How to Host a Factorio Dedicated Server for Free

By FreeGameHost Team • Updated May 2026 • 8 min read

Setting up your own game server provides total creative freedom, direct folder access, and a custom multiplayer experience. Keep the factory growing. Learn how to setup a free dedicated Factorio server using the headless software version for 24/7 multiplayer. Whether you are planning to host a small coop world for your close friends or build a public gaming community, configuring the server correctly is essential for maintaining 20 TPS (Ticks Per Second) and low connection latency.

In this comprehensive tutorial, we cover the exact system specifications, command blocks, configuration file lines, and plugin files required to get How to Host a Factorio Dedicated Server for Free running. Follow each step carefully to prevent server crash loops, OutOfMemory exceptions, and common connection issues.

24/7Uptime

4 GBFree RAM

Lag-FreeOptimized

Step-by-Step Configuration Guide

Download Headless build

Choose the Factorio headless server egg in your control panel to fetch the optimized server binaries. This step is critical for proper server operation. Ensure that you have taken a manual file backup before committing these changes to disk.

Configure server-settings

Open 'config/server-settings.json'. Set the server name, description, and list password permissions. This step is critical for proper server operation. Ensure that you have taken a manual file backup before committing these changes to disk.

Toggle pause-on-empty

Set 'no-players-offline = true' to pause time ticks when empty, preventing biter attacks while you are away. This step is critical for proper server operation. Ensure that you have taken a manual file backup before committing these changes to disk.

Connect via IP

Launch Factorio, select multiplayer, click 'Connect to Server', and enter your server IP and UDP port 34197. If you encounter connection issues, double check that your network ports match the allocation numbers shown on the server dashboard.

Recommended Configurations and Setup Files

To configure your server files correctly, navigate to the File Manager in your control panel and open the corresponding configuration files. Paste or modify the settings as shown in the configuration block below. These lines help prevent database thread blockages, optimize tick timing performance, and reduce entity rendering overhead on the game host:

# config/server-settings.json parameters: { "name": "My Headless Factorio Server", "description": "Automated megabase setup", "max_players": 10, "game_password": "beltKey", "allow_commands": "admins-only" }

Pro Tip: Factorio dedicated servers are extremely lightweight. A 2GB or 4GB server can run massive logistics networks with thousands of drones without lagging. Pre-generating world chunks using plugin utilities (like Chunky) is highly recommended for reducing startup lag during exploration.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I install mods?

Download mods (.zip) from the Factorio portal and upload them directly to the server's 'mods' folder. Players must match mod lists exactly.

How do I promote myself to admin?

Run the command '/promote playername' inside the server console window.

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