the value of your own administration time.
Which hosting choice fits your group?
| Decision factor | Player-hosted game | Home dedicated server | Managed service |
|---|---|---|---|
| World available while the owner is away | Usually no; the host’s game must remain active | Yes, while the server process and machine run | Yes, subject to the provider’s uptime and maintenance |
| Router and firewall access | May still be needed for friends outside the local network | Required in the documented home-network setup | Handled by the provider’s infrastructure |
| Administration effort | Lowest for a small, temporary session | Updates, backups, monitoring and troubleshooting are yours | Lower machine administration, but you must manage the game configuration |
| Hardware cost | Uses the host’s existing computer | Uses an existing or dedicated always-on machine and its electricity | Recurring service charge; amount depends on the provider and plan |
| Mod control | Limited by the host’s installation and session workflow | Direct control of server files and configuration | Depends on the provider’s supported files and tools |
Choose the player-hosted route for occasional sessions with people who can play together. Choose a home dedicated process when you already have a suitable always-on machine and are comfortable with networking. Choose managed hosting when persistent availability matters more than controlling the underlying operating system.
Network requirements and port 21025
The Starbounder Linux guide says the dedicated server uses port 21025 over TCP and UDP by default. Its multiplayer guide’s port-forwarding section specifically names TCP 21025 and notes that a computer behind a private IP requires administrative access to the router and firewall. Because the guides differ in protocol wording, do not assume one universal rule: inspect the current server configuration and the instructions for the version you are running, then allow or forward the protocols it actually uses.
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Home-network checklist
- Give the server computer a stable local address, either through a reserved DHCP lease or a static configuration.
- Allow the server executable through the host firewall only on the networks and protocols you intend to use.
- Create the router forward for the configured port and protocol, pointing to the server’s local address.
- Check whether your internet provider uses carrier-grade NAT. If inbound forwarding cannot reach your router, a normal port rule will not solve it.
- Test from outside your home network; a local test can succeed even when the public route is blocked.
- Do not publish administrative interfaces or unrelated ports just to make Starbound connect.
If friends cannot connect, verify the server is listening, the process is running, the forwarded destination has not changed, the firewall rule matches the protocol, and the public address has not changed. Test one variable at a time rather than repeatedly changing hardware.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Installing and configuring the dedicated server
The Starbounder Linux guide describes a general workflow using SteamCMD, downloading or updating the server files, running the server executable and editing starbound_server.config. Because its examples target older Ubuntu and Debian releases, use the current SteamCMD and operating-system documentation for package installation and account permissions.
- Prepare a 64-bit system. Apply operating-system updates, create a non-root service account where practical, and choose a storage location with room for worlds, logs and backups.
- Install the current server files. Use SteamCMD or the distribution method supported by the server version you intend to run. Confirm that the downloaded files match the clients and mods your players will use.
- Review the configuration. Open
starbound_server.configand set the world, authentication, port and player-limit options required by your group. The documented defaultmaxPlayersis 8; changing it does not prove the machine can sustain that many players. - Start the executable interactively first. Read the console output for missing libraries, permission errors, port conflicts and mod-loading failures before creating an automatic service.
- Test locally, then remotely. Join from the server’s network, test from another network, and confirm that the expected port and protocol are reachable.
- Automate only after validation. Once the process is stable, use your operating system’s service or supervisor tools to restart it after a failure and to start it after reboot. Keep logs available for diagnosis.
- Back up deliberately. Stop the process or follow a safe-save procedure before copying world and configuration files. Keep at least one backup outside the server machine.
Monitoring, maintenance and common failure modes
Memory exhaustion or swapping
Symptoms include growing process memory, system swap activity, long pauses and eventual termination. Check whether a mod or world is responsible, stop unrelated services, and add memory only after confirming that the workload genuinely exceeds available RAM. A larger swap file can prevent an immediate crash but is not a substitute for physical memory.
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If one core is continuously busy while total memory is comfortable, simulation work may be the limit. Reduce expensive mods or simultaneous activity, move the process to a faster CPU, and retest. More cores do not automatically help if the workload concentrates on one thread.
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Players time out despite low resource use
Investigate upload capacity, packet loss, firewall rules, port forwarding, carrier-grade NAT and route quality. Ask whether every player is affected or only users on one network; that distinction separates a server-wide problem from a path-specific one.
Version or mod mismatch
A client may reach the server and still fail to load correctly when versions or mod sets differ. Record the server build, client build and enabled mods, update them as a set, and read the startup log for the first reported mismatch rather than the final cascade of errors.
The server disappears when nobody is playing
Confirm that the dedicated process is actually running independently of the game client, that the host computer is not sleeping, and that automatic updates or reboots have not stopped it. A player-hosted session will not provide the same persistence.
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What is established—and what remains unknown
The reliable boundaries are clear: 2 GB is an official client requirement; a 64-bit operating system is called for by the Linux server guide; port 21025 is the documented default, with a TCP-versus-TCP/UDP difference between guides; and maxPlayers defaults to 8 in the multiplayer configuration table. None of those facts is a current server performance benchmark.
No current official source supplies dedicated-server RAM per player, CPU per player or bandwidth per player. The responsible recommendation is therefore to benchmark your own combination of player count, mods, worlds and network conditions, keep safety margin, and revisit the measurements after updates.
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