Game server hosting
Project Zomboid server hosting
Project Zomboid dedicated server hosting with 4 GB RAM for €10.99 every 30 days, VAT included. Persistent Knox County worlds, Steam Workshop mod sync and full file access to servertest.ini, your SandboxVars and the save folder.
Stripe-secured payments · unused wallet credit refundable · no minimum term, cancel any time · EU company, VAT LT100016340412
Hosting Project Zomboid
What actually matters on a Project Zomboid server
Zomboid's dedicated server is a Java process with a largely single-threaded main loop, so per-core clock speed decides whether the world stutters under a horde, not core count, which is why these sit on EPYC cores with NVMe underneath them.
Its memory use tracks loaded map cells rather than player count: four survivors holed up in West Point, Rosewood, Riverside and Muldraugh stream four separate slices of Knox County and cost far more than eight people clearing the same warehouse.
And the world is committed to disk when the server saves, not continuously, so a process that is killed instead of stopped cleanly rolls players back to the last write, which makes the panel's stop command and off-box backups matter more here than in most survival games.
What 4 GB realistically runs
The Zomboid server is a Java process, so the useful number is the heap it is allowed rather than the raw container size: on the 4 GB plan the JVM is sized to leave headroom for the game's native layer and the Steam client underneath it. In practice that suits a vanilla or lightly modded Knox County for a private group.
What uses memory is loaded map cells, so a group that stays in the same part of the map costs far less than one spread out over several towns. Quality-of-life mods, vehicle packs and one modest map addition fit fine.
Where 4 GB runs out is the combination people underestimate: a large map mod such as Raven Creek plus item-heavy weapon and armour packs plus players scattered across the whole county. Disk grows with explored area rather than time, so a long-running world creeps upward as your group opens up more of the map.
If your server starts stuttering on every autosave or the console reports the heap filling, ask us and we will resize it the same day.
After checkout
Getting your Project Zomboid server running
- 1
Pick the server name once, then claim admin
Zomboid keys everything off the server name. The default, servertest, decides which config it reads (Server/servertest.ini), which sandbox file applies (servertest_SandboxVars.lua) and which save folder it writes to.
Renaming it later does not migrate anything, it just starts an empty world next to your old one, so choose the name before the first boot.
On that first start you set the admin password, log in with the admin account, then promote your co-hosts from the console with /setaccesslevel rather than sharing the admin login.
- 2
Fill in both mod lines, and the Map line for map mods
This is where most first Zomboid servers go wrong. servertest.ini has two separate mod fields: WorkshopItems= takes the numeric Steam Workshop IDs, and Mods= takes the mod folder IDs, which are different strings.
A single Workshop item can contain several mod IDs, and all of them need listing. Order in Mods= is load order, so compatibility patches go after the mods they patch.
Map mods need a third step: add them to the Map= line, in priority order, with Muldraugh, KY left at the end. Restart and read the console: missing mod IDs are printed at startup, before players hit them.
- 3
Lock the sandbox in before the first session
Loot and zombie placement are rolled when a cell is first generated, so anything your group has already walked through keeps what it rolled.
Zombie population, loot rarity, XP rate and day length are worth settling before anyone joins rather than tuning in week three.
While you are in the ini, decide on PauseEmpty: leave it on and the world freezes when the server is empty, turn it off and food spoils, crops grow and erosion advances between sessions.
Turn the built-in backups down too: they write zips into the save folder on every start and version change, which quietly eats your disk on top of your panel backups.
- 4
Hand out the address, and stop the server properly
Players connect on UDP 16261 by default, with 16262 alongside it for the direct connection, using the IP and port shown in your panel through the game's Add Server screen.
Once you are live, use the panel's stop command or /quit in the console rather than killing the process: the world is committed to disk when it saves, so an unclean stop rolls everyone back to the last write.
Schedule restarts at a quiet hour and warn people with /servermsg first.
Mods & how far you can go
How mods work on your Project Zomboid server
List your Workshop items and mod IDs in the server's .ini file and the server downloads them when it starts. Every file is yours to edit over SFTP or in the web file manager.
- Online within a few minutes
- Hosted in Lauterbourg, France (EU-West)
- Upload mods, plugins or a server pack and run them
- Full file access (SFTP + web editor)
- Nightly backup set up from the start, plus backups on a click
- Free MySQL database
- DDoS protection included
- Console, metrics & crash auto-restart
- RAM upgrades on request, same day
Already running Project Zomboid somewhere else? See how moving to Puranode works.
Editing servertest.ini? Use the Project Zomboid servertest.ini generator.
Test your latency to our server
Measures the round trip from your connection to our server in Lauterbourg, France, right now.
This is an HTTPS round trip to the server itself, which typically reads a little higher than in-game ping. Treat it as an upper bound, not a promise.
How much RAM do you need?
Your Project Zomboid plan ships with 4 GB. Group sizes below are a rough guide: mods, plugins and world size matter more than raw player count.
| RAM | Group | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 2 GB | Small group | Vanilla worlds, small co-op, Terraria |
| 4 GB | Friends or small community | Vanilla+ with plugins, light modpacks, most survival servers |
| 6 GB | Mid-size group | Mid-size modpacks, Satisfactory and 7 Days to Die worlds |
| 8 GB | Larger group | Heavy modpacks, Rust, Palworld, busy community servers |
Picked the wrong size? Email us and we will resize your server the same day: you keep the world, the files and the address.
