The complete guide · 4 min read
Starbound Server Hosting Explained: A Complete Guide
This guide explains how a hosted Starbound server works: why a dedicated server beats a friend's game, how to size slots and RAM, running mods, moving a universe and keeping the crew happy. It is written for whoever ends up captain of the server.
By Matthew Griffin, Owner, Gaming DeluxePublished · Updated
In this guide
Why a Dedicated Starbound Server
Starbound starts with your home destroyed and a damaged ship in orbit, then leaves the rest to you. You can follow the story, settle down to farm, collect tenants for a colony, capture monsters or build anything from a cabin to a space station out of thousands of objects. All of it works in drop-in, drop-out co-op, which is where many players have their best time with the game.
Co-op hosted from a friend's game has one problem: the universe only exists while that friend is playing. Before 1.0, Chucklefish described two styles of multiplayer, joining a friend's game through Steam and running a dedicated server that admins configure. A rented server is the second kind. It keeps one shared universe online around the clock, so whoever is free tonight can carry on with the colony, and nobody has to wait for the host.
Choosing Slots and RAM
Slots are how many players can be connected at once. Starbound has no published cap for dedicated servers, and our order form sells any count from 10 to 120 by the slot. Most groups do not need anything like that. A crew of friends fits in 10, a crew that invites guests is comfortable on 16, and 24 or 32 suits a community server.
| Plan | RAM included | Typical universe |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Slots | 8GB | A friends group, vanilla or light mods |
| 16 Slots | 8GB | A crew with regular guests |
| 24 Slots | 12GB | A community universe with a mod pack |
| 32 Slots | 12GB | A busy public server |
What uses memory is the number of worlds loaded at the same time and the size of the mod list. Ten players on ten different planets keep more in memory than ten players in one base. Watch the memory graph in the panel, and if it runs close to the limit on busy evenings, move up a tier from the client area.
Running Mods on a Starbound Server
Starbound supports the Steam Workshop, and Chucklefish added category tags for Workshop mods in 2017 to make them easier to browse. Players subscribe on Steam. A server cannot subscribe, so its copy of each mod is uploaded by hand.
- Agree the mod list with your crew and note each mod's version.
- Stop the server and take a backup in the panel.
- Upload the mod files to the server's mods folder with the File Manager or SFTP.
- Start the server and read the log for any mod that failed to load.
- Ask everyone to install the same mods before they join.
Content mods are a commitment. Items, objects and races they add end up in bases, ships and inventories, and taking the mod away later can leave gaps. Chucklefish's own 1.2 notes point out that some changes have to match on the server and the client, so treat the mod list as part of the server's rules.
Moving a Universe to Your Server
If your crew started on someone's PC, you do not have to start over. A Starbound universe is a folder of files. Stop the new server, upload that folder with SFTP, make sure any mods it used are installed on the server, then start it and check the log.
Hosting a Finished Game
Starbound's development story ended with the 1.4 Bounty Hunter update in June 2019. The 1.4.4 patch in November 2024 only fixed a launch issue on new macOS versions, and the tenth anniversary in July 2026 was celebrated with a soundtrack vinyl. We say this plainly so you know what you are buying: a server for the game as it is, not one waiting for new content.
For a server owner that is a good position. Builds rarely change, so mods keep working and a carefully tuned universe stays tuned. When a patch does appear, Steam Update in the panel brings the server in line with your players.
Running a Server Your Crew Enjoys
Starbound is relaxed by nature, but shared universes still need a little order. Decide early whether PvP is welcome, how players claim planets, and whether a colony belongs to one player or the crew. Write it down where everyone can find it.
- Pick a home system and build a shared hub, such as a space station, so new players have somewhere to start.
- Schedule a daily restart in the quietest hour.
- Back up before every mod change and before big build projects.
What to Compare Before You Rent a Starbound Server
Starbound hosting offers can look identical. These details decide how they feel a few months in.
- RAM in the base priceCheck how much memory is included and what a step up costs, especially if you plan a big mod list.
- File access for modsWorkshop mods must be uploaded to the server. You need SFTP or a file manager to do it.
- Flexible slot countsMake sure you can order the size you need and change it later without moving the universe.
- Locations you can testRun a ping test from where your crew plays before you buy.
- Backups you can restoreAsk whether you can restore a backup yourself after a mod clash.
- Billing termsCompare monthly and longer terms, and look for setup fees.
Starbound Server Glossary
- Universe
- The shared set of star systems, planets and stations stored on the server.
- Dedicated server
- A separate program that runs the universe without anyone playing on the host machine.
- Steam Workshop
- Steam's mod library, which Starbound supports.
- Casual, Survival, Hardcore
- Character modes: no hunger, hunger and item drops on death, or permanent death.
- Tenants
- NPCs who move into colonies you build and leave gifts if they are happy.
- Space station
- A player-owned modular station in orbit, added in the 1.3 Spacefarer update.
- Bounty hunting
- Missions against criminal gangs, added in the 1.4 Bounty Hunter update.
- Slots
- How many players can be connected to the server at once.
Starbound Server Help and Next Steps
Useful pages for setting up and running your universe.
How this guide was made: researched from the Steam store and Chucklefish's official announcements on Steam (playstarbound.com did not load when we checked), drafted with AI assistance, checked against our live order form for every plan, price and location, and reviewed by Matthew Griffin before publishing. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Sources, checked 22 October 2026:
- Starbound on Steam (platforms, modes, Workshop, cross-platform multiplayer)
- Starbound 1.4: Bounty Hunter Update, Chucklefish on Steam
- 1.4.4 Hotfix Patch Notes (November 2024), Chucklefish on Steam
- 10th Anniversary Vinyl Announcement (July 2026), Chucklefish on Steam
- Starbound 1.3: Spacefarer Update, Chucklefish on Steam
- 1.3.3 Hotfix Patch Notes (Workshop tags), Chucklefish on Steam
- Starbound 1.2 Vault Update (server and client changes), Chucklefish on Steam
- Final Approach to 1.0 (multiplayer plans), Chucklefish on Steam
- Starbound Dev Blog Round-Up 03/06/2016 (joining via the Steam friends list in 1.0), Chucklefish on Steam
- playstarbound.com, Chucklefish (did not load, error 522, so not used)
- Gaming Deluxe order form, Starbound Dedicated Server