Factorio Dedicated Servers: What You Actually Need

You need a compatible Factorio server build, a save, matching game and mod versions, and a reachable connection. You don't need a gaming graphics card for the headless server. Choose a dedicated server when you want the factory available without one particular player hosting the session.

“Headless” means the server runs the game simulation without drawing the game on a screen. Wube provides a Linux headless download; the Factorio multiplayer documentation explains the available hosting modes.

Start with the factory, not a player-count formula

A new co-op save and a developed megabase are different workloads, even with the same four friends online. Before choosing hardware, record the save size, enabled mods, expansion content, and how the current world behaves.

There's no useful universal “one GB per player” rule here. Enough RAM is necessary, but the server also has to process the factory fast enough. Wube's performance discussion illustrates how simulation work and memory access affect the game.

UPS means updates per second: how quickly the simulation advances. It's distinct from the frames your PC draws. If memory isn't exhausted but the factory simulation is slow, investigate that workload before buying RAM blindly.

For a migration, test the actual save on the proposed server. Have everyone join, travel, and build as usual. Include their computers in that test; a server upgrade alone doesn't prove every client will handle the factory comfortably.

Your setup checklist

• A save: create a new one or transfer the existing world you intend to use.
• Matching versions: align the server and players' game versions and required mods.
• A connection: self-hosters normally need the configured UDP port reachable; the default is 34197.
• A listing decision: decide whether players should find it publicly or connect privately.

For a publicly listed server, follow our Factorio authentication-token guide. Use the account token in the appropriate field, not your account password. A token used for server listings isn't a password you distribute to players.

Decide what happens when everyone leaves

Factorio's documented headless default pauses the game when no players are connected; the no-auto-pause setting can change that. A running server doesn't necessarily mean the factory advances all night.

Agree on this before starting a shared world. Some groups want production to continue between sessions; others want to be present for everything that happens. Check the active setting instead of assuming the hosting choice decides it for you.

Keep a recoverable save before changing mods or game versions. Store the matching mod list with that backup, and test major changes on a copy. The game loading successfully is only the first check; verify the factory still behaves as expected.

If you'd rather leave infrastructure maintenance to someone else, compare the options on the Factorio game page. Your save remains the most useful evidence for choosing capacity.