Going deeper: Project Zomboid Dedicated Server Setup Guide
How ordering works
- 1
Create a free account
Email and password at client.puranode.com. No card needed to look around.
- 2
Add credit
Top up your wallet by card through Stripe, from €1. Adding exactly the plan price is all you need. Auto-renewal is on by default, so your balance pays for your server every 30 days, and you can switch it off at any time.
- 3
Pick your server
Choose the game and plan: it installs automatically and is online within a few minutes. Large games take longer on first install.
Your servers live in the client panel at client.puranode.com, a separate app from this site, run by the same company.
Stripe handles the card
Payments run through Stripe. Puranode never sees or stores your card number.
VAT included
The price you see is the price you pay. No tax added at the last step.
No minimum term
Billed every 30 days. Cancel from the panel any time, no cancellation fee.
48-hour refund on your first order
Change your mind within 48 hours and we refund your first server's first 30 days in full. Unused wallet credit is refundable too.
MB VARIANTAI · company code 306133252 · VAT LT100016340412 · Lithuania, European Union. Refunds & cancellation
Further reading for Project Zomboid
Project Zomboid Dedicated Server Setup Guide
Set up a Project Zomboid dedicated server on Build 42: the two UDP ports, Java memory, servertest.ini, admin, Workshop mods, saves and wipes.
Read the guideZomboid: Workshop Item Version Is Different Fix
Fix Zomboid's Workshop item version is different error: find which copy is behind, restart the right side, and stop it coming back.
Read the guideProject Zomboid Admin Commands, With Examples
Project Zomboid admin commands for Build 42 servers: access levels, kick and ban, whitelist, items, teleport, weather and server options, with examples.
Read the guideFAQ
Project Zomboid server hosting: FAQ
My friends suddenly can't connect after a Steam update: what changed?
Almost always a build mismatch. Project Zomboid clients and the dedicated server have to be on the exact same build, and Steam updates the client automatically while the server keeps running whatever it last downloaded. When a patch lands, players get kicked out or see a version error until the server is restarted so it pulls the matching build. Restart it from the panel and it re-downloads on boot. If you deliberately run an unstable or beta branch, pin the server to that branch and tell your players to opt into the same one in their Steam properties, otherwise every client update will break the connection again.
Can I add or remove mods on a world that's already been played?
Adding is usually safe: stop the server, add the mod ID to Mods= and the Workshop ID to WorkshopItems=, restart, and the new content appears in chunks generated from then on. Removing is where worlds break. Items, vehicles and clothing from a removed mod vanish from every container and player inventory, and pulling a map mod after your group has explored it leaves the save referencing tiles that no longer exist. Treat map mods as a decision for the whole wipe. Workshop updates also need a restart to take effect, because the server only fetches mod files on boot, and running an old copy against updated clients causes exactly the same item errors.
How do I wipe the map without making everyone create new accounts?
The world and the account database are separate. Your explored map, containers, vehicles and buildings live in the multiplayer save folder named after your server (Saves/Multiplayer/servertest by default), while usernames, passwords, admin and moderator levels sit in the server database. Stop the server, take a backup, delete the save folder for that server name and leave the database alone: everyone logs back in with the same credentials and their admin rights intact, into a fresh Knox County. Delete the database too and you have wiped your own admin account along with the whitelist.
How much does a Project Zomboid server cost?
Project Zomboid server hosting at Puranode starts at €10.99 every 30 days for a 4 GB server, VAT included. It's a flat price: what you sign up at is what you renew at, with no setup fees and cancel anytime.
How quickly is my Project Zomboid server online?
Your Project Zomboid server is created and fully installed automatically, usually within a few minutes of checkout. You then open the panel, press start and copy your connect address.
Can I install mods and plugins on my Project Zomboid server?
List your Workshop items and mod IDs in the server's .ini file and the server downloads them when it starts. Every file is yours to edit over SFTP or in the web file manager. Want a hand? Email us and we set it up with you.
Where are the servers located?
All Puranode servers run on EPYC + NVMe hardware in Lauterbourg, France (EU-West). It is one EU location, best for players in western and central Europe. Puranode is operated by MB VARIANTAI, an EU company in Lithuania, and prices include VAT.
Can I move my existing Project Zomboid server to Puranode?
Yes. Upload your existing world and config over SFTP, or contact us and we'll help migrate it, free for the first setup.
What happens if I run out of credit?
Auto-renewal is on by default, so your server renews from your wallet every 30 days while the balance covers it, and you can switch it off on the order form or in the panel. If the balance will not cover the renewal, or auto-renewal is off, we email you 7, 3 and 1 days before it expires. If a server lapses it is suspended, not deleted: your files are kept for 30 days, and renewing at any point in that time brings it back.
Deploy your Project Zomboid server now
Create a free account, add credit and your server is online within a few minutes.