Best Games With Mod Support to Host a Modded Server (2026)

The best games with mod support for a modded server are Minecraft, Terraria, Garry's Mod, Rust, Valheim, ARK: Survival Ascended, DayZ, Project Zomboid, Factorio and Arma Reforger. Each has a mod loader or Workshop that the server understands, a big library of server compatible mods, and a community that keeps them updated after game patches. Mods are also the main reason a server needs more RAM: a vanilla Minecraft server runs on 2 GB, a big modpack wants 8 GB or more.

Mod support on a server is not the same as mod support in single player. On a server, mods have to be installed where the world runs, every player usually needs matching versions, and a game update can break everything overnight. The games below handle that well, and each entry says how mods actually reach the server.

Moddable games compared

1. Minecraft: Java Edition

The biggest modding scene in gaming. Plugins on Paper or Purpur change rules without players installing anything. Mods on Fabric, Forge or NeoForge add new blocks, mobs and dimensions, and every player needs the same modpack. Our Minecraft servers let you pick Paper, Vanilla, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge or Purpur as the server type and switch later.

• RAM: 2 GB vanilla or Paper, 6 GB for a light modpack, 8 GB for a big pack like All the Mods.
• Read next: Paper vs Spigot vs Purpur vs Fabric vs Forge and best Minecraft modpacks.

2. Terraria

tModLoader turns Terraria into a modding platform, with Calamity, Thorium and hundreds of quality of life mods. The server sends enabled mods to players when they join, which removes most of the version pain. TShock is the plugin option for admin tools on vanilla.

• RAM: 2 GB vanilla, 4 GB for a few mods, 6 GB for Calamity or a big list.
• Read next: best Terraria mods for multiplayer.

3. Garry's Mod

Garry's Mod is basically a mod. Build a Workshop collection on Steam, paste its ID in the panel, and the server pulls those addons every start while players download them on join. Gamemodes, maps, models and weapons all work this way.

• RAM: 4 GB for TTT or Sandbox with a few addons, 8 GB with a full collection, 16 GB for a big DarkRP community.

4. Rust

Rust mods are server side plugins, so players install nothing. Oxide (uMod) and Carbon run thousands of plugins: kits, teleport, gather rates, clans, offline raid protection and events. That is why modded Rust servers dominate the browser.

• RAM: 8 GB for a small map, 12 to 16 GB with heavy plugin packs.
• Read next: best Rust server plugins.

5. Valheim

Valheim mods run on BepInEx and come from Thunderstore. Pick the BepInEx server type and upload mods to BepInEx/plugins. Most gameplay mods must be installed on the server and on every player's game in matching versions, and console players cannot use mods, so modded servers are PC only.

• RAM: 8 GB for BepInEx modpacks or heavily built worlds.
• Read next: best Valheim mods for multiplayer.

6. ARK: Survival Ascended

Ascended mods come from CurseForge. You add mod IDs to the server and players download them when they join, including console players for mods that support console. Super Structures, Dino Storage and mod maps are among the most popular.

• RAM: 16 GB for bigger maps and a few mods, 24 GB for heavy mod lists.
• Read next: how to install mods on an ARK Survival Ascended server.

7. DayZ

DayZ community servers are defined by their mods: Expansion, traders, base building, custom maps. Mods come from the Steam Workshop and each one needs its key copied into the server's keys folder.

• RAM: 12 GB for Expansion or traders with up to 40, 16 GB for a heavy list.
• Read next: best DayZ server mods.

8. Project Zomboid

Workshop collections add maps, vehicles, weapons and quality of life. You list Workshop IDs and Mod IDs in the server ini and players download them on join. Build 42 changed many mods, so check versions.

• RAM: 8 GB for a few mods, 12 GB for a big list or extra maps.
• Read next: how to add mods to a Project Zomboid server.

9. Factorio

Factorio's official mod portal is the cleanest system on the list: the server's mod list is synced to players when they join, so version mismatches are rare. Overhauls like Krastorio 2 and Space Exploration change the game completely.

• RAM: 4 GB for Space Age or a growing factory, 8 GB for big overhaul mods.
• Read next: best Factorio mods for multiplayer.

10. Arma Reforger

Reforger's Workshop holds scenarios, factions, vehicles and maps. Mods listed in the server config download automatically for players. Milsim communities often run large mod lists.

• RAM: 12 GB for 64 players or a moderate mod list, 16 GB for a large modded server.

Other moddable servers we host

7 Days to Die overhaul mods, Conan Exiles, V Rising with BepInEx, Space Engineers with Torch, SCP: Secret Laboratory with EXILED, Left 4 Dead 2 and other Source games with SourceMod, and FiveM, where everything is a resource.

Running a modded server without pain

1. Back up before every mod change. One bad update can corrupt a world.
2. Pin versions. Do not let the server update mods mid week without telling players.
3. Add RAM before you need it. Mods are the most common cause of out of memory crashes.
4. Keep a mod list players can copy. A pinned Discord message or a Workshop collection.

How to host a modded game server walks through the general process for any game.

Host your modded server

A GamezServers server gives you a file manager and SFTP for uploading mods, a live console to watch them load, one click backups before you change anything, and server types for loaders like Fabric, Forge, tModLoader, BepInEx and Oxide where the game has them. Change plans as the mod list grows, prorated. See modded Minecraft server hosting or browse all games.

FAQ

What game has the best mod support for servers?

Minecraft has the largest mod and plugin ecosystem. Garry's Mod and Rust are close behind for server side mods.

Do players need to install mods to join a modded server?

It depends. Rust plugins and Minecraft Paper plugins are server only. Garry's Mod, ARK, Project Zomboid, tModLoader and Factorio download mods to players on join. Valheim and modded Minecraft need matching mods installed by each player.

How much more RAM does a modded server need?

Usually two to three times vanilla. Minecraft goes from 2 GB to 8 GB for a big pack, Terraria from 2 GB to 6 GB with Calamity.

Can console players join a modded server?

Rarely. ARK: Survival Ascended allows console players with console compatible mods. Valheim, Palworld and 7 Days to Die mods are PC only.