How to Set Up a Factorio Server

Factorio's headless server is famously efficient — it needs no graphics and sips resources compared to most games, which makes it perfect for a small VPS. Here's how to keep your factory running around the clock.

Sizing your server

Factorio is CPU-bound by update rate (UPS), and single-core speed matters most:

• Small-to-mid factory, 2–4 players: 2 GB RAM.
• Large megabases: 4 GB RAM and the fastest single-core CPU you can get.

RAM needs are modest; it's per-tick CPU work that eventually limits a huge factory.

Step 1: Prepare the system

sudo apt update && sudo apt install xz-utils screen -y
sudo adduser --disabled-password factorio
sudo su - factorio

Step 2: Download the headless server

Grab the latest headless Linux build from factorio.com/download (copy the current URL):

wget -O factorio.tar.xz "PASTE_HEADLESS_URL"
tar -xf factorio.tar.xz
cd factorio

The headless build is free to download and needs no login to run.

Step 3: Create or upload a save

Generate a fresh map:

./bin/x64/factorio --create ./saves/myworld.zip

Or upload an existing single-player save into the saves folder to continue it in multiplayer.

Step 4: Configure the server

Copy the example settings:

cp data/server-settings.example.json data/server-settings.json

Edit server-settings.json to set the server name, description, max players, and whether a password is required. If you want it listed in the public browser you can add your Factorio.com credentials, but a private IP-only server works with no login at all.

Step 5: Start the server

screen -S factorio
./bin/x64/factorio --start-server ./saves/myworld.zip --server-settings ./data/server-settings.json

Detach with Ctrl+A then D. The server autosaves periodically by default.

Step 6: Open the port

Factorio uses a single UDP port, 34197:

sudo ufw allow 34197/udp

Step 7: Connect

In game, choose Multiplayer → Connect to address, enter your-ip:34197 and the password if you set one.

Mods made easy

Factorio mods install cleanly: drop the .zip mod files into the mods folder, or use the server console. Every player must run the same mod set and versions — Factorio checks this on join and will tell players exactly which mods to add. This makes big modpacks like Space Exploration or Krastorio straightforward to run.

Backups

Autosaves and manual saves live in the saves folder. Copy them off-server regularly — a megabase is many hours of work:

cp factorio/saves/*.zip ~/backups/

Server console and admin commands

The Factorio headless server accepts commands in its console (reattach to your screen session), and admins can type them in the in-game chat prefixed with a slash. Useful ones:

/players
/ban username
/kick username
/admin username
/server-save

Add trusted players to server-adminlist.json so they keep admin rights across restarts. For automation, Factorio supports RCON — launch with --rcon-port and --rcon-password and you can drive saves, messages and moderation from an external tool or a scheduled script.

Common issues

• Players rejected for mod mismatch: Factorio names the exact mod and version to fix — everyone must match the server.
• Server not in the public list: you need valid Factorio.com credentials in server-settings.json; a private IP-only server needs none.
• UPS dropping on a big base: this is single-core CPU limited, not a bandwidth problem — faster cores are the only real fix.

The efficient choice

Factorio's low overhead means even a modest VPS runs it beautifully — but as your factory grows into a megabase, single-core CPU speed becomes the ceiling on UPS. Nxeon's fast-core NVMe VPS keeps large factories ticking at full speed, with full root for mods and cron-scheduled backups. A one-click Factorio deploy handles the download and config so you can get back to expanding the belt network.