The Best Avorion Server Hosting

Hosting an Avorion server

Avorion is Boxelware's co-op space sandbox: you build ships and stations from scalable blocks with no size limit, then trade, mine, fight and push toward the centre of a procedurally generated galaxy. It left Early Access in March 2020, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with cross-platform multiplayer between them, and supports co-op, PvP and the Steam Workshop.

Avorion has a free dedicated server for Windows and Linux, installed through SteamCMD (app 565060). The first start creates the galaxy folder and its server.ini, which holds difficulty, collision damage, resource settings, the player limit and whether the server is publicly listed. Load comes from the sectors players keep active: every ship, station, asteroid field and battle in a loaded sector is simulated, so a few players spread across the galaxy with big fleets can work a server harder than many players in one place.

What to compare

• CPU for loaded sectors. Fleet battles and busy sectors are calculated on the server, and the server can be given several game threads. More and faster cores keep large engagements smooth.
• RAM for a growing galaxy. Each loaded sector adds memory, and a long-running galaxy with many stations needs more. The usual minimum is 4 to 6 GB for a small group.
• Workshop mods. Mods are listed by Workshop ID in modconfig.lua in the galaxy folder, and the server downloads them at startup. Check you can edit that file.
• Config access. You will want to edit server.ini directly, after a clean first start and save, rather than rely on a few panel fields.
• Backups. A galaxy with months of ships and stations is worth protecting. Look for automatic backups and a simple restore, and stop the server cleanly before taking one.
• Location. Combat with large fleets feels better on a nearby datacentre.

See the current Avorion hosting deals for offers from listed providers. For a whole machine, see dedicated servers.

Avorion server hosting FAQ

How many players can join an Avorion server?

The limit is set in the server's startup options and server.ini, and you can change it. How many play smoothly depends on how many sectors they keep loaded and the hardware behind the plan.

Can I run mods on an Avorion server?

Yes. Add Workshop mod IDs to modconfig.lua and the server fetches them when it starts. Check whether a mod is server-side only or needs players to subscribe too.

Can Mac and Linux players join a Windows-hosted server?

Yes. Avorion supports cross-platform multiplayer across Windows, macOS and Linux, and the server's own OS does not matter to players.

Can I host an Avorion server for free?

Yes, if you run it yourself. The dedicated server is a free download through SteamCMD for Windows and Linux. It is only online while that machine is on, so groups who want the galaxy available all the time usually rent one.