How to Host a FiveM Server on a VPS in 2026: Complete Setup Guide

Running your own FiveM server gives you control over resources, roleplay frameworks, database settings, and update timing. A VPS also gives your community a public endpoint without leaving a home computer online.

Our overall recommendation is LightNode for communities that value regional choice and flexible billing. Its location coverage makes it particularly interesting for players in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Pick a location near your actual players, budget for a suitable configuration, and validate performance with your scripts before opening registration.

This guide compares five VPS providers and walks through an Ubuntu deployment with txAdmin, a restricted administration interface, automatic startup, and recoverable backups.

Editorial basis: provider product information and Cfx.re documentation checked on October 15, 2026. This is a technical buying guide, not a five-provider benchmark; no paid test instances or measured latency results are claimed. These are self-managed VPS options on which you install FiveM, rather than a promise of managed FiveM support.

What Does a FiveM VPS Need?

CPU time, memory, storage, and network quality all matter, but adding RAM will not repair a slow resource or overloaded CPU thread. Plan around the framework and scripts you actually intend to run.

The following are planning estimates, not official player guarantees:

Workload	CPU starting point	Total VPS RAM	SSD/NVMe capacity	Practical use
Installation lab or small private session	2 modern x86-64 vCPUs	4 GB	40–60 GB	Learn deployment with a minimal resource set
Small RP community	4 fast x86-64 vCPUs	8 GB	80–100 GB	Initial budget for a light framework and local database
Growing, heavily customized RP server	4–8 fast vCPUs; evaluate dedicated CPU	16 GB or more	120 GB or more	Profile scripts, database queries, and streaming assets

Leave memory for Ubuntu, MariaDB, filesystem cache, and txAdmin. Maintain free disk space for updates and logs. Keep off-server backups in a separate storage budget.

Choose x86-64/AMD64 for the standard Linux artifacts used here; an inexpensive ARM cloud instance is not a drop-in replacement. You also need SSH access, sudo privileges, a reachable public IPv4 address for this walkthrough, and a Cfx.re account. Register the server license key through the Cfx.re Portal, as directed by the official server setup documentation.

Five FiveM VPS Providers Compared

Compare quotes for the same target configuration, such as 4 vCPUs, 8 GB RAM, adequate SSD storage, and a nearby region. A provider's smallest advertised VPS is usually a poor proxy for the cost of running an RP community.

Provider	Main reason to shortlist	CPU and storage choice	Cost comparison	What to verify before ordering
LightNode — overall pick	Regional flexibility, especially across Asia and the Middle East	KVM VPS with NVMe storage	Hourly/monthly options; configuration-specific quote	Region, CPU/RAM, transfer allowance, final price
Vultr	Choice of compute families	Compare general and performance-focused instances	Compare equivalent sizes, not entry plans	CPU family, regional stock, protection options
OVHcloud	Included infrastructure anti-DDoS	VPS configurations with plan-dependent resources	Check local storefront and renewal terms	VPS protection scope versus separate Game products
Hetzner	Shared versus dedicated vCPU choice	Select an x86 plan suitable for sustained load	Include public IPv4 and backup costs in the quote	Architecture, region, CPU allocation, traffic
DigitalOcean	Developer tools and infrastructure automation	Shared and dedicated vCPU Droplets	Include backups and outbound transfer needs	Plan family and total recurring bill

All five require you to administer the operating system and FiveM installation. Provider support and FiveM script troubleshooting are separate services.

1. LightNode — Best Overall for Regional Flexibility

LightNode offers KVM VPS hosting with NVMe SSD storage and more than 40 advertised locations. Its footprint is useful when the closest practical region is Bangkok, Dubai, Riyadh, or another city outside the usual Western cloud hubs.

Features: hourly and monthly billing, configurable CPU/RAM options, Linux and Windows choices, and regional deployment.

Pros:

• Broad regional selection helps you place the server closer to your community.
• Flexible billing suits staging, development, and launch experiments.
• NVMe storage is useful for resource files and database workloads.

Cons:

• Prices differ between configurations. Check the current price for your selected CPU, RAM, storage, bandwidth, and location before purchasing.

Verdict: our first shortlist choice for a regional community seeking a balance of deployment flexibility, storage, and location choice. This recommendation depends on your players' routing and chosen configuration; it is not a claim of universally lowest latency.

Visit LightNode and check configurations.

2. Vultr — Best for Comparing Compute Families

Vultr offers multiple compute categories, letting administrators compare general cloud instances with options aimed at more demanding workloads. For FiveM, evaluate the available CPU family instead of selecting solely by RAM.

Features: Cloud Compute, Optimized Cloud Compute, and other instance categories documented in its compute catalog.

Pros:

• Several compute families give you room to adjust CPU allocation.
• Useful alternative when its available region matches your player base.

Cons:

• Similarly sized instances can belong to different performance tiers.
• Additional services and protection options need separate price checks.

