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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsTo host a Factorio world in 2026, install the Linux headless server package (or use the regular Windows game package in headless mode), place a save in the server’s saves directory, start it with the dedicated-server command, and make the chosen UDP port reachable. A home computer gives you control without a separate hosting bill; a rented Linux machine keeps the world online without leaving your own PC running. Whichever route you choose, players must use exactly the same Factorio version and mods as the server.
Godlike.Host offers hosted Factorio servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
The official download page listed stable Factorio 2.0.77 when the source material was checked. That is a dated snapshot, not a promise that 2.0.77 remains current, so verify the stable download before installing.
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A dedicated server is a Factorio process that runs the simulation without opening the normal graphical game window. The Linux package is described by Wube Software as a free, lightweight headless server. On Windows, the normal Windows game package can run headlessly; the FAQ directs administrators to Factorio.exe --help for the available options.
- A 64-bit Linux or Windows machine that can stay powered and connected.
- A Factorio installation that matches the clients’ game version.
- A save file, either created on the server or copied into its save directory.
- Permission to open the selected UDP port in the host firewall and, for home internet hosting, forward that port on the router.
- The same mods and mod versions on every connecting game instance.
The headless Linux package includes Space Age content and is free to download. It does not require a graphics display because headless mode skips graphics initialization.
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Choose where the server will run
Home Linux machine
Use the free Linux headless package on a spare desktop, mini-PC, or server. You control the files, mods, save backups, update timing, and operating-system configuration. The machine must remain powered, and players outside your home normally need router port forwarding plus firewall rules.
Home Windows machine
Install the regular Windows package and launch its executable with the server flags. This can be convenient if the computer already runs Windows, but it still needs to stay online and accept inbound UDP traffic. The command-line reference available through Factorio.exe --help is the authority for Windows-specific syntax.
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Rented Linux host
A rented Linux virtual or dedicated machine avoids keeping a home computer on and usually avoids home-router port forwarding. In exchange, it adds a recurring bill and Linux administration. You remain responsible for the Factorio files, updates, saves, firewall, and backups unless the service explicitly manages those tasks. No particular provider or current plan price is established here, so compare providers using their current regional pricing and resource limits.
| Consideration | Home machine | Rented Linux host |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | Install the package, configure the operating system, firewall, and usually the router. | Install and configure the server on the rented system; the provider supplies the internet connection. |
| Ongoing cost | Uses an existing computer and home electricity; no server software fee for the Linux headless package. | Recurring hosting charge; amount depends on provider, region, and selected resources. |
| Availability | Host must be powered and your home connection must remain online. | Designed to remain online independently of your home computer. |
| Control | Full control over saves, mods, settings, backups, and updates. | Control depends on the service, but a Linux virtual machine normally provides file and process access. |
| Reachability | Usually requires UDP forwarding and firewall work; a changing home address may complicate sharing the address. | Normally reachable at the host’s public address after its firewall is configured. |
Install the server package
Linux
- Download the current stable Linux x64 headless package from the official Factorio download page. Confirm the release channel before downloading; stable and experimental are separate.
- Extract the archive into a directory owned by the account that will run the server. Keep the installation directory separate from the save directory if you want simpler upgrades and backups.
- Check that the executable exists at
./bin/x64/factoriowhen commands are run from the package’s top-level directory. - Run
./bin/x64/factorio --helpif you need to inspect options available in the installed build.
The package is self-contained for the Factorio server. Distribution-specific service managers, users, and automatic-update scripts are optional administration choices rather than requirements for starting a world.
Windows
- Install the normal Windows Factorio package from the official download page.
- Open Command Prompt or PowerShell in the directory containing
Factorio.exe. - Use
Factorio.exe --helpto display the command-line options supported by that build, then apply the same server concepts described below: a save path, server settings, port, and access lists.
Windows headless mode is a server process, not a second graphical player. You can run it on a machine without actively playing on that computer.
Create or import a world save
The multiplayer guide requires a save before --start-server is used. You have two routes.
