Three ways to run a Palworld server
Before you compare hosts, it’s worth knowing you might not need one. Here is how the three ways to play Palworld with friends compare.
Co-op from your game
Start a multiplayer world and share the invite code.
- Cost
- Free
- Friends can play without you
- Only while the host plays
- Who can join
- Friends with the invite code
- What you do
- None, but the host’s PC runs the world for everyone
Run the free server yourself
Pocketpair’s dedicated server is free on Steam.
- 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
- Pocketpair recommends 16 GB of RAM for the server alone, and updates and backups are yours
Rent a server
A dedicated Palworld server in a data center, with a panel to run it.
- Cost
- From $23.99 a month, or $47.99 a month for the World tree 16 GB we recommend
- Friends can play without you
- Always. It naps when empty, and joining by address or the wake link wakes it
- Who can join
- PC players by address. Xbox and PS5 players from the community server list, with crossplay on
- What you do
- None to install. Updates, backups and DDoS protection are handled
What to look for in a Palworld host
These are the things that matter for Palworld in particular. Each one says why, links the guide with the details, and says honestly what Wilderack does about it.
16 GB of RAM, or a good reason for less
Pocketpair recommends 16 GB for a Palworld server, and 32 GB for bigger ones. A server starts on 8 GB, but Pocketpair warns it is more likely to crash from running out of memory. Palworld server performance and RAM
YesOn Wilderack: Plans are sold by RAM, not player slots. We recommend World tree 16 GB, and our smallest Palworld plan is Grove 8 GB.
A daily restart
Palworld’s memory use grows the longer the server runs. A restart brings it back down. Palworld server performance and RAM
YesOn Wilderack: Every new Palworld server restarts at 05:00 server time each day, with warnings in chat. Move or remove it in Schedules.
Crossplay for Xbox and PS5 friends
Palworld servers work across Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac. Console players can’t type an address, so they find your server in the community server list. How to join your Palworld server
With a catchOn Wilderack: Turn on crossplay in Settings and the server is listed. A sleeping server drops out of that list, so console friends open your wake link first, or you keep it awake.
A way to bring your co-op world
A single-player or co-op world can move to a server, but the co-op host’s character gets a new ID and starts again. Palworld server backups and saves
YesOn Wilderack: Upload it in Games, Bring your world. Our backups guide explains the host’s character and the community tools that move it.
Backups you can restore yourself
Palworld keeps the whole world in one save folder, so a bad save or a broken setting can cost the group everything it built. Palworld server backups and saves
YesOn Wilderack: A safe copy every time the server sleeps and every 10 minutes while it runs. Restore or download any of them.
Mods, if your group wants them
Pocketpair says server-side mods only work on the Windows version of the dedicated server. Palworld server mods on 1.0
Not yetOn Wilderack: Not yet. We run the Linux server, so our Palworld servers have no mods until Pocketpair supports them there.
What a cheap Palworld server costs
A cheap server is one with enough memory for your group, not the lowest price on a page. These are the plans we sell for Palworld, with the group size each one suits.
| Group | Plan | Monthly | 3-day pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 4 players | Grove 8 GB | $23.99 | $4.85 |
| Up to 8 players | Grove 10 GB | $29.99 | $6.05 |
| Up to 12 players | Grove 12 GB | $35.99 | $7.25 |
| Up to 16 players | World tree 16 GBRecommended | $47.99 | $9.65 |
| Up to 24 players | World tree 24 GB | $71.99 | $14.45 |
| Up to 32 players | World tree 32 GB | $95.99 | $19.25 |
Monthly plans renew at the price shown, and you can cancel any time. A 3-day pass is a one-time payment that doesn’t renew. Prices in US dollars + applicable taxes.
Pocketpair’s advice is why we recommend World tree 16 GB. A smaller plan runs Palworld for a few friends, but a server near its memory limit is the one that crashes, so keep the daily restart on and size up for a bigger group.
Part of why the price is low: your server naps when nobody is playing, so you don’t pay for hours of an empty world. Your world and settings stay exactly as you left them.
Where Wilderack falls short
No host is right for every group. These are the reasons we might not be the one for yours.
- No mods yet, because we run the Linux server and Pocketpair only supports server mods on Windows.
- Console friends can’t wake a sleeping server from the community list. They need your wake link, or you keep the server awake.
- Two regions so far: Europe and US East. 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.
How we checked
The facts about Palworld come from our own Palworld guides, which our team checks against Pocketpair’s documentation and patch notes, listed under Sources below. The facts about Wilderack come from our plans and the panel. Prices are read from our price list when this page is built, so they match the plans page. If something here is out of date, email support@wilderack.com and we will fix it.
Questions
Is 8 GB enough for a Palworld server?
It starts and can run a few friends, but Pocketpair recommends 16 GB and warns that smaller servers are more likely to crash from running out of memory. If you pick a smaller plan, keep the daily restart on.
How many players can a Palworld server hold?
32 by default, which is the usual maximum. The limit is ServerPlayerMaxNum in PalWorldSettings.ini, and you can lower it in Settings.
Do my friends need me online to play?
Not on a dedicated server. The world lives on the server, so anyone can play while you are away. A co-op world closes when its host leaves.
Sources we checked
- RequirementsPocketpair
- About serverPocketpair
- CommandsPocketpair
- Palworld v1.0 Official Release ChangelogPocketpair
- Configuration parametersPocketpair
- PvPPocketpair
- Connect to the serverPocketpair
- Configure for community serverPocketpair
- Palworld Save PalPalworld Save Pal community project
- Installing Mods on a ServerPocketpair
- Important: About MODs and 1.0!Pocketpair
The guides behind this page
- Getting started
How to make a Palworld server
Create a Palworld 1.0 server on Wilderack, pick the right RAM, make yourself admin and invite friends on Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac.
- Performance tips
Palworld server performance and RAM
How much RAM a Palworld server needs, why memory grows with uptime, the base and spawn settings that cost the most, restarts and reading your graphs.
- How to connect
How to join your Palworld server
Join your Palworld server by address on Steam and Mac, or from the community server list on Xbox and PS5, with passwords and fixes for failed joins.
- Backups and your world
Palworld server backups and saves
How Wilderack backs up your Palworld world, where saves live, and how to move a single-player, co-op or other host's world to your server.
