04Game guides
Rent and set up a Valheim server – guide
How to set up your Valheim server at Nexthosting – plans, joining, password, crossplay, bringing your world, BepInEx mods and Thunderstore modpacks.
In short
Your Valheim server runs around the clock, even when the host is asleep. You set the name, world name, password and crossplay in the Startvariablen (startup variables) under Konfiguration → Start. You order mods via the option “Mit Mods (BepInEx vorinstalliert)” (with mods, BepInEx preinstalled) – at no extra charge. Players join via Join Game.
The process in four steps
Section titled “The process in four steps”- OrderPlan, and Standard or With mods
- Server startsValheim creates the world
- after payment
- Copy the addressin the panel
- Connect in the gameJoin Game
Plans and prices
Section titled “Plans and prices”As of October 2026. Current prices: Valheim in the shop.
| Plan | Price per month | RAM | vCores | Storage | Backups | Ports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | €8.99 | 4 GB | 1.5 | 10 GB | 2 | 3 |
| Advanced | €11.99 | 6 GB | 2 | 15 GB | 3 | 3 |
| Premium | €14.99 | 8 GB | 3 | 20 GB | 4 | 3 |
| Community | €21.99 | 12 GB | 4 | 30 GB | 5 | 3 |
Valheim itself allows at most 10 players in a world at the same time – this applies in every plan. RAM, cores, storage and backup slots grow with the plan: Basic for small groups and young worlds, Advanced for a regular group, Premium for big builds, Community for long-running, heavily built worlds. Mods and large worlds need more RAM.
First steps
Section titled “First steps”- Open the panel (Opening the panel). On the first start, Valheim creates your world.
- In the panel, open Konfiguration → Start; the startup variables are: server name, world name, password (5 to 20 characters, must not appear in the server name), visibility in the community list, crossplay and updating at startup.
- Set how often the world is saved and how many older copies are kept (values in seconds).
- Restart the server and copy the address from the panel.
A new world name starts a new world; the old one stays on the server. Example: if Valheim saves every 30 minutes and keeps 4 copies (the first after 2 hours, further ones every 12 hours), you can go back about 38 hours. This does not replace backups (Backups and databases).
How players join
Section titled “How players join”- Start Valheim, choose a character, then Join Game.
- If the server is in the community list, search for the name in the Community tab. Otherwise choose Add Server and enter the address from the panel.
- Enter the password and join.
With “Nur wer die Adresse hat” (only those who have the address), the server is not listed; friends need the address. With crossplay, players without Steam (for example on Xbox) can join too. Crossplay together with mods is not guaranteed.
Bringing your world
Section titled “Bringing your world”A Valheim world consists of two files with the extensions .db and .fwl. Stop the server, upload both files via the file manager or SFTP and enter the world’s name (without the extension) as the world name in the startup variables. You can see where the world files are on the server in the file manager (Files, editor and SFTP).
Mods with BepInEx
Section titled “Mods with BepInEx”- When ordering, choose the variant Mit Mods (BepInEx vorinstalliert) – at no extra charge in every plan. “Standard” is preselected.
- Upload mods as
.dllfiles via the file manager or SFTP to the folderBepInEx/plugins. - Restart the server. The mods’ settings are in
BepInEx/config.
Modpack from Thunderstore: enter the identifier (dependency string, for example Author-Modpack-1.0.0) under ModPack in the startup variables and then reinstall the server (“Server neu installieren”, reinstall server, in the panel; world and mods are kept).
Many mods must be installed in the same version for all fellow players; pure server mods need not be. After a Valheim update, some mods only work again once their authors have adapted them. You cannot switch between “Standard” and “Mit Mods” later with a click: write to support (Support).
Admins
Section titled “Admins”You enter admins in the file adminlist.txt with their Steam ID64 (one ID per line). In the game, F5 opens the console; an admin can unlock commands. You can see where the file is in the file manager, next to the world files. Details on commands are in the Valheim wiki.
Typical problems
Section titled “Typical problems”| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Server not in the list | Wait a little (it takes time after startup), check “In der Community-Liste zeigen” (show in the community list), add it by address |
| Wrong password / join refused | Password 5–20 characters, not contained in the server name |
| Version mismatch | The server updates at startup (unless switched off); players update Steam |
| Mods cause errors | Mod without dependencies or outdated: remove mods one by one, read the console |
| World is gone | Check the world name: a new name starts a new world, the old one is still there |
Frequently asked questions
Section titled “Frequently asked questions”How many players fit?
Section titled “How many players fit?”Valheim allows up to 10 per world.
Can I take over an existing world from my PC?
Section titled “Can I take over an existing world from my PC?”Yes, via .db and .fwl (see above).
Does “Mit Mods” cost extra?
Section titled “Does “Mit Mods” cost extra?”No, no extra charge.