Create a new save on Linux
From the Factorio installation directory, run:
./bin/x64/factorio --create ./saves/my-save.zipThis creates my-save.zip in the server’s saves directory. Choose a filename that identifies the world; the filename becomes useful when you operate more than one save.
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Transfer an existing save
Copy the existing .zip save into the server’s saves directory. Preserve the archive as a zip file and verify that the account running Factorio can read it. If the save was made with mods, install the matching mod set before inviting players.
Do not attempt to start a nonexistent path. A misspelled filename or a save placed in a different installation directory is one of the most common causes of an immediate startup failure.
Configure server settings
Factorio ships an example server-settings file in its data directory. Copy that example to a separate working file and edit the copy rather than inventing a new JSON structure. The settings file can control listing information, visibility, player limits, and other server behavior.
Keep a backup of the edited file alongside your save backups. JSON syntax errors, such as a missing quote or comma, can stop the server from loading its settings. If a modified file fails, temporarily return to a clean copy of the shipped example, start the server, and reapply changes one at a time.
Start with the latest save and settings
From the Linux installation directory, the guide provides:
./bin/x64/factorio --start-server-load-latest --server-settings ./data/server-settings.jsonUse the actual path to your edited settings file. This form loads the newest save in the save directory, which is useful when the server creates rolling saves. If you want an explicit world, use its filename instead:
./bin/x64/factorio --start-server ./saves/my-save.zipOn Windows, use Factorio.exe with the corresponding flags and Windows paths. The executable’s built-in help is the safest way to confirm quoting and path syntax for your installed version.
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Set the port, bind address, and access lists
Factorio uses UDP. The documented default game port is 34197. If you leave the default unchanged, permit UDP 34197 in the host firewall and forward UDP 34197 from the router to the server’s local address. If you configure another port, open and forward that actual port instead; forwarding 34197 while the process listens elsewhere will not work.
The command-line reference documents options for the port, bind address, whitelist, ban list, admin list, and console log. Prefer the settings file for persistent server behavior and use command-line options when you need a per-launch override. Keep the server’s local address stable on a home network so a router rule does not point to the wrong machine after a reboot.
Firewall and router sequence
- Choose the Factorio UDP port. Start with 34197 unless another service already uses it.
- Allow inbound UDP traffic on that port in the operating system firewall.
- On the home router, create a port-forwarding rule from the public UDP port to the server computer’s fixed local IP address and the same local port.
- Restart the server and check its console for a successful bind.
- Have a friend outside your home network test the connection. Testing only from inside the same LAN can hide forwarding or public-address problems.
The Factorio Wiki notes that some routers may alter outbound source ports. That behavior can complicate network diagnostics, so confirm the configured destination port and test from an external connection before changing server settings.
Choose visibility and tell players how to join
Public listing
A public server can appear in the multiplayer listing when its settings allow listing. This is convenient for discovery but exposes the server to people beyond your invited group. Set a meaningful name, description, player limit, and access controls in the settings file.
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LAN visibility is intended for players on the same local network. It avoids public discovery, but it does not make an internet-hosted server reachable from outside the home network.
Hidden or private access
A hidden server is joined by address when players know the host address and port. Share the public address and configured UDP port privately, and use a whitelist when you want the server limited to named players. A ban list and admin list provide separate controls for removing disruptive players and granting management rights.
Make sure every client matches
Every game instance must use exactly the same Factorio game version and mods. “Close enough” versions are not sufficient for a reliable connection. This matters most after an update: if the server updates first, clients on the previous version may be refused; if a client updates first, it may no longer join the older server.
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For an unmodded world
- Record the server’s version before inviting players.
- Have each player select that same version in the Factorio client.
- Update the server and clients together when you deliberately move to a newer release.
For a modded world
- Install the identical mod names and versions on the server and every client.
- Keep a copy of the mod set with the save backup.
- Do not remove or update one mod independently while the world is in active use.
