How to Set Up a Palworld Dedicated Server (and the Best Settings)
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Palworld's co-op is fun until the host logs off and the world freezes with them. A dedicated server fixes that: it runs around the clock, holds up to 32 players, and keeps your bases and Pals persistent whether you are online or not. This guide gets one running, then tunes the settings that actually change how your world plays.
You will see two routes — self-host it with SteamCMD, or rent a ready-made server — plus a settings reference you can copy: capture rates, XP, difficulty, base limits and the options most groups get wrong on the first try.
Dedicated server vs co-op — and what you need
In-game co-op invites up to four players, but the world only exists while the host is in it, and progress lives on their machine. A dedicated server is a separate, always-on world:
- Up to 32 players instead of four.
- Always online — friends play whether or not you are on.
- Persistent and portable — the save lives on the server, not one person's PC.
Palworld is famously RAM-hungry, and worlds grow heavier as bases and Pals pile up. Plan for at least 8 GB of RAM for a small group, and more as your player count and base count climb. The server communicates on UDP port 8211 by default. Self-hosting also means a machine that stays on 24/7 — the reason most groups rent instead.
Path A: Self-host with SteamCMD
The server software is free through SteamCMD. These steps are for a Windows or Linux box that will stay powered on.
- Install SteamCMD. Download it from Valve, then use it to install the Palworld dedicated server app (Steam app id
2394010). - Launch the server once. Run
PalServer.sh(Linux) orPalServer.exe(Windows) to generate the config files, then stop it. - Edit your settings. Open
PalWorldSettings.iniand set your world options (the full reference is below). Set a server name and an admin password here too. - Forward the port. Forward UDP 8211 on your router to the server machine (give it a static local IP first).
Heads up: opening the port exposes your home IP with no DDoS protection, and the machine must never sleep. This is why a persistent world usually belongs on hosting.
- Start and connect. Launch the server, then in Palworld choose Join Multiplayer (Dedicated Server) and enter your address and port.
Good for
- A free test on hardware you already own
- Full control of every file and setting
What you take on
- The PC must run 24/7, and Palworld eats RAM
- Home IP exposed, no DDoS protection
- Updates, restarts and backups are all manual
Skip the 24/7 machine and the memory leak — a HytHost Palworld server is online in minutes with scheduled restarts and backups.
See Palworld plansPath B: Rent a Palworld server (online in minutes)
Hosting removes the two hard parts — keeping a machine on and feeding Palworld enough RAM. On HytHost Palworld hosting, plans run from €8.96/mo across 8 to 24 GB tiers, provisioned automatically within minutes of payment.
- Pick your RAM. 8 GB suits a small group; size up for more players or a sprawling, base-heavy world. You can upgrade in place as it grows.
- Check out. The server installs and comes online on its own; your panel login arrives by email.
- Tune settings in the panel. Edit
PalWorldSettings.inithrough the web config or file manager — the reference below applies exactly the same. - Invite your group. Share the address; friends join from Palworld's dedicated-server browser, no port forwarding on anyone's side.
The server stays up with a target of 99.9% uptime, sits behind Voxility DDoS protection on high-clock CPUs and NVMe SSD, and if you get stuck, live chat support is available 8 AM – 11 PM (Chișinău time). Scheduled restarts (which Palworld genuinely needs — see below) are handled for you.
The best Palworld server settings
There is no single "best" — it depends on whether you want a relaxed base-builder or a grind. These are balanced starting points for a friendly community server; adjust one or two to taste rather than everything at once. All of them live in PalWorldSettings.ini.
| Setting | Recommended | What it does |
|---|---|---|
Difficulty | Normal | Baseline for damage and difficulty scaling |
ExpRate | 1.5-2.0 | Levelling speed; 1.5-2x keeps a group moving without trivialising it |
PalCaptureRate | 1.5 | How easily you catch Pals; a small boost reduces sphere grind |
DeathPenalty | Item | Drop items only (not equipment/Pals) — forgiving but not weightless |
DayTimeSpeedRate | 1.0 | Length of daytime; lower it slightly for more building light |
bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage | False | PvP off for a co-op community; True for a competitive server |
BaseCampWorkerMaxNum | 15-20 | Pals per base — higher is convenient but costs server RAM/CPU |
ServerPlayerMaxNum | up to 32 | Player cap; set it to your plan's comfortable size |
Performance: RAM, memory leaks and restarts
Two truths about Palworld servers save a lot of grief:
- It leaks memory over time. RAM use climbs the longer the server runs, and performance sags with it. The fix everyone uses is a scheduled restart — once or twice a day clears it. On hosting this is a toggle; self-hosted, script it.
- RAM scales with players and bases. More players, more bases and more Pals all add memory pressure. If the server stutters as your world grows, it is almost always RAM — moving up a tier fixes it faster than any setting.
Like most game servers, Palworld also leans on single-thread CPU speed, which is why high-clock hardware matters more than core count.
Backups and keeping it online
- Back up your saves. The world save is the one thing you cannot regenerate — snapshot it before big updates. Palworld updates have occasionally changed save behaviour, so a backup is cheap insurance. Hosting plans include one-click backups.
- Keep the server updated. Update the server promptly after a game patch, or players on the new client cannot connect.
- Protect it if it is public. A public address invites attacks; datacenter hosting puts DDoS filtering (Voxility, here) in front, which a home line does not have.
Frequently asked questions
Start at 8 GB for a small group. Palworld is RAM-hungry and memory use grows with players, bases and Pals, so larger or busier worlds want 12-16 GB or more. If the server stutters as it grows, RAM is almost always the cause — sizing up fixes it faster than any in-game setting.
Co-op invites up to four players and the world only exists while the host is playing, with progress saved on their machine. A dedicated server is a separate, always-on world for up to 32 players, with the save stored on the server so it persists whether anyone is online or not.
Up to 32 on a dedicated server (set with ServerPlayerMaxNum), versus four in in-game co-op. The practical limit is your RAM — a full 32-player world with lots of bases needs a higher tier to stay smooth.
For a friendly community server: Normal difficulty, ExpRate 1.5-2.0, PalCaptureRate around 1.5, DeathPenalty set to Item, and PvP off. Tune one or two values at a time rather than everything at once — the full reference table is in the settings section above.
Palworld servers leak memory the longer they run, so performance sags after many hours. A scheduled restart once or twice a day clears it — the single most effective fix. If it lags even after a fresh restart, you have outgrown your RAM tier.
Edit PalWorldSettings.ini and restart the server for changes to apply. Self-hosted, the file sits in the server folder; on hosting, edit it through the panel's web config or file manager. Change a couple of values, restart, and test before adjusting more.
Skip the RAM headaches and restarts
A HytHost Palworld server comes online in minutes with the RAM your world needs, scheduled restarts to beat the memory leak, backups and DDoS protection — from €8.96/mo.
Live chat 8 AM – 11 PM (Chișinău time) · tickets answered during business hours
