Every Valheim group eventually has the conversation: keep hosting from someone's PC, run a home server, rent a VPS, or pay a game host. 1.0 changed the inputs to that decision — crossplay means console friends need a properly configured dedicated server, not a friend's laptop — so here is the honest comparison, with the costs and the failure modes each option actually has.
The four ways to run a Valheim world
1. Host from a player's game
One person starts the world; everyone joins them. Free, zero setup, and the default for most Early Access groups.
- The world only exists while that person is playing.
- Their upload bandwidth and PC carry the whole session; a busy base on a mid-range machine is where the rubber-banding stories come from.
- PS5 and Switch 2 players can join a PC host's game via crossplay, but everyone is still tied to that one player's schedule.
2. A spare machine at home
The dedicated server binary on an old PC or a mini-PC, running whenever the machine is on.
- Costs the electricity and whatever the machine was worth. A small always-on box draws somewhere in the tens of watts.
- Your home upload speed is the server's upload speed. Ten players on a base full of torches and smoke effects is a real load on a residential connection.
- Port forwarding, a dynamic IP, and the router that reboots itself at 3am are the ongoing maintenance.
- Updates are your job: until you re-run SteamCMD, players on the new client can't join.
3. A VPS
The same binary on a rented Linux virtual machine. Datacenter bandwidth, static IP, no hardware.
- You pay for the whole VM; 4GB-class instances typically land in the same price range as a game-host plan, sometimes cheaper, sometimes not.
- Everything from the dedicated server guide is on you: install, systemd, crossplay flag, password rules, updates, backups, and reading the console when someone says "the join code doesn't work".
- Best fit for a group with a Linux-comfortable admin who enjoys it.
4. A game host
A panel, a pre-built server, crossplay and password already configured, updates on restart, backups, and a support desk.
- Monthly cost in the same range as a VPS for the same RAM — you're paying for the work being done, not the hardware.
- The trade-off is control: you get the game's settings and file access, not root on a machine.
- Best fit for a group that wants the world up tonight and nobody nominated as the admin.
The costs, honestly
| Option | Monthly cost | Hidden cost |
|---|
| Player-hosted | £0 | The world is offline whenever the host is |
| Home machine | Electricity, a few pounds | Your upload speed, your router, your evenings |
| VPS (4GB class) | Roughly the price of a game-host plan | Setup and every update, forever |
| Game host (4GB plan) | From about $8/mo | Less control than root |
The RAM number that matters is the same everywhere: a fresh 1.0 world idles around 1.3GB, and it's the size of your builds that pushes it up, not the head count (the sizing guide).
What 1.0 changed in this decision
Before 1.0 a PC-hosted game was fine for most groups. Two things are different now:
- Console friends. PS5 and Switch 2 players need a server started with crossplay and a join code that's easy to find. A dedicated server prints it in a console; a player's game session doesn't give the host much to share beyond "I'm online, find me".
- Patch cadence. A launch this size is followed by patches. On a self-run server every one is a manual update before anyone on the new client can join; miss one and your group is locked out until you notice (the update sequence).
When self-hosting is the right answer
- You already run Linux boxes and enjoy it.
- The group is PC-only and small, and one person's PC is usually on when people want to play.
- You want mods, know they'll break with every patch, and are happy debugging that (mods after 1.0).
When a host is the right answer
- Console players are in the group.
- Nobody wants to be the admin.
- The world has months of history and "we lost the save" is not an acceptable outcome — backups you didn't have to remember to set up are the point.
- You'd rather the server was updated at 4am by a schedule than by you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Valheim dedicated server free?
The server software is free. What you pay for is the machine it runs on and, with a host, the setup and upkeep.
Can I host a Valheim server on my own PC for free?
Yes — start the world from your game, or run the dedicated server binary alongside it. It's online only while your PC is.
Is a VPS cheaper than a game host for Valheim?
Often about the same for the same RAM. The difference is who does the setup, updates and backups.
Do I need a dedicated server for crossplay?
Console players can join a PC host's game via crossplay, but a dedicated server started with the crossplay flag is what keeps the world up when the host isn't playing and gives console players a stable join code.
If the answer for your group is a host: Connect's Valheim plans start at $7.99/mo for 4GB, with crossplay on, all ten seats included, and the server online about 60 seconds after checkout.