Project Zomboid server hosting
This is how you died. Together.
A persistent Knox County for your group on Build 42, with Workshop mods, a join password and player slots you set from the panel.
Staying longer? Subscribe and get 50% off your first month
- DDoS protected
- 24/7 support
- Live the moment you pay
- Split the billUp to 10 friends, own cards
- Custom plansAny RAM up to 32 GB
- Prepaid or monthly3 days to 1 year
- Live in 60 secondsNo setup, no waiting
- Cancel any timeNo contracts, ever
Pick your Zomboid plan
Every plan is live the moment you pay. Upgrade or cancel from your dashboard any time.
Starter
6 GBThen $14.99/mo. $0.50 a day.
Splitting with 3 friends? $4.77 each/mo
- 6 GB RAM
- 2 vCPU cores
- Up to 4 players
- DDoS protection included
- 24/7 support
Standard
8 GBThen $19.99/mo. $0.67 a day.
Splitting with 3 friends? $6.02 each/mo
- 8 GB RAM
- 2 vCPU cores
- Up to 8 players
- DDoS protection included
- 24/7 support
Pro
12 GBThen $29.99/mo. $1.00 a day.
Splitting with 3 friends? $8.52 each/mo
- 12 GB RAM
- 3 vCPU cores
- Up to 16 players
- DDoS protection included
- 24/7 support
What comes set up on a Zomboid server
Workshop mods
Paste Workshop IDs and Mod IDs in the panel and restart. The Build 42 backslash is added for you.
Settings from the panel
Join password, whitelist, public listing and player slots without touching an ini file. Sandbox options are one click away in the file manager.
Always running
The apocalypse keeps going when you log off, and the server updates itself on every restart.
A look inside Zomboid
Real screenshots from the game. Click any of them to see it full size.
How much RAM does a Zomboid server need?
Find the row that sounds like your group and we will point you at the right plan.
| Your server | RAM | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Vanilla Build 42, up to 6 players | 6 GB | Starter$14.99/mo |
| Vanilla or a few mods, up to 12 players | 8 GB | Standard$19.99/mo |
| Big mod list or extra maps, 12 to 32 players | 12 GB | Pro$29.99/mo |
This is the panel. Click around.
This is the Zomboid panel you get. Click any button, or type a command.
Zomboid Server
play.gamezservers.com:16261
[12:00:00] Starting Project Zomboid server
[12:00:03] Loading world
[12:00:06] Server started on port 16261
[12:00:09] Ready for players. Try a button.
Power
Zomboid actions
How to join your Zomboid server
- 1
Launch Project Zomboid on the same build as your server (Build 42 unless the server runs Build 41).
- 2
Click Join on the main menu.
- 3
Enter
203.0.113.24as the IP and16261as the port, the join password if there is one, and a username and password for your account on this server. - 4
Click Save, select the server in your list and click Join. Workshop mods download automatically.
Common problems
IP and port go in separate boxes
Type the part of the address before the colon as the IP, and the number after it as the port.
Your account is made on first join
The username and password you type the first time you join become your account on this server. Use the same ones every time, or you start over as a new character.
Same build as the server
A Build 41 game cannot join a Build 42 server. In Steam, open Project Zomboid, Properties, Game Versions and Betas, and pick the same branch as the server.
Server not responding
Make sure the server is online. Servers sleep after 4 days with nobody playing, and anyone with access can start them again from the dashboard in one click.
Use the server address
Do not use localhost, 127.0.0.1 or your own IP from a home hosting guide. Copy the exact address of the server.
No port forwarding or firewall changes
Opening ports on your router is only for hosting a server at home, so there is nothing to change to join this one. If Windows asks whether to let the game through the firewall, choose Allow.
Modding your Zomboid server
Project Zomboid servers load Steam Workshop mods. Paste the Workshop IDs in the Workshop IDs setting so the server downloads them, and the Mod IDs in Mod IDs so they switch on, then restart. Build 42 needs a backslash in front of every Mod ID, which we add for you. Map mods also need their map folder in the Map setting, before Muldraugh, KY. Players download the same mods automatically when they connect.
Project Zomboid server hosting, explained
Project Zomboid is at its best as a persistent world: the infection spreads, loot is picked over and your safehouse slowly becomes a fortress over weeks of play. A dedicated server keeps Knox County running for your group even when the original host is offline, so friends in other time zones can log in, farm, scavenge and die on their own schedule.
The dedicated server installs through SteamCMD as app ID 380870. Build 42, which brought multiplayer back with server authoritative inventories and loot, became the stable branch on 29 July 2026, and Build 41 remains available on the legacy41 branch for groups who want to finish an older world. Settings live in two files in .cache/Server, named after your save name (GamezServers on new servers): a .ini file for the password, player limit, PvP, safehouses and mods, and a _SandboxVars.lua file for the sandbox options like zombie population, loot rarity and when the water and power shut off.
Build 42 is noticeably hungrier than Build 41 for both RAM and CPU, and every Workshop mod or custom map adds to it. The server runs on Java, where a heap set higher than the machine gets it killed and one set too low makes it stutter, so we size the Java heap to your plan on every start. Around 6 GB suits a small vanilla group, while long lived servers with big mod lists want 12 GB. Hosted with us, you set the join password, player slots and Workshop mods from the panel instead of editing ini files.
