How to Host a 7 Days to Die Dedicated Server
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A 7 Days to Die dedicated server keeps your world running when the host goes to bed — the horde still comes on day seven, and everyone can log in on their own schedule. The server is a free download from Steam, and it runs on Windows or Linux.
This guide covers both ways to run one: on your own machine with SteamCMD, and on HytHost. It is written for V3.3, the current stable version, including the V3 sandbox code that replaced most of the old difficulty settings.
What a 7 Days to Die server needs
- The dedicated server — Steam app
294420, separate from the game itself. You do not need to own the game to download it. - The same version as your players. A V3.3 client cannot join a V3.2 server. Pick the server's version (Steam calls it a branch) to match the game everyone runs.
- Memory. The map size and mods use far more RAM than the players do. A 6k random map with eight survivors runs comfortably in 6 GB; bigger maps and overhaul mods need more (the table below has our recommendation).
- Open ports. The game port,
26900by default, and the three after it. - A machine that stays on. The world only exists while the server process runs.
Skip the SteamCMD setup: HytHost 7 Days to Die servers come with every version ready to pick — from €7.14/mo.
See 7 Days to Die plansInstall the server with SteamCMD
SteamCMD is Valve's command-line Steam client. The dedicated server downloads anonymously, without logging in:
steamcmd +force_install_dir ./7dtd-server +login anonymous +app_update 294420 validate +quit
That installs the current stable version. To install another version, add -beta and the branch name before validate:
| Branch | What it is |
|---|---|
public (default) | Current stable, V3.3 |
latest_experimental | The next version in testing — new features first, can break saves and mods |
v2.6 | Previous major version, for overhaul mods that have not moved to V3 |
v1.4 | Older version, for overhaul mods still built on 1.x |
Start the server with the launcher in the install folder: startdedicated.bat on Windows, ./startserver.sh -configfile=serverconfig.xml on Linux. The first start generates the world, which takes a while on a new random map.
serverconfig.xml and the V3 sandbox code
Every setting lives in serverconfig.xml in the server folder. Stop the server before editing it. The ones most people change:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
ServerName, ServerPassword | The name in the server browser and the join password (empty = no password) |
ServerVisibility | 2 public, 1 friends only, 0 not listed |
ServerMaxPlayerCount | Player slots, 8 by default |
GameWorld | Navezgane (the handmade map) or RWG for a random world |
WorldGenSeed, WorldGenSize | For RWG: the seed and the size. Officially supported sizes are 6144 to 10240, in steps of 2048 |
GameName | The save name — a new name starts a new save on the same map |
SandboxCode | The difficulty and gameplay options, as one code (see below) |
EACEnabled, ServerAllowCrossplay | Anti-cheat and console crossplay |
AdminFileName | The admin file, serveradmin.xml in the saves folder |
serverconfig.xml and folded them into the sandbox code. To set them, start a new game in the game itself, adjust the options on the Sandbox screen, copy the code it shows and paste it into SandboxCode. An old V2 config with those keys is simply ignored.Admins, kicks, bans and the console commands are covered in 7 Days to Die admin commands.
Ports and how players join
The server uses the game port and the three after it — 26900 to 26903 by default: forward TCP 26900 and UDP 26900-26903 on your router and firewall. If you change ServerPort, the block moves with it.
- From the server browser. With
ServerVisibilityat2, players find the server in the game's server list by its name. - By address. Players can also connect directly with your public IP and the game port.
Hosting at home exposes your home IP to everyone who joins, and the server has to stay up whenever someone wants to play — the two reasons most groups move it to a host.
Crossplay with PS5 and Xbox
Console players can join a dedicated server, but only one that meets the official crossplay requirements:
ServerAllowCrossplayset totrueandEACEnabledleft on.- 8 players at most —
ServerMaxPlayerCountof 8 or less. - No mods. PS5 and Xbox Series players cannot join a dedicated server with mods.
- A world of 8k or smaller.
The Fun Pimps put it plainly: PC players can join regardless of these settings, console players cannot. A modded server with 16 slots is a PC-only server.
How much RAM a 7 Days to Die server needs
The Fun Pimps do not publish an official server memory figure. This is our recommendation, based on running V3 servers:
| Setup | RAM |
|---|---|
| Vanilla, up to 8 players, 6k random map | 6 GB |
| 8k map, or a few modlets | 8 GB |
| Overhaul mods or a 10k map | 12-16 GB |
View distance also costs memory — ServerMaxAllowedViewDistance is marked in the config as having a high impact on memory use.
Host a 7 Days to Die server on HytHost
- Order and pick the version. On 7 Days to Die hosting, choose a plan — Pine Forest with 6 GB up to Wasteland with 16 GB, or a Custom server — and the version: Stable, Experimental, V2.6 or V1.4.
- Open the Startup tab. It holds the server name, password, player slots, the world (RWG or Navezgane), seed and size, the save name, anti-cheat, crossplay and the sandbox code. The panel writes these into
serverconfig.xmlat every start, so change them here rather than in the file. Settings that are not in the tab, such as visibility or player killing, stay as you set them in the file. - Join. Use the address and port shown in your panel. On a shared IP the panel shows the port block assigned to you.
- Run commands from the panel. The Console tab sends commands straight to the game, so you can manage the server without joining.
Switching the version later is a Startup setting too — it starts a new world, so take a backup first. Already have a world? Moving it is covered in uploading your world to a game server.
Stable, Experimental, V2.6 or V1.4, crossplay with one switch, automatic backups — 7 Days to Die hosting from €7.14/mo.
See 7 Days to Die plansFrequently asked questions
The server software is free: it is a separate Steam app (294420) that downloads anonymously with SteamCMD. What costs money is the machine that runs it — your own PC and power, or a hosted server.
The game port, 26900 by default, and the three after it: forward TCP 26900 and UDP 26900 to 26903. If you change the game port, the whole block moves with it.
V3 moved them, together with difficulty, blood moons, loot and many other options, into the sandbox code. Set the options on the Sandbox screen of a new game, copy the code and paste it into SandboxCode in serverconfig.xml.
Yes, if the server meets the crossplay rules: crossplay and anti-cheat on, 8 players or fewer, no mods and a world of 8k or smaller. PC players can join any server; console players only these.
Usually a version mismatch — the client and the server must be on the same version, so check the branch on both — or ports that are not forwarded. Also check the password and that the server finished generating the world.
There is no official figure. Our recommendation is 6 GB for up to 8 players on a 6k map, 8 GB for an 8k map or modlets, and 12 to 16 GB for overhaul mods or a 10k map.
Keep the horde coming without your PC
HytHost 7 Days to Die hosting runs every version from V1.4 to Experimental, crossplay with consoles and automatic backups — from €7.14/mo.
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