Project Zomboid Server Hosting

Why Run Project Zomboid on a Dedicated Server

Project Zomboid is a long game. Groups spend weeks fortifying a house, learning carpentry, farming and building up a supply of tinned food, and the world remembers all of it. Hosting from one player's PC ties that world to their schedule. A dedicated server keeps it available to everyone, and with PauseEmpty turned off it can even let time pass while nobody is online.

The Indie Stone ships a dedicated server for Windows and Linux, and its official wiki documents how to run it. At home that means a machine left on, two UDP ports forwarded (16261 and 16262 by default) and updates applied by hand. Renting moves the server to a data centre with a fixed address and stable bandwidth, plus a panel for mods, versions and backups.

Build 42 or Build 41: Choosing a Version

For years Build 41 was the multiplayer version of Project Zomboid. Build 42 arrived as an unstable beta in December 2024 without multiplayer, gained multiplayer on the unstable branch in December 2025, and became the stable branch on 29 July 2026. Build 41 remains available on Steam's legacy41 branch and still receives occasional hotfixes.

For a new world, Build 42 is the natural choice, and it is where The Indie Stone's work continues. Stay on 41 if your group depends on mods that have not been updated, or you want to finish a long-running save. Whichever you pick, everyone in the group has to be on the same build as the server.

Server Settings That Shape the World

Server behaviour is controlled by one settings file (servertest.ini in The Indie Stone's documentation, GamingDeluxe.ini on our servers) and gameplay by the sandbox file next to it. These settings in the main file decide how the server feels to join.

Sandbox Options: How Hard Should It Be?

Sandbox options are where a server gets its personality. They control the dead, the loot and the passage of time, and they are best agreed with the group before the first character is created.

• Zombie count: from None and Low up to High, Very High and Insane, with finer multipliers for each.
• Zombie speed: Shamblers, Fast Shamblers, Sprinters or Random, with a sprinter percentage for mixed hordes.
• Day length: from 15 minutes up to 23 hours per in-game day, or real time.
• Loot respawn: off by default; turn it on for long-running servers so looted towns slowly refill.
• Zombie respawn: controls whether cleared areas fill up again over time.

Build 42 adds new starting modes alongside the classic ones, and version 42.20.0 raised the cap on how many zombies can exist before the game starts removing them, which matters for hardcore servers with huge populations.

Admins, Whitelists and Access Levels

Project Zomboid uses accounts on the server itself. The first admin is created when the server is set up, and admins can then give other players graded roles with the setaccesslevel command. The levels are user, priority, observer, gm, moderator and admin.

• Give out the smallest role that works. A trusted regular who runs events rarely needs full admin rights.
• Keep a short admin list. Fewer people with full control means fewer accidents and easier accountability.
• Write the rules down. Post your PvP, safehouse and raiding rules where everyone can read them before they join.

For a private world, set Open to false. New players can then only join with an account an admin creates with the adduser command, which works as a whitelist. MaxAccountsPerUser limits how many accounts one person can make on an open server.

Mods and Maps from the Workshop

Behind the scenes, a Project Zomboid server needs three lists: WorkshopItems for the Workshop IDs, Mods for the mod IDs inside them, and Map for the map folders, with Muldraugh, KY as the default. Getting the order and spelling right by hand is where many first servers fail. Our Workshop installer writes all three for you and adds spawn regions for maps that support them.

Build 42 also brought an official in-game mod manager with load orders and presets, and mod authors can now ship separate Build 41 and Build 42 versions in one mod. Even so, check every mod page for its supported builds. In April 2026 The Indie Stone removed 14 Workshop mods that contained malicious code, a good reminder to stick to well-known authors.

Slots, Memory and Performance

The MaxPlayers setting defaults to 32, and the 42.20.3 hotfix raised the supported ceiling to 254, so slot counts are now a question of hardware and community rather than the game. Our plans run from 10 to 100 slots.

Memory needs grow with the parts of the map that are active at the same time, the size of the mod list and the number of zombies. Each plan bundles more as it grows: 10GB on 10 slots, 12GB on 20, 14GB on 40, 16GB on 60, 20GB on 80 and 24GB on 100. The panel's memory graph shows whether you need more, and a higher tier can be added from the client area at any time.

Saves, Backups and Updates

The game's own backups are switched on by default: the server copies the world each time it starts, keeps five copies unless you change BackupsCount, and takes an extra one when the game version changes. Our panel adds backups you can take or schedule yourself, and we keep offsite copies for the last 7 days.

The Indie Stone now sends each release to the unstable branch for testing before it goes stable. When a stable update lands, players who update cannot join an older server, so update from the panel, check your mods, and restart. Since 42.21, clients joining a server on a different version are told about the mismatch, which makes the cause easier to spot.

What to Compare Before You Rent a Project Zomboid Server

Project Zomboid hosting looks alike on a features page. These details decide whether a server still suits you months into a run.

1. Build choiceCheck that the host still offers the legacy Build 41 next to Build 42 Stable, and how quickly you can switch between them.
2. Workshop toolsA good installer writes the Workshop, mod and map lines for you. Typing them by hand is where most broken servers start.
3. Memory in the priceMods and big maps eat memory. See what each plan really includes and what more costs.
4. File accessYou will want to edit sandbox options, spawn regions and save files. Look for a file manager and SFTP.
5. Backups you can restoreAsk how long backups are kept and whether you can restore them yourself.
6. Billing termsCompare monthly with longer cycles and watch for setup fees or minimum terms.

Project Zomboid Server Glossary

Build 42

The current stable version of Project Zomboid, with a larger map, animals and a crafting overhaul.

legacy41

The Steam branch that keeps Build 41 available for players and servers.

servertest.ini

The default name of the main server settings file; our servers call it GamingDeluxe.ini.

Sandbox options

World rules such as zombie count and speed, loot respawn and day length.

WorkshopItems

The settings line listing the Steam Workshop IDs a server downloads.

Spawn regions

The places new characters can choose to start, including towns added by map mods.

Access level

A player's role on the server, from user to admin.

Safehouse

A building claimed by a player or group on a multiplayer server, protected by the server's safehouse rules.

Knox County

The fictional Kentucky county where Project Zomboid is set; Muldraugh is the default map's first town.

Slots

How many players can be online on the server at once.

Project Zomboid Server Help and Next Steps

Official documentation and our own pages.

• Dedicated server page on the official Project Zomboid wikiPorts, start-up and memory settings.
• Server settings referenceEvery option in the settings file, with defaults.
• Build 42.21 release notesThe latest stable release, from The Indie Stone.
• Gaming Deluxe control panelWhat the panel does and how to log in.
• Our server locations
• Contact support24/7 help with builds, mods and maps.