Zomboid servers for every crew
Free servers
A free Project Zomboid server that keeps the apocalypse going
A real dedicated Zomboid server, with your share link covering the bill.
Modded servers
Modded Project Zomboid, no ini editing
Your Workshop collection, running for the whole group.
Build 42 servers
Build 42 multiplayer, ready for your group
The new Knox County, running around the clock.
Multiplayer server
A Project Zomboid multiplayer server that never logs off
Your group plays Knox County together, whoever is online.
Server for friends
Your own Knox County, just for your group
Scavenge, farm and die together, on your own schedule.
Server rental
Rent a Project Zomboid server
Pay for a weekend, a month or a year. Live the moment you pay.
Zomboid server guides
Zomboid7 min readHow to Host a Project Zomboid Server (Build 42, 2026)
How to host a Project Zomboid server with GamezServers: choose a plan, split the bill, join in minutes, then set servertest.ini, sandbox and mods.
ReadZomboid5 min readHow to Reset a Player's Character on a Project Zomboid Server
Delete or reset one player's character on a Project Zomboid server without wiping the world, by editing players.db or changing their username.
ReadZomboid5 min readProject Zomboid Server Hosting Cost in 2026 (Build 42 and Mods)
What a Project Zomboid server costs per month for Build 42, how Workshop mods and map mods push the price up, per player costs, and the free hosting options.
ReadZomboid5 min readProject Zomboid Server World Reset After Restart? How to Fix It
Your Project Zomboid server came back as day one with default settings? Why a restart starts a new world, and how to get the old save back.
ReadZomboid6 min readHow to Add a Custom Spawn to a Project Zomboid Server
Add custom spawn points to a Project Zomboid server with spawnregions.lua and a spawnpoints file, per profession and for map mods, and the SpawnPoint trap.
ReadZomboid6 min readHow to Add a Workshop Collection to a Project Zomboid Server
Turn a Steam Workshop collection into Project Zomboid server mods: get every Workshop ID and Mod ID, the Build 42 Mods format, and the sub mods to leave out.
ReadIncluded on every plan
- Always on DDoS protection
- 24/7 support from real people
- Low ping game hardware
- Live the moment you pay
- Your own address and port
- Live console with full access
- One click game actions
- One click backups
- Upgrade or cancel any time
Common questions
How many mods can I run?
As many as your plan handles. Big mod lists and map mods run best on 8 GB or more.
How do I add Workshop mods?
Put the Workshop IDs in the Workshop IDs setting and the Mod IDs in Mod IDs, separated by semicolons or commas, then restart. Both are listed at the bottom of each mod's Workshop page. Map mods also need their map folder in the Map setting.
Does the server run Build 42?
Yes. Build 42 has been the stable branch since 29 July 2026 and is the default. Pick the Build 41 server type if your group wants to keep playing Build 41.
Can I move my Build 41 world to Build 42?
No. Build 41 saves are not compatible with Build 42, so start a fresh world or keep the old one running on the Build 41 server type.
Can I upload my existing multiplayer save?
Yes, as long as it was made on the same build. With the server stopped, upload your Saves/Multiplayer world folder and its files from Server into the .cache folder, set Save name to the same name, then start it.
How do I change sandbox settings like zombie count and loot?
Stop the server, open the _SandboxVars.lua file in .cache/Server (named after your save name) in the file manager, change the values and start it again. Changes to loot and zombies mostly show in areas nobody has visited yet.
How do I make myself admin?
The server creates an admin account on the first start, and its username and password are in your server settings. Log in with it, or use the Make admin button to give your own account admin rights.
How do updates work?
The server checks Steam for a new version every time it starts, so a restart after a game patch keeps it matching your players.
Do my friends need to own the game?
Yes. Every player needs their own copy of Project Zomboid on Steam, on the same build as the server.
Can my friends and I split the cost?
Yes. At checkout choose "Me and my friends" and up to 10 people each pay their own share with their own card, on any plan length, from 3 days to a year. It is not a payment plan: nobody pays in parts over time, each friend simply pays their own share. You pay yours, send each friend their link, and the server starts straight away. Each share includes a $1 payment fee.
Can I build a custom plan?
Yes. Every game has a Build your own page: pick any amount of RAM up to 32 GB, any length from 3 days to 1 year, prepaid or a subscription, plus your server type and settings. A custom size costs 15% more per GB than the standard plans next to it.
Can I pay once instead of a subscription?
Yes. Pick Prepaid and pay once for 3 days, 30 days, 6 months or a year. Nothing renews: when the time is up the server pauses and keeps its world for 14 days. Add time or switch to a subscription from your panel any time. Short rentals cost more per day, since every server is set up from scratch.
How fast is setup, really?
Your server starts building the moment Stripe confirms payment. Most are online in under a minute, and the address and login appear on your dashboard automatically.
Your Zomboid server is a minute away
This is how you died. Together.
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Project Zomboid is a trademark of The Indie Stone. GamezServers is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Indie Stone.