CraftopiaCraftopia Dedicated Server vs Hosting a Session: Which to Use
Should your Craftopia group host a session from the game or run a dedicated server? Uptime, crossplay, factory performance, cost and which suits your crew.
Updated Oct 7, 2026 · 5 min read
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Host a session from the game if your Craftopia group always plays together, wants to mix Steam with Xbox or Game Pass players on the Microsoft versions, or only plays now and then. Run a dedicated server if people play at different times, you want the world and its automation reachable without the host online, or the host's PC struggles to play and host a big factory world at once. Dedicated servers are Steam only and joined by IP, and Pocketpair advises keeping them at 8 players or fewer.
The two ways to play Craftopia together
Hosting a session. One player starts or loads a world and opens it to friends from the Multiplayer menu. Everyone plays in the host's world, on the host's PC. When the host quits, the session ends and the world is saved on their machine.
A dedicated server. The Craftopia dedicated server runs the world on its own, separate from anyone's game. Players join it by IP from the Steam version. It keeps running when everyone logs off, and its world lives on the server.
Characters and worlds are handled differently in each, which matters if you switch later. Moving a world from your PC to a server is possible; our guide on moving a Craftopia world to a dedicated server covers it.
Side by side
| Hosted session | Dedicated server | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free on your own hardware, or a monthly fee hosted |
| World online without the host | No | Yes |
| Join method | From the Multiplayer menu, by invite or session list | Join via IP |
| Platforms | Steam with Steam. Xbox, Windows store and Game Pass versions with each other | Steam version only |
| Recommended player count | Small groups | 8 or fewer, per Pocketpair |
| Host PC load | Host plays and simulates the world at once | None |
| Settings | In the world's own options | ServerSetting.ini: difficulty, creative mode, PIN password, autosave |
| Password | Set by the host | Numeric PIN, up to 8 digits |
| Effort | None | Setup, updates and backups, unless hosted |
When a hosted session is the right call
- You always play together. If the group plays as a unit on Friday nights, the host being online is not a limitation.
- You have Xbox or Game Pass players. Today the dedicated server is for the Steam version only. The Microsoft versions (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Windows store or Game Pass) play together through hosted sessions. A mixed Steam and Game Pass group cannot share a dedicated server, so everyone on a Microsoft version and a session hosted there is the way to play together. Pocketpair's 1.0 plans for 2027 have not promised that this changes; see Craftopia 1.0 and dedicated servers.
- You are trying the game. Do not set up a server for a game half the group might drop after a weekend.
When a dedicated server is the right call
- Different schedules. Craftopia worlds are long projects. If one person farms in the morning and another tunes conveyor lines late at night, waiting for the host is a pain. A server is just there.
- A factory anyone can reach. With a session, the whole world, farms and conveyor lines included, is closed whenever the host is offline. On a server, anyone in the crew can log in and keep building or tending the automation at any hour.
- A heavy world. Late game worlds with automation spread across islands are hard work to simulate. A host who is also playing at the same time feels it as stutter. A dedicated server takes that load off everyone's PC.
- Nobody wants to be the host. No one stuck staying online, no "can you start the world" messages.
Things to know before choosing a server
A dedicated server has some quirks worth knowing up front:
- The password is a PIN.
serverPasswordinServerSetting.iniaccepts numbers only, up to 8 digits, andusePasswordmust be1. Letters do not work. - Keep the cap at 8.
maxPlayerNumbergoes up to 127, but Pocketpair warns that more than 8 may cause stability problems. - Update with the client. Craftopia is in Early Access and patches often. A server on an old build turns players away until it updates.
- Creative mode is available. Set
gameModeto a creative mode for free building, no hunger and no death, which suits building focused groups.
Our step by step Craftopia hosting guide covers the full install, ports and settings.
Running a server yourself versus renting one
Running the server on a spare PC at home is free in money, but it needs the PC on all the time, the game port (6587 UDP by default) forwarded on your router, and someone to update it after every patch. It also needs real memory as the world grows. A fresh world is fine on modest hardware; a big automated save wants 8 to 12 GB.
Renting moves all of that off your plate for a monthly fee. If you are unsure whether it is worth paying for in general, our guide on whether renting a game server is worth it works through the same question.
A simple way to decide
- Does anyone in the group play on Xbox or Game Pass? If yes, use a hosted session on a Microsoft version.
- Does the group play at different times, or want the world reachable when the usual host is offline? If yes, a dedicated server.
- Otherwise, start with a hosted session. You can move the world to a server later.
If you go with a server
A GamezServers Craftopia server is up within minutes of paying, with its own address, so there is no port forwarding. Auto Update keeps it on the current build, ServerSetting.ini is in the file manager for difficulty, creative mode, PIN and player cap, and one click backups protect the world before each patch. The crew can split the bill between up to 10 people, and 8 GB is a comfortable start for a small group in a new world.
FAQ
Do I need a dedicated server to play Craftopia with friends?
No. A hosted session works when everyone plays at the same time. A server is for groups who want the world online without the host.
Can Game Pass players join a Craftopia dedicated server?
No. Dedicated servers are for the Steam version. Game Pass and Xbox players play together through hosted sessions.
Can friends play my Craftopia world when I am offline?
Only on a dedicated server. A hosted session closes when the host quits, while a server keeps the world up for anyone with the address and PIN.
How many players should a Craftopia server have?
Pocketpair advises 8 or fewer for stability, even though the setting goes higher.
Skip the setup. Your own Craftopia server.
Then $19.99/mo. Just trying it? $5.00 for 3 days