16GB from the first night
The server ate an 8GB container on its first startup in our test, so every Project Zomboid plan starts at 16GB.
16GB Pro32GB Premium
> Project Zomboid server // ready_
Project Zomboid Server Hosting, for survivors who outlast the host.
Keep Muldraugh running while the horde, the helicopter and the winter all keep coming.
- From $48/mo · No contracts
- 99.9% Uptime SLA
- 3 Backup Slots
- 16GB Minimum, Tested Live
Always online
Tired of the world dying when the host logs off?
Hosting from your own PC means your safehouse is only open while you are. A dedicated server keeps the map, the infection and your characters waiting.
Survivors on your schedule
The Knox Event keeps going when the host logs off. Your community picks the map back up whenever they are ready.
16 Players32 Players
Your own admin account
Pick the admin password before you pay, then use console commands to set access levels and handle bans.
Admin PasswordConsole
Saves you can back up
3 backup slots on every plan and a file manager for the Zomboid folders, from servertest.ini to your save.
3 Backup SlotsFile Manager
Choose your admin password and save name first
At checkout you pick an admin password of 8 to 32 letters, numbers, underscores or hyphens, plus a save identifier (letters and numbers, default EZGameHost) and a maximum player count. Pro is the smallest plan because the server ran out of memory in an 8GB container during our first-startup test.
Party size
How big is your survivor group?
Choose your loadout
Project Zomboid Server Plans
Pay monthly. Cancel any time.
Pick your party size above, or compare every plan below.
Epic★ Best for Project Zomboid
Pro
$48 / month
16 players
RAM16GB
CPU4 Threads
Storage80GB NVMe
- Passed first-startup testing at 16GB
- Admin account at checkout
- 3 backup slots
- 24/7 support
Legendary
Premium
$96 / month
32 players
RAM32GB
CPU8 Threads
Storage160GB NVMe
- Headroom for bigger groups and mod lists
- Admin account at checkout
- 3 backup slots
- Priority support
Server settings
What you set, what you can edit
Three fields at checkout, then the Zomboid files are yours to change in the file manager.
- Admin password
- Save identifier
- Maximum players (1 to 32)
- servertest.ini
- Sandbox rules file
- Spawn points and regions
- Server console
- File manager access
Bring your existing save
Upload your world to the Zomboid saves folder through the panel file manager, in a folder that matches your save identifier. Back up your original first. Mods are your own responsibility to keep compatible with the game build.
Built for a hungry Java server
Project Zomboid runs on Java and wants memory. Ryzen 9950X cores and NVMe storage sit behind the 16GB and 32GB plans for saves and the zombie population.
DDoS protection built-in · auto-detection · zero downtime
Keep the horde the only thing trying to take your survivors down.
Briefing
About Project Zomboid server hosting
The Project Zomboid Dedicated Server is its own Steam download, app ID 380870, separate from the game (app 108600). It runs on Windows or Linux and is configured through files in a Zomboid folder: servertest.ini for the server, a SandboxVars.lua file for the world rules, and spawn point and spawn region files. Naming the server with -servername selects which set of files it reads and creates a save folder with the same name. Admin commands run in the server console or in game with a leading slash.
Memory is the first thing to get right. The Indie Stone publishes no RAM figure for the dedicated server, and the PZwiki says the start script defaults to a large starting allocation that you must edit with -Xms and -Xmx. In EZ Game Host's live test, the server exhausted an 8GB container on first startup and then started cleanly at 16GB, so 16GB is the minimum for Project Zomboid here. Pro covers 16 players and Premium 32.
Steam lists the current Stable branch as Build 42.21, with a Pre-Release branch at 42.22 for early testing. Back up saves before switching branches, and keep client and server on the same build. Mods are listed in the Mods and WorkshopItems fields of the ini; The Indie Stone officially supports only Lua mods, so mods are your own responsibility to keep compatible.
Project Zomboid server quick facts
- Server software
- Project Zomboid Dedicated Server (Steam app 380870)
- MaxPlayers default
- 32 on the PZwiki; more than 32 may desync
- Default ports
- UDP 16261 and UDP 16262
- Official RAM guidance
- None published by The Indie Stone
- EZ Game Host minimum
- 16GB, from our own first-startup test
- Server settings
- servertest.ini, reloadable with reloadoptions
- Save location
- Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer, in a folder named after the server
- Current Stable build
- 42.21 (Pre-Release 42.22)
Setup
How to set up a Project Zomboid dedicated server
You can run the server yourself or let EZ Game Host run it for you. Here is what each path involves.
With EZ Game Host
- Choose Project Zomboid and a plan sized for your group.
- Name your server and pick its game options and region at checkout.
- Pay, and the server deploys automatically with 3 backup slots ready.
- Share the server address with friends and manage everything from the panel.
Self-hosting on your own machine
- Install the Project Zomboid Dedicated Server with SteamCMD: app_update 380870 validate.
- Edit -Xms and -Xmx in the start script to amounts your machine can supply; the defaults make the server fail with memory errors.
- Run the start script once and set the admin password when asked, using -servername to choose the save name.
- Forward UDP 16261 and 16262 on your router and allow them through the firewall.
- Edit servertest.ini in the Zomboid/Server folder and run reloadoptions to apply changes while the server is running.
- Stop the server with /quit so the world saves, and copy the save folder off the machine before changing builds.
Project Zomboid server ports
| Port | Protocol | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 16261 | UDP | Game port (DefaultPort) |
| 16262 | UDP | Direct connection port (UDPPort) |
On EZ Game Host the ports are opened for you, so there is no router setup.
Intel
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Project Zomboid hosting start at 16GB?
In our live test the server used up an 8GB container during its first startup. It started and answered an outside server query at 16GB, so Pro is the smallest plan we sell for Project Zomboid.
What do I enter at checkout?
An admin password of 8 to 32 letters, numbers, underscores or hyphens, a save identifier of letters and numbers, and your maximum player count. You set these before you pay.
How many survivors can join?
Pro has 16 player slots and Premium has 32. Both include 3 backup slots, DDoS protection and 24/7 support.
Can I bring my existing save?
Yes, you upload it yourself through the panel file manager. Use the same name as your save identifier so the server loads it, and back up your original first. Saves from different game builds may not match, so keep client and server on the same build.
Can I edit servertest.ini?
Yes. The file manager gives you access to the server's files, including servertest.ini and the sandbox rules file, and the console can run reloadoptions. Mods are your own responsibility to keep compatible with the game build.
What ports does a Project Zomboid server use?
UDP 16261 for the game and UDP 16262 for the direct connection port, both UDP. They are DefaultPort and UDPPort in servertest.ini. Each extra server on the same machine needs two more clear UDP ports.
How much RAM does a Project Zomboid server need?
The Indie Stone publishes no figure. In our live test the server exhausted an 8GB container on first startup, then started at 16GB, so Pro (16GB, 16 players) is the smallest plan and Premium (32GB, 32 players) is above it.
Can I use my own admin password?
Yes. You choose it at checkout, 8 to 32 characters of letters, numbers, underscores or hyphens, along with a save identifier of letters and numbers. The identifier names the server's save, so use the same name for any world you upload.
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The Knox Event does not wait. Neither should your server.
Pick your admin password, name your save, and give your survivors somewhere to hold out.
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