Best Valheim server hosting: how to choose

Three ways to run a Valheim server

Before you compare hosts, it’s worth knowing you might not need one. Here is how the three ways to play Valheim with friends compare.

What to look for in a Valheim host

These are the things that matter for Valheim in particular. Each one says why, links the guide with the details, and says honestly what Wilderack does about it.

1. RAM for your group and your mods

   4 GB runs a small group on a fresh world. A full group of 10, big bases and lots of mods all push that up. Valheim server performance and lag fixes

   YesOn Wilderack: We recommend Sapling 6 GB for most groups, with bigger plans for modded worlds. Plans start at Sprout 4 GB.

2. Crossplay with join codes

   Xbox, Game Pass, PS5 and Switch 2 players can only join a crossplay server, with a join code that changes every time the server restarts. Valheim crossplay server guide

   With a catchOn Wilderack: Turn on crossplay in Settings and the panel shows the current code. Crossplay joins don’t wake a sleeping server, so those friends open your wake link first.

3. Mods from Thunderstore

   Almost every Valheim mod runs on BepInEx and lives on Thunderstore. Iron Gate has no official mod support, so mods can break after any game update. How to install Valheim mods on your server

   YesOn Wilderack: Install BepInEx mods from Thunderstore in the Mods tab, and update them when their authors catch up.

4. Restores you can do yourself

   Valheim updates can break mods, and since 1.0 each world is a folder of smaller files that older worlds are converted into. Valheim server backups and moving your world

   YesOn Wilderack: A safe copy every time the server sleeps and every 10 minutes while it runs. Restore any of them yourself.

5. Your world, from any PC

   Steam and Microsoft Store worlds can move to a server. PS5 and Switch 2 worlds can’t, because those consoles don’t give you the files. Valheim server backups and moving your world

   YesOn Wilderack: Upload a world in Games, Bring your world. Characters stay on each player’s device, so nobody loses theirs.

6. Lag that isn’t the server’s fault

   In Valheim, the first player to arrive in an area runs that area for everyone nearby, so one slow PC or weak connection can lag the group. Valheim server performance and lag fixes

   YesOn Wilderack: Our performance guide shows how to tell server lag from player lag before you pay for a bigger plan.

What a cheap Valheim 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 Valheim, with the group size each one suits.

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.

Valheim is one of the cheaper games to host well. Sprout 4 GB suits a small group on a fresh world. Size up when your group fills to 10, your bases get big, or you add mods.

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.

• Crossplay joins go through Microsoft’s relay. That adds a stop on the way, and those joins don’t wake a sleeping server.
• 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 Valheim come from our own Valheim guides, which our team checks against Iron Gate / Coffee Stain Publishing’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.