# Best Factorio server hosting: how to choose

> What a good Factorio host gets right: a fast CPU core for UPS, Space Age, mods that sync, and backups. What a cheap server costs, and where we fall short.

By the Wilderack Crew. Last reviewed 2026-11-13.

_Factorio is a trademark of Wube Software LTD. Wilderack is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wube Software LTD._

Factorio runs the whole factory on the server, mostly on one CPU core, so a megabase is limited by single-core speed long before memory. Early on, almost any server will do. Here is what to check before you pay anyone, us included.

**A note before you read:** Wilderack sells Factorio servers, so this is a guide from a host, not a neutral review. Every fact about Factorio links the guide it comes from, and those guides cite Wube Software's own documentation. We name no other hosts, and one section says where we fall short.

## Three ways to run a Factorio server

### Host from your game

Host a saved game from Multiplayer and let friends join.

- Cost: Free
- Friends can play without you: Only while the host plays
- Who can join: Steam friends, or anyone with your address once your router forwards the port
- What you do: None, but the factory stops when the host leaves

### Run the free server yourself

Wube’s headless server is free from factorio.com.

- Cost: Free, plus a computer that stays on
- Friends can play without you: While that computer is on
- Who can join: Anyone with the address, once your router forwards the port
- What you do: Updates, mods and backups are yours

### Rent a server

A dedicated Factorio server in a data center, with a panel to run it.

- Cost: From $6.49 a month, or $11.99 a month for the Sprout 4 GB we recommend
- Friends can play without you: Always, napping when empty and waking when someone joins
- Who can join: With Connect to address in Multiplayer, using the address and port from your server’s address card
- What you do: None to install. Updates, backups and DDoS protection are handled

## What to look for in a Factorio host

The checks that matter for every game, from ping to refunds: https://wilderack.com/best-game-server-hosting/

### Single-core speed for UPS

The game aims for 60 updates per second, and most of that work runs on one CPU core. When the server can’t keep up, the game slows down for everyone. More RAM won’t fix it on its own. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/factorio/performance/

On Wilderack (With a catch): Plans are sold by RAM, and bigger plans add CPU cores. Seed 2 GB is enough for an early game, and we recommend Sprout 4 GB. Extra cores don’t raise UPS, so watch it with show-time-usage as you grow.

### Vanilla or Space Age

A Space Age server needs every player to own the expansion. A vanilla server works for everyone. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/factorio/getting-started/

On Wilderack (Yes): Pick vanilla or Space Age when you create the server, and switch later in Settings. A backup is made first.

### Mods your friends can sync

When a friend joins with different mods, the game offers to sync them from the mod portal, as long as every mod is on the portal. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/factorio/mods/

On Wilderack (Yes): Install mods from the mod portal in the Mods tab, once your factorio.com username and token are in Settings.

### A factory that pauses when nobody plays

Factorio pauses itself when nobody is connected, so biters don’t attack while you are away. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/factorio/getting-started/

On Wilderack (Yes): About 10 minutes after the last player leaves, the server naps, and connecting with your address wakes it.

### Your token kept safe

Listing a server in Browse public games, and downloading mods from the portal, needs your factorio.com username and token. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/factorio/factorio-account-token/

On Wilderack (Yes): Add them once in Settings. The panel never shows the token again, and we never ask for your password.

### Backups you can restore yourself

Factorio autosaves into 5 rotating files every 10 minutes, so its own safety net only goes back about an hour. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/factorio/backups/

On Wilderack (Yes): A safe copy every time the server sleeps and every 10 minutes while it runs, plus your own. Restore or download any of them.

## What a cheap Factorio server costs

| Group | Plan | Monthly | 3-day pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 4 players | Seed 2 GB | $6.49 | $1.35 |
| Up to 8 players | Sprout 4 GB (recommended) | $11.99 | $2.45 |
| Up to 12 players, modded | Sapling 6 GB | $17.99 | $3.65 |
| Up to 16 players, modded | Grove 8 GB | $23.99 | $4.85 |
| Up to 24 players, modded | Grove 12 GB | $35.99 | $7.25 |

Monthly plans renew at the price shown and can be canceled any time. A 3-day pass is a one-time payment that doesn't renew. Prices in US dollars + applicable taxes.

Factorio is cheap to start: Seed 2 GB runs a small group through the early game. A big Space Age save, lots of mods or a megabase needs 8 GB or more, and past that point it’s single-core speed that limits UPS.

## Where Wilderack falls short

- A megabase limited by UPS won’t get much faster on a bigger plan, because Factorio’s work runs mostly on one core and extra cores don’t raise UPS.
- Two regions open so far: US East and Europe. Groups in Asia, Oceania or South America will have higher ping than with a host nearby.
- We are new, so we can’t show you years of uptime yet. A 3-day pass is the cheap way to try us first.

## Questions and answers

### How much RAM does a Factorio server need?

2 GB for a small group early on, 4 GB for most groups through the mid game, 6 GB for a big map or a few mods, and 8 GB or more for a megabase, a big Space Age save or heavy mods.

### Do biters attack while nobody is online?

No. Factorio pauses itself when nobody is connected, so the map doesn’t change. Your factory picks up where it stopped when someone joins.

### Do my friends need Space Age?

Only on a Space Age server. Every player needs to own the expansion to join it. A vanilla server works for everyone.

## Sources

- [Download Factorio](https://www.factorio.com/download), Wube Software
- [Multiplayer](https://wiki.factorio.com/Multiplayer), Official Factorio Wiki
- [Console](https://wiki.factorio.com/Console), Official Factorio Wiki
- [server-settings.example.json](https://github.com/wube/factorio-data/blob/master/server-settings.example.json), Wube Software
- [map-settings.example.json](https://github.com/wube/factorio-data/blob/master/map-settings.example.json), Wube Software
- [Tutorial: Diagnosing performance issues](https://wiki.factorio.com/Tutorial:Diagnosing_performance_issues), Official Factorio Wiki
- [Mods](https://wiki.factorio.com/Mods), Official Factorio Wiki
- [Mod portal API](https://wiki.factorio.com/Mod_portal_API), Official Factorio Wiki
- [Factorio mod portal](https://mods.factorio.com), Wube Software
- [Application directory](https://wiki.factorio.com/Application_directory), Official Factorio Wiki
- [Command line parameters](https://wiki.factorio.com/Command_line_parameters), Official Factorio Wiki
- [Nintendo Switch version](https://wiki.factorio.com/Nintendo_Switch_version), Official Factorio Wiki

Plans and prices: https://wilderack.com/factorio-server-hosting/

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