Version and mod mismatches are client-compatibility failures, not port-forwarding failures. Check them before changing firewall rules.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Understand saving, pausing, and shutdown
Headless servers autosave normally and save on exit. Shut down the process cleanly so the final save completes; terminating power or killing the process risks losing recent progress.
The multiplayer guide says the server pauses when no players are connected unless auto-pause is disabled through server settings. Auto-pause can reduce idle CPU work and keeps a quiet cooperative world from advancing while everyone is away. Disable it only when you intentionally want the factory to continue running without players.
A practical backup routine
- Stop the server cleanly before copying a save for a guaranteed consistent snapshot.
- Retain several dated copies rather than overwriting the only backup.
- Back up the server settings file and, for modded games, the matching mod files or version list.
- Store at least one backup outside the host machine so a disk failure does not remove both the live world and its recovery copy.
Hardware and capacity: what the published numbers mean
Wube Software’s general PC requirements list 4 GB of RAM, a dual-core processor running at 3 GHz or faster, 3 GB of disk space, and a 64-bit operating system as minimums. The recommended general requirements list 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core 3 GHz or faster processor.
Those figures describe general PC use, not a dedicated-server sizing guarantee. The published material does not provide a formula tying CPU, memory, factory size, mod set, or concurrent players to a specific server specification. Start with the machine you have, watch simulation performance and memory use, and scale only when your actual world demonstrates a need.
The FAQ states that Factorio multiplayer supports up to 500 players in a single game. That is a published maximum claim, not a promise that any inexpensive home machine or rented instance will sustain 500 players with every factory and mod combination. Real capacity depends on the simulation, save, mods, network, and host configuration.
Troubleshoot the failures that matter most
The process says the save cannot be found
Confirm the path and filename, then check that the archive is inside the installation’s saves directory. Use an explicit --start-server ./saves/name.zip path instead of the latest-save option while diagnosing.
Players cannot connect from outside the home
Verify that the server is listening on the intended port, the operating-system firewall permits UDP, and the router forwards UDP to the correct local IP. Confirm that players are using the public address, not the server’s private LAN address. Test from a genuinely external network.
The server starts but clients are rejected
Compare the exact game version first, then compare every mod and mod version. Update or roll back the server and clients as a coordinated change.
Settings changes have no effect
Check that the launch command points to the edited settings file, that the JSON is valid, and that the server was restarted after saving the file. A clean copy of the shipped example helps isolate a malformed edit.
The world keeps running while nobody is online
Review the auto-pause setting. The default behavior described by the guide is to pause with no connected players; disabling auto-pause intentionally changes that behavior.
The server stops after a reboot
A headless process does not automatically become a managed service simply because the package is installed. Configure your operating system’s service or startup mechanism if you need automatic launch, and test that it starts with the correct working directory, save path, settings file, and permissions.
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A repeatable launch checklist
- Confirm the current stable Factorio release and download the matching Linux headless package or Windows game package.
- Place the save in the correct
savesdirectory, or create one with--create. - Copy and edit the shipped example server-settings file.
- Launch with
--start-serveror--start-server-load-latestand the intended settings path. - Open the configured UDP port in the host firewall and, for home hosting, forward it from the router.
- Choose public, LAN, or hidden visibility and configure whitelist, ban, and admin controls.
- Give players the correct address and port.
- Confirm identical game versions and mods on every client.
- Test joining from outside the host network, then establish a clean shutdown and backup routine.
Which hosting method should you use?
Use a home Linux machine when you want maximum control and already have a computer that can stay online. Use Windows when that is the operating system you already administer and you prefer not to maintain a separate Linux environment. Rent a Linux host when continuous availability and avoiding home-network configuration are worth the recurring cost and additional administration.
In every case, the reliable sequence is the same: obtain the correct package, prepare a save, launch the server with explicit settings, expose the right UDP port, and keep versions and mods synchronized. The software is free on Linux, but dependable hosting still requires a maintained machine, a reachable network path, and recoverable backups.
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