Palworld Server Hosting

Co-op Session or Dedicated Palworld Server

Palworld has two ways to play together. Online co-op lets one player invite friends into their own world, up to 4 players in total, and the world closes when that player stops. A dedicated server runs the world as its own program, so it stays available for everyone and can hold up to 32 players.

The difference shows up quickly in a game built around bases. Guilds, Pal workforces, breeding farms and raid preparation all reward a world that is there when each player has time to log in. A server also takes the load off the host's PC, which no longer has to run the game and the world at once.

Pocketpair publishes the dedicated server free for anyone to run, on Windows or Linux. Doing it at home means a machine with plenty of memory left on, fast SSD storage and port 8211 forwarded on your router. Renting puts it in a data centre with a fixed address, fast storage and a team watching it.

What Palworld 1.0 Means for a Server

Palworld left Early Access on 10 July 2026 after a run of big free updates: Sakurajima in June 2024, Feybreak in December 2024, the Crossplay update in March 2025, Tides of Terraria in June 2025 and Home Sweet Home in December 2025. The 1.0 release brought the largest content drop so far, plus several changes aimed squarely at server owners.

• Guild roles and permissions: guild leaders can now hand out responsibilities instead of trusting every member equally.
• Voice chat: in-game voice is available, but only when it is switched on in the dedicated server's world settings.
• New defaults: default dedicated server settings now sit close to single-player Normal difficulty, so check your settings file if your world suddenly feels different.
• Stability: Pocketpair optimised server performance and fixed memory leaks on dedicated servers.

Existing worlds continue into 1.0, but Pocketpair suggests starting over to experience the new content properly. With a rented server the choice is easy to undo: download a copy of the current world before you wipe, and you can always go back to it.

Crossplay and Community Servers

Since the Crossplay update, Palworld's dedicated server accepts players from every version of the game by default. What decides whether console players can actually reach you is how the server is listed.

A listed server is visible to everyone, so set ServerPassword if you only want your own group inside. The CrossplayPlatforms setting decides which versions may connect; its default covers Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac, and removing an entry keeps that platform out.

World Settings Worth Changing

Every gameplay rule lives in PalWorldSettings.ini, which our Config Editor presents as a form. Copying values into DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini has no effect; only the PalWorldSettings.ini file is read. These are the settings most groups adjust first.

Two more switches change the whole character of a world. bHardcore makes death permanent for characters, and bPalLost means Pals in a fallen player's party are lost for good. Agree on both with the group before anyone builds anything they would hate to lose.

Admin Commands and Server Tools

Admin rights in Palworld come from a password rather than a list. Set AdminPassword in the settings, join the server and type /AdminPassword followed by that password in chat. From then on the admin commands work for you until you leave.

• /ShowPlayers lists everyone online with their IDs, which the kick and ban commands need.
• /KickPlayer and /BanPlayer remove a player; /UnBanPlayer reverses a ban.
• /Broadcast sends a message to the whole server, handy before a restart.
• /Save writes the world to disk immediately, and /Shutdown closes the server after a countdown with a message.
• /TeleportToPlayer and /TeleportToMe help when someone is stuck.

For tools outside the game, Pocketpair offers a REST API with endpoints for player lists, announcements, kicks, bans, saves and shutdowns. It is meant for trusted networks rather than the open internet. The older RCON interface is deprecated and Pocketpair says it will stop working in a future update.

Choosing Slots and Memory

Start from the number of people online at the same time, not the size of your Discord. A group of six friends is well served by 10 slots; a server shared by several guilds is better on 24 or 32. ServerPlayerMaxNum in the settings sets the actual limit, and our plans match it to what you pay for.

Palworld is hungry for memory. Pocketpair warns that low memory raises the risk of crashes, and big bases with dozens of working Pals add to the load as the world ages. That is why our bundled memory grows with each plan: 10GB on 10 slots, 12GB on 12, 14GB on 16, 16GB on 24 and 20GB on 32. Scheduled restarts help a long-running world, and the memory graph in the panel shows when it is time for a bigger tier.

Installing Mods Safely

Pocketpair supports modding and publishes mod guidelines, and since the Home Sweet Home update the Steam Workshop is part of the game. On the server side, Pocketpair's documentation is clear that only mods made for servers work, and only on the Windows dedicated server.

1. Read the mod's page to see whether it belongs on the server, on players' PCs or on both.
2. Take a backup in the panel.
3. Install it from the Steam Workshop button, or add UE4SS from the Mod Manager first if the mod needs it.
4. Start the server, then check the console for errors before inviting everyone back.

Pocketpair warns that mods can corrupt save data, and updates to the game often break them for a while. Keep the mod list short, update mods together with the game, and remember the bGlobalEnableMod switch in PalModSettings.ini if you need a quick vanilla test.

Saves, Backups and Restarts

Palworld has its own backup feature, bIsUseBackupSaveData. When it is on, the server keeps 5 copies taken every 30 seconds, 6 every 10 minutes, 12 every hour and 7 daily ones. Pocketpair notes that it adds disk load, which is one more reason to run on fast NVMe storage.

Our panel adds backups you can take or schedule yourself, and we keep offsite copies for the last 7 days. For routine care, set a scheduled task that warns players at 10, 5, 2 and 1 minutes, saves the world, backs it up and restarts. A matching update task can check for new Palworld builds and only restart when one is available.

What to Compare Before You Rent a Palworld Server

Palworld hosting offers look similar at a glance. These points decide how the server holds up after a few weeks of play.

1. Memory in the base pricePalworld uses a lot of RAM. Check how much each plan really includes and what more costs, because a server that runs out of memory crashes.
2. Crossplay controlsMake sure you can list the server as a community server yourself, or console friends will not be able to join.
3. Settings accessLook for a panel that lets you edit PalWorldSettings.ini directly, not just a handful of chosen options.
4. Storage speedPocketpair links slow storage to corrupted saves. Ask what kind of drives the server runs on.
5. Restart and backup toolsCheck that restarts can warn players and that you can restore a backup without opening a ticket.
6. Billing termsCompare monthly and longer cycles, and watch for setup fees or minimum contracts.

Palworld Server Glossary

Dedicated server

Pocketpair's standalone server program that hosts a Palworld world for up to 32 players.

Community server

A dedicated server registered in the in-game server list; required for Xbox and PS5 players to join.

PalWorldSettings.ini

The file holding a server's name, passwords, rates and world rules.

CrossplayPlatforms

The setting listing which versions of the game may connect: Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac by default.

AdminPassword

The password typed after /AdminPassword in chat to unlock admin commands.

Base camp

A player-built base around a Palbox, where assigned Pals work, farm and craft.

Guild

A group of players who share bases; 1.0 added roles and permissions within a guild.

UE4SS

A mod loader that many Palworld mods depend on.

REST API

Pocketpair's interface for managing a server from external tools, replacing the deprecated RCON.

Slots

The number of players who can be online at the same time.

Palworld Server Help and Next Steps

Official documentation and our own pages for running your world.

• Pocketpair's dedicated server documentationRequirements, settings, commands and the REST API from the developer.
• Server configuration referenceEvery PalWorldSettings.ini option explained.
• Palworld on SteamPatch notes and announcements.
• Gaming Deluxe control panelWhat the panel does and how to log in.
• Our server locations
• Contact support24/7 help with settings, mods and crossplay.