# Best FiveM server hosting: how to choose

> What a good FiveM host gets right: your license key kept safe, txAdmin and a framework, a database in every backup and Rockstar’s rules. Where we fall short.

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

_FiveM is a trademark of Rockstar Games. Wilderack is not affiliated with or endorsed by Rockstar Games._

A FiveM server’s speed comes from its scripts more than from GTA V, and a roleplay city lives in its database as much as in its files. The license key, the framework and Rockstar’s rules matter before you pick a plan. Here is what to check before you pay anyone, us included.

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

## Three ways to run a FiveM server

### Play on a community server

Pick a server from the list in the FiveM client.

- Cost: Free
- Friends can play without you: Always, run by its owner
- Who can join: Anyone who finds it
- What you do: None, but the owner sets the rules and the scripts

### Run the free server yourself

The FiveM server and txAdmin are free from Cfx.re, with a free license key.

- 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: A database for your framework, updates, scripts and backups are yours

### Rent a server

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

- Cost: From $17.99 a month, or $35.99 a month for the Grove 8 GB always-on we recommend
- Friends can play without you: Always on
- Who can join: From the FiveM server list, or with connect and your address in the F8 console
- What you do: None to install. Updates, backups and DDoS protection are handled

## What to look for in a FiveM host

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

### Your license key kept safe

Every FiveM server needs a key tied to the owner’s Cfx.re account. It decides your listing and your slots, and paid scripts on your account only run with it. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/fivem/license-key/

On Wilderack (Yes): The license key field is write-only: once saved, the panel shows that a key is set but never shows it again, even to friends who can see your files.

### txAdmin and a framework to start from

txAdmin builds a server from a recipe: it downloads the resources, writes server.cfg and, for QBCore, ESX Legacy or Qbox, sets up the database. Switching framework later means starting the economy again. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/fivem/getting-started/

On Wilderack (With a catch): txAdmin runs every server. Until one-tap recipes arrive, you start from a plain server and upload your framework’s resources yourself.

### RAM for your scripts

Scripts use most of a FiveM server’s memory and CPU. Freeroam with a few scripts runs on 4 GB, a roleplay framework wants 8 GB, and a big city more. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/fivem/performance/

On Wilderack (Yes): Plans are sold by RAM, not player slots. We recommend Grove 8 GB always-on, and Sprout 4 GB always-on suits freeroam, drift or racing.

### The database in every backup

A FiveM server is its config files, its resources, txAdmin’s data and, for frameworks, a database of characters, money and houses. A backup without the database loses the city. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/fivem/backups/

On Wilderack (With a catch): Every backup holds your config, resources and txAdmin’s data: every 10 minutes while the server runs, before every risky step, and whenever you make one. A MariaDB database to join them is coming soon, so for now your framework’s database is hosted elsewhere.

### A city that stays open

Roleplay communities expect their city to be open all day, and a sleeping server drops out of the FiveM server list. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/fivem/getting-started/

On Wilderack (Yes): FiveM servers stay awake by default. You can turn sleep on in Settings for a private server.

### Rockstar’s rules, in plain words

Running a FiveM server means agreeing to Rockstar’s Creator Platform License Agreement: payments through Tebex only, no real-money gambling or loot boxes, and a disclaimer and contact email on your pages. Details: https://wilderack.com/wiki/fivem/server-owner-rules/

On Wilderack (Yes): Our server owner rules guide sums up the agreement and links the real terms.

## What a cheap FiveM server costs

| Group | Plan | Monthly | 3-day pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 16 players | Sprout 4 GB always-on | $17.99 | $3.65 |
| Up to 24 players, modded | Sapling 6 GB always-on | $26.99 | $5.45 |
| Up to 32 players, modded | Grove 8 GB always-on (recommended) | $35.99 | $7.25 |
| Up to 48 players, modded | Grove 12 GB always-on | $53.99 | $10.85 |

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.

A cheap FiveM server is a light one: Sprout 4 GB always-on runs freeroam, drift or racing for up to 32 players. A roleplay framework needs Grove 8 GB always-on or more, and more than 48 players needs a paid Element Club subscription from Cfx.re as well.

## Where Wilderack falls short

- FiveM orders aren’t open yet. Cfx.re only lets hosts it has authorized sell FiveM servers, and servers on other hosts get blocked. FiveM opens on Wilderack the day Cfx.re approves us as a hosting partner.
- FiveM players need a Windows PC with GTA V. FiveM doesn’t run on consoles, Mac or Linux.
- No region is open yet: US East and Europe are coming soon. 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 FiveM server need?

4 GB for freeroam, drift or racing with a few scripts and up to 32 players. 8 GB for QBCore, ESX or Qbox with a normal script list, and 12 GB or more for a big roleplay city.

### How many players can a FiveM server hold?

Up to 48 for free. More slots need a paid Element Club subscription on the Cfx.re account that owns the license key.

### Is a FiveM license key free?

Yes. Create it on the Cfx.re Portal with the account that owns the server. Each account can have up to three active keys.

## Sources

- [Setting up a server using txAdmin](https://docs.fivem.net/docs/server-manual/setting-up-a-server-txadmin/), Cfx.re
- [How to create a server registration key for your FiveM/RedM server](https://support.cfx.re/hc/en-us/articles/16539369935900-How-to-create-a-server-registration-key-for-your-FiveM-RedM-server), Cfx.re
- [FiveM server hosting and Element Club tiers](https://fivem.net/server-hosting), Cfx.re
- [Creator Platform License Agreement](https://static.cfx.re/platform-license-agreement-10-sept-2026.pdf), Rockstar Games
- [FiveM / RedM server listing requirements and recommendations](https://support.cfx.re/hc/en-us/articles/31544104877468-FiveM-RedM-server-listing-requirements-and-recommendations), Cfx.re
- [Server issues (more than 48 slots)](https://docs.fivem.net/docs/support/server-issues/), Cfx.re
- [Using the profiler](https://docs.fivem.net/docs/scripting-manual/debugging/using-profiler/), Cfx.re
- [Server commands (OneSync options)](https://docs.fivem.net/docs/server-manual/server-commands/), Cfx.re
- [txAdmin features](https://github.com/citizenfx/txAdmin), Cfx.re
- [Setting up a vanilla FXServer (server data folder)](https://docs.fivem.net/docs/server-manual/setting-up-a-server-vanilla/), Cfx.re
- [txAdmin environment configuration (txData folder)](https://github.com/citizenfx/txAdmin/blob/master/docs/env-config.md), Cfx.re
- [Failed to verify protected resource on FiveM and RedM servers](https://support.cfx.re/hc/en-us/articles/22356536018588-Failed-to-verify-protected-resource-on-FiveM-and-RedM-servers), Cfx.re
- [FiveM terms](https://fivem.net/terms), Cfx.re
- [Setting up a Tebex store](https://docs.fivem.net/docs/server-manual/setting-up-a-tebex-store/), Cfx.re
- [Rockstar Games Creator Platform License Agreement (support article)](https://support.cfx.re/hc/en-us/articles/24856975424924-Rockstar-Games-Creator-Platform-License-Agreement), Cfx.re
- [How to find community-created servers in FiveM and RedM](https://support.cfx.re/hc/en-us/articles/29505035287068-How-to-find-community-created-servers-in-FiveM-and-RedM), Cfx.re
- [How to link your Cfx Account to the FiveM client](https://support.cfx.re/hc/en-us/articles/18919080288412-How-to-link-your-Cfx-Account-to-the-FiveM-client), Cfx.re
- [FiveM system requirements](https://fivem.net/), Cfx.re

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

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