Factorio's dedicated server is refreshingly low-fuss: give it a save name, start it, and it either loads that save or creates a fresh one for you. This guide covers the full loop — first launch, joining, starting a new save, and adding mods the honest way.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| You need | A free Falix account |
| Time | Under ten minutes |
| Plan | Free — Factorio runs on the free plan |
Step 1: create the server
Open Servers → Create server, go to the Games tab, and pick Factorio. That's the whole creation step — the panel sets up the dedicated server for you. (New to the create page? The Knowledge Base has a walkthrough.)
Step 2: check the save name
Open the Settings page, Environment tab, and find the SAVE_NAME variable. It defaults to save1. This is the name of the save file the server runs. You can leave it as-is for your first world or set a name you'll recognize later — either works.
Step 3: start it (the save builds itself)
Press Start and watch the Console. On the first boot there's no save file yet, so the server creates one with the name from SAVE_NAME, then boots into it. On later starts it simply loads that same save. Once the console shows the server running and hosting the game, you're ready for players.
Step 4: get your friends in
Factorio needs the address and port — there's no name-only shortcut. Copy both from the Network page. In the game your friends open Multiplayer → Connect to address, paste in address:port, and they're in.
Starting a fresh save
Want to begin a brand-new factory? You've got two clean options:
- Change the name — set
SAVE_NAMEto something new on the Environment tab and restart. Since no save by that name exists, the server generates a fresh one (your old save stays on disk under its old name). - Remove the old file — open the File Manager, delete the existing save file, and restart. With the save gone, the server creates a new one on boot.
⚠️ Heads up: Your save survives restarts, stops, and the free-plan sleep — but not a reinstall. The Reinstall action on the Settings page's Danger tab re-runs the install (with an option to delete all files), and switching the server to a different game reinstalls it too. Take a backup before either — on free, backups save to your own Google Drive.
Mods, kept honest
Factorio uses a mods folder on the server, and here's the rule that trips people up: server-side mods must be matched by every client. If the server runs a mod, every player needs that same mod at the same version installed in their own game, or they can't join. So mods are a group decision, not a server-only switch.
⚠️ Heads up: Server-side mods must be matched by every client — same mods, same versions, for everyone — or players can't join.
To add them, upload the mod files into the server's mods folder with the File Manager, then restart. Get the mods themselves — and their exact versions — from Factorio's official mod portal at mods.factorio.com, and have everyone install the matching set locally. Keep the server list and the client lists identical and multiplayer stays happy.
Verify it works
The Console page is your confirmation: on first start you'll see the save being created and the server begin hosting; when a friend connects, their join shows up in the log. If someone can reach address:port and load into your factory, everything's wired correctly.
Troubleshooting
- Can't connect — the usual cause is a missing port; Factorio needs
address:portfrom the Network page, not just the address. If that's correct, confirm the server is running: I can't reach my server. - Loaded the wrong world — the server runs whatever
SAVE_NAMEpoints to. Set it to the save you meant and restart. - A player can't join a modded game — their mods don't match the server's. Everyone needs the same mods at the same versions; line the lists up and try again.
- Server stopped on its own — expected on the free plan: it stops when empty and gets roughly a 60-minute grace window when unreachable. Revive it from the Timer page — see How free game servers work.