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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsYes, you can run Space Engineers multiplayer without paying a hosting company, but “free” has two different meanings. Keen Software House provides dedicated-server software at no charge to people who own the game; self-hosting still requires your own Windows computer, electricity, internet connection, public networking, maintenance and backups. Keen also provides free official community servers, while managed PC and Xbox hosting are paid services operated by the hosts Keen names.
Godlike.Host offers hosted Space Engineers servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
Your practical choices are to self-host the Windows dedicated server, rent managed PC hosting from GTX Gaming, rent managed Xbox hosting from Nitrado, join Keen’s official community servers, or add the optional Torch administration layer to a self-hosted server. The right choice depends on whether you need private worlds, mods, predictable uptime, cross-play, or zero administration.
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What “free Space Engineers server hosting” actually means
A server can be free in software terms, free to access, or temporarily free under a provider promotion. Those are not equivalent. Keen’s dedicated-server application is free for owners of Space Engineers, but the machine running it and the network connection are yours. Keen’s official community servers are free to join, yet you do not control their worlds or operating policies. A rented server normally has a recurring charge even when the game software itself costs nothing.
Keen describes a dedicated server as an independent game instance that does not depend on a player’s game client. It runs without rendering or audio effects, which is intended to provide more consistent connections than a player-hosted peer-to-peer session. At least one Steam account must own a valid game license to obtain the server files; a separate game license is not required for the computer acting as the server.
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Your options at a glance
| Option | Platform | What you pay | Availability when the owner is offline | Control and technical work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-host Keen’s dedicated server | Windows PC; public PC server | No hosting fee; you absorb hardware, electricity and internet costs | As long as your computer and connection remain online | Highest control over worlds, admins, settings and mods; you handle ports, firewall, updates, backups and recovery |
| GTX Gaming managed hosting | PC | Current price and plan limits are not stated here; verify them before ordering | Provider-operated uptime, subject to the plan and provider | Less Windows and networking work; compare slots, CPU/RAM allocation, locations, backups, restarts, DDoS protection, cancellation and cross-play support |
| Nitrado managed hosting | Xbox | Current price and plan limits are not stated here; verify them before ordering | Provider-operated uptime, subject to the plan and provider | Managed console hosting; verify player capacity, EOS behavior, world and mod restrictions, backups, restart schedule and cancellation terms |
| Keen official community servers | Official servers, including EOS listings | Free access as a community service | Depends on Keen’s service and browser availability | Little or no control over private administration, world settings, moderation or mod selection |
| Torch added to self-hosting | Windows dedicated server | Torch does not provide a host or compute; it is an optional administration project | Same as the underlying self-hosted machine | Live management, chat commands, entity tools, configuration editing and plugins; early-development software can contain bugs or incomplete features |
1. Self-host Keen’s dedicated-server software
Self-hosting is the only route in this list with no recurring hosting bill. It suits a technically confident PC owner, a small group with an always-on Windows machine, or anyone who wants full control over saves, administrators, mods and world rules. It is not “set and forget”: your home upload speed, router, power reliability and maintenance become part of the server’s reliability.
Hardware and software requirements
Keen’s current published figures distinguish a minimum from a recommended public-hosting setup:
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| Resource | Minimum published figure | Recommended figure |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 3.2 GHz CPU with three logical cores | 4.5 GHz CPU with three logical cores |
| Memory | 6 GB RAM | 10 GB RAM |
| Network | 5 Mbps bandwidth | Static IP for public hosting |
| Operating system and components | Windows PC, .NET Framework 4.8 or newer, and Visual C++ Redistributables 2013 and 2017 | |
These are server requirements, not a promise of a particular player count or simulation speed. Large worlds, heavy automation, many entities and mods can demand more headroom. If you are shopping for a Windows mini PC for a dedicated server, check the listing’s sustained CPU speed, logical-core count, RAM, Windows edition, storage, cooling and wired-network connectivity. No specific mini PC model is established as tested or endorsed here.
Install the server files
Keen documents two installation routes. Steam’s Library and Tools entry is the simpler route for a machine already using Steam. SteamCMD is useful for a headless or service-style installation.
- Sign in to a Steam account that owns Space Engineers, or use SteamCMD with the anonymous login shown by Keen.
- For SteamCMD, download and start
steamcmd.exe, then runsteamcmd.exe +login anonymous +force_install_dir somedirectorypath +app_update 298740 +quit. App ID298740is Keen’s dedicated-server package. - Launch the dedicated-server executable from the installed directory and create or select a world.
- Set the server name, world, password, administrator accounts, reserved slots, mods and other rules in the dedicated-server interface.
- Run a local connection test before exposing the service to the internet. Confirm that the world loads, a client can join and the save is written to disk.
Make a self-hosted server reachable from the internet
A LAN server can work without public routing, but players outside your home network cannot connect unless the server has a reachable public address. Keen recommends a static IP for public hosting. If your internet provider changes your public address, a previously shared address can stop working until you update it.
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- Choose the machine’s local address and reserve it in your router’s DHCP settings so it does not change.
- Forward incoming UDP port 27016 from the router to that local address. This is Keen’s default listen port unless you change it in the server configuration.
- Create a Windows Firewall rule allowing incoming UDP traffic on the same port.
- Check whether your provider uses carrier-grade NAT. If it does, ordinary port forwarding may not produce a publicly reachable server; ask the provider about a public address or use a managed host instead.
- Test from a device outside the home network, such as a friend’s connection. Testing only from inside the LAN can hide forwarding or firewall errors.
Never publish the administrator password in a public chat. Use a separate, strong server password, limit administrator privileges, and keep the operating system and server files patched.
