Hosting a Vintage Story server
Vintage Story is Anego Studios' wilderness survival sandbox: a voxel world with seasons, temperature, prospecting, knapping, pottery and a long climb through the metal ages, with an eerie undercurrent of temporal storms. Most groups play it cooperatively over months, and version 1.22 (April 2026) added rivers, boats, fishing and a forge rework.
The dedicated server is a free download from your Vintage Story account page for Windows, Linux and (experimentally) ARM64, and it runs on .NET: version 1.22 and later need .NET 10. Settings live in serverconfig.json in the server's data folder, and the default port is 42420. A practical point for hosted servers is that server-side and universal mods download automatically to players when they join, so a modded server is easy to share.
What to compare
- RAM for your player count. The official guide suggests 1 GB base plus about 300 MB per player. Heavily modded servers and large explored worlds need more headroom.
- CPU threads. The guide recommends four threads, with clock speed rising with player count. Mechanical power, animals and busy bases all add load.
- Mod support and file access. You will want to upload mods to the Mods folder and edit
serverconfig.json directly, not just a few panel toggles.
- The right .NET version. Each game version needs a matching .NET runtime, so a host that keeps this current saves broken updates.
- Backups. Long survival worlds are hard to replace. Look for scheduled backups and an easy restore, and take one before every major update.
- Whitelist and roles. Since 1.20 dedicated servers use a whitelist by default, so check you can manage players, passwords and roles from the console or panel.
- Location. Combat and building feel better with low ping, so choose a nearby datacentre.
See the current Vintage Story hosting deals for offers from listed providers. For a whole machine, see dedicated servers.
Vintage Story server hosting FAQ
How many players can join a Vintage Story server?
The limit is the MaxClients value in serverconfig.json, which defaults to 16 and can be raised. Hardware decides how many players run smoothly.
Do players need to install mods to join?
Usually not. Server-side and universal mods download to players automatically when they connect. Client-only mods still have to be installed by each player.
Why can't my friends join my new server?
Dedicated servers use a whitelist by default since version 1.20. Add your players to it, or turn whitelisting off if you want an open server.
Can I host a Vintage Story server for free?
Yes, if you own the game and run it yourself. The server is a free download from your account page and runs on Windows or Linux. It is only online while that machine is on, so a rented server suits groups in different time zones.
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