How to Host a Palworld Server (Dedicated Hosting Guide)

A dedicated Palworld server runs the world on rented hardware so friends can join anytime. Bases keep working while you sleep. Player slots go well past local co-op. PalSphere partners with Shockbyte for Palworld hosting. Plans below match their public 1.0 lineup.

Why rent a dedicated server?

• Online 24/7. Friends do not need your PC on.
• More players than local co-op. Shockbyte plans list 10, 20, or 32 slots.
• Panel tools: scheduled restarts, backups, console, config editors, automatic game updates.
• Global locations and DDoS protection so the world stays reachable.

Shockbyte plan snapshot

Prices and promos change. Use these as a starting point from Shockbyte’s Palworld page, then confirm on checkout.

• Lamball: 10 players, 6 GB RAM. Entry plan for a small friend group.
• Grizzbolt: 20 players, 8 GB RAM. Most popular middle option.
• Jetragon: 32 players, 10 GB RAM. Larger community / always-on factory worlds.
• Billing also offers quarterly and annual discounts on top of any first-month sale.

• Exclusive features called out by Shockbyte: automatic updates, auto file validation, scheduled restarts, automatic backups, full SFTP, control panel, 99.9% uptime target, DDoS protection, 24/7 support, global locations, server console, instant setup.

Buy and boot the server

• Open Shockbyte Palworld hosting through our affiliate link, choose a plan and region, and check out.
• Wait for the panel to finish the first install. Instant setup is the usual path.
• Open the control panel. Note the IP Address field. It is shown as IP:port. You need both.
• Set a clear server name and password in the Palworld Server Settings / config tools before inviting friends.
• Start the server. Watch the console until it looks ready, then try a direct connect yourself first.

How friends join

• Launch Palworld → Join Multiplayer Game.
• Paste the full IP:port into Direct Connect. Community list search is flaky. Direct connect is the reliable path.
• If the server has a password, tick Enter password before Connect. Skipping that box fails with a password error even when the password is correct.
• Share the address and password out of band (Discord, chat). Do not post them on public lists if you want a private world.

Settings people actually change

• Password / privacy: required for a closed friend server.
• Difficulty, rates, and Pal / base limits: tune for casual vs grind.
• Crossplay platforms: Shockbyte enables crossplay by default. If someone cannot see the server, confirm their platform was not removed from config.
• Scheduled restarts and backups: turn these on early so a bad update or wipe is recoverable.

Convert a single-player or co-op save to the server

You can move an existing local world onto Shockbyte so the map, bases, and stored Pals survive. Read the host warning before you start.

• Critical: the original host character usually does not come across cleanly. The dedicated server takes the old host role. Before you move files, stash the host’s gear, Pals, and valuables in chests or Palboxes other players can open.
• In Palworld, open Start Game, select the world, and use the folder icon to open that world’s save files on disk.
• In the Shockbyte panel, Stop the server. Open Files (or SFTP with FileZilla).
• Go to /Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/, then open the random-looking world folder on the server.
• Back up, then clear the files inside that server folder.
• Upload your local world files into that folder. Do not upload WorldOption.sav. That file overrides panel settings and locks you out of normal config edits.
• Start the server. Direct connect and confirm the world loaded.

Non-host friends often rejoin with their characters intact. The old host may need a fresh character, or an advanced community GUID remap tool if you insist on restoring that one character. For most groups, emptying the host into shared storage is the safe path.

Common issues

• Cannot find the server in Community list: use Direct Connect with IP:port instead.
• Password disconnect: enable Enter password before connecting.
• World looks empty after upload: confirm you wrote into the active SaveGames/0 world folder and that DedicatedServerName (if your host exposes it) matches the folder you uploaded.
• Settings will not stick: you probably uploaded WorldOption.sav. Remove it and edit settings from the panel again.
• Host inventory gone: expected without a character remap. Pull gear from the storage you filled before the move.

Mods on a hosted server

Most gameplay mods are client-side. Official server mod loading is Windows-oriented. Many rented hosts run Linux binaries, so do not assume every Workshop mod will load on the dedicated process. Tune rates and limits in server settings first. For client mods on your PC, use our Mods Guide.