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The dedicated-server interface includes automatic restart and update controls, but you still need a maintenance routine. Schedule updates when nobody is playing, stop the process cleanly before copying saves, and keep at least one backup away from the server computer. Retain several dated generations so a corrupted save or unwanted change can be rolled back. Record the configured port, world location, administrator list and mod collection; that information shortens recovery after a disk failure.
Home hosting also makes uptime your responsibility. A sleeping computer, router reboot, power cut or exhausted upload capacity looks to players like a server outage. Wired Ethernet and an unmetered connection are preferable. Watch CPU, memory, disk space and upload saturation while several players are online rather than judging capacity from an empty world.
2. Rent managed PC hosting from GTX Gaming
Keen’s official server-host page names GTX Gaming as “the official Server Host for the Space Engineers PC version.” That designation confirms the relationship Keen publishes; it does not establish a current price, guaranteed service level or best plan. A managed host is appropriate when friends need the world available while you are away and nobody wants to maintain Windows, router rules or restart scripts.
Before paying, compare the actual plan details rather than relying on the word “unlimited.” Check included player slots, CPU and RAM allocation, data-center locations, mod and plugin support, automated restarts, backup retention, DDoS protection, support response, cancellation terms and whether the plan supports the cross-play or EOS behavior your group needs. Confirm how worlds can be downloaded if you later move to another provider or self-host.
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3. Rent managed Xbox hosting from Nitrado
Keen’s official page names Nitrado as “the official Server Host for the Space Engineers XBOX version.” This is the managed path for Xbox communities that cannot run Keen’s Windows server locally. Current prices, capacities, locations and restrictions are not established here, so inspect the live plan before ordering.
Xbox buyers should specifically verify player capacity, cross-play and EOS behavior, world-transfer options, available mods or add-ons, backup controls, scheduled restarts, regional latency and cancellation rules. Console hosting can expose fewer configuration choices than a Windows installation; make sure the advertised controls cover the world settings and moderation tools your group requires.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.4. Join Keen’s official free community servers
Keen support states that its official servers are not sold as part of Space Engineers and that access is not a separate paid service. They are provided as a free community service, making them the simplest no-cost option when you only need somewhere to play.
The trade-off is ownership. You should not assume private-world control, custom administrator policies, unrestricted mod selection, guaranteed persistence or a particular uptime target. Keen support has also reported intermittent cases in which EOS servers disappear from the server browser, with the cause not known at the time of that reply. If a community server is missing, retry later and check whether the issue affects other players before rebuilding your installation.
5. Add Torch for administration (optional)
Torch is an administration layer, not a free host. Its project README describes a live-management interface, chat commands, entity management, configuration editing and a plugin system. Torch can download the dedicated server during installation, which can simplify setup, but the project also warns that it remains in early development and may contain bugs or incomplete features.
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Use Torch when the base interface is not enough for your moderation or automation needs. Keep a clean backup of the underlying world before introducing plugins, test updates on a copy and confirm that every plugin supports your server version. If you remove Torch, the underlying dedicated-server files and saves should remain the assets you protect and back up.
How to choose the right route
- Choose self-hosting if you own a suitable Windows machine, can configure UDP forwarding and firewall rules, and value control over recurring-cost savings.
- Choose managed PC hosting if your group plays on PC and needs reliable access without maintaining a home server. Compare the provider’s current plan details before purchase.
- Choose managed Xbox hosting if the community is Xbox-based and requires a provider-operated server.
- Choose Keen’s community servers if free access matters more than owning the world, selecting mods or setting private policies.
- Add Torch only when you need its live administration and plugin capabilities; it does not remove the hardware, bandwidth or uptime obligations of self-hosting.
The real cost of a “free” self-hosted server
There may be no software or hosting invoice, but the server consumes electricity, storage, cooling and internet upload capacity. Your time has value too: installation, port troubleshooting, moderation, updates, backups and recovery are recurring work. A spare desktop may be cheaper than renting, while buying a computer solely for this purpose can take a long time to offset against a hosting plan. Treat “free” as “no recurring hosting payment,” not as zero operating cost.
Troubleshooting common failures
Friends cannot see or join the server
- Confirm the server is running and listening on the configured port.
- Verify the router forwards UDP 27016, or the custom port you selected, to the correct local address.
- Check that Windows Firewall allows incoming UDP traffic.
- Test from outside the LAN and investigate carrier-grade NAT or a changing public IP.
The server runs but becomes unstable
- Check CPU, memory and upload utilization while players and mods are active.
- Reduce entity or mod load and confirm adequate free disk space for saves.
- Schedule controlled restarts and update the server when the world is backed up.
An official community server disappears
EOS browser listings have been reported to disappear intermittently. Restart the game and browser search, try again later and check whether the problem is widespread. This is a service-side availability issue rather than proof that your game license is invalid.
Self-hosting checklist
- Windows PC meeting Keen’s CPU, RAM and bandwidth figures
- .NET 4.8 or newer plus the listed Visual C++ Redistributables
- Steam ownership on at least one account to obtain the server files
- Reserved local IP, public address suitable for inbound connections and UDP forwarding
- Windows Firewall rule for the configured listen port
- Strong server and administrator passwords
- Automated restart/update plan and multiple dated world backups
- Monitoring for CPU, memory, disk and upload saturation
For most small PC groups, self-hosting Keen’s software is the genuine no-hosting-fee answer, provided someone accepts the network and maintenance work. Everyone else should treat managed hosting as a convenience purchase or use Keen’s community servers when shared, provider-controlled worlds are acceptable.
Quick Recap
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