Verdict: a strong alternative for administrators who want to compare CPU-focused configurations and are comfortable managing Linux themselves.

Visit Vultr · Review compute categories.

3. OVHcloud — Best for an Anti-DDoS-Focused Shortlist

OVHcloud advertises automatic anti-DDoS protection with its VPS range. That makes it worth evaluating for a public game community, alongside route quality and sustained CPU performance.

Features: configurable VPS sizes, provider control panel/API, and included infrastructure-level anti-DDoS protection.

Pros:

• Included mitigation is relevant for an internet-facing game endpoint.
• Multiple VPS sizes allow configuration comparisons.

Cons:

• VPS protection should not be confused with the specialized Game DDoS firewall on eligible bare-metal Game servers.
• Product availability, pricing, and terms depend on the storefront and region.

Verdict: consider OVHcloud when network protection is a major selection criterion. Ask which protections apply to the exact VPS product and FiveM traffic.

Visit OVHcloud VPS · Check Game firewall eligibility.

4. Hetzner — Best for Evaluating Dedicated vCPU Value

Hetzner distinguishes shared-resource cloud servers from dedicated-vCPU plans. That distinction matters when a live RP server needs sustained CPU time rather than occasional bursts.

Features: shared and dedicated vCPU options, cloud firewalls, private networks, API, and CLI tooling.

Pros:

• Explicit CPU allocation choices help match the plan to workload.
• Infrastructure tools suit repeatable deployments.

Cons:

• A shared plan may be less suitable for sustained heavy scripts.
• Check architecture carefully: this guide requires x86-64.
• Compare the complete quote, including IPv4 and backup needs.

Verdict: worth pricing for communities whose players have good routes to an available region. Prefer workload evidence over choosing the largest RAM figure per dollar.

Visit Hetzner Cloud.

5. DigitalOcean — Best for Developer-Led Administration

DigitalOcean Droplets are Linux virtual machines with shared and dedicated vCPU choices. They suit teams that want to maintain FiveM alongside scripts, deployment tooling, and other services.

Features: multiple Droplet families, Linux distribution images, custom images, and supporting cloud services.

Pros:

• Shared and dedicated CPU options support different workload stages.
• Useful platform for teams building their own operational tooling.

Cons:

• The lowest advertised Droplet price is not a sensible production RP budget.
• Backups and transfer requirements can change the total cost.
• FiveM setup and resource maintenance remain your responsibility.

Verdict: a practical choice for an engineering-led community already comfortable with its ecosystem.

Visit DigitalOcean Droplets.

Why LightNode Gets the Overall Recommendation

For a new community, location selection and the ability to test a configuration are useful buying criteria. LightNode is our preferred starting point when its regional footprint brings the VPS closer to your players and its billing fits your testing schedule.

Before committing, compare it against an equivalent competitor quote and run an evening playtest with the same resources. Log player ping, packet loss, hitch warnings, memory use, and CPU steal time. Choose the configuration that performs reliably for your audience.

Step 1: Provision and Prepare Ubuntu

Use a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 LTS x86-64 VPS with an SSH key. Start with the 8 GB planning tier if you expect a framework and local database. Confirm IPv4, storage, and transfer allowances at checkout.

The commands below assume an existing SSH administrator with sudo access. Replace example addresses and placeholders before use. Keep a provider console available while changing firewall rules.

ssh ADMIN_USER@YOUR_VPS_IP
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y ca-certificates curl xz-utils git ufw htop sysstat
sudo adduser --system --group --home /opt/fivem --shell /bin/bash fivem
sudo install -d -o fivem -g fivem /opt/fivem/server /opt/fivem/txData

Use the administrator for sudo operations and the fivem service user for FXServer. Avoid running downloaded game resources as root.

Step 2: Configure the Game Ports and Protect txAdmin

Allow the SSH port you actually use before enabling UFW. OpenSSH below assumes the default port 22; substitute your custom SSH rule if needed.

sudo ufw default deny incoming
sudo ufw default allow outgoing
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 30120/tcp
sudo ufw allow 30120/udp
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status verbose

Apply equivalent inbound rules in the provider firewall/security group. Both layers must allow the traffic.

Port	Purpose	Exposure in this guide
TCP 22, or your SSH port	Administration and tunnel	Restrict to administrator IPs where practical
TCP + UDP 30120	Configured FiveM game endpoint	Public
TCP 40120	txAdmin web interface	Loopback only, accessed through SSH
TCP 3306	Local MariaDB, if installed	Loopback only; no public rule

txAdmin supports an interface binding and defaults to port 40120. We will explicitly bind it to 127.0.0.1. The official txAdmin documentation describes these settings and confirms that txAdmin ships with FXServer.

Step 3: Download an Official Linux Artifact

Open the official Linux artifacts index and copy the download URL for the currently recommended build. Use the Linux server archive, typically named fx.tar.xz. Avoid hardcoding a build number from an old tutorial.

sudo -iu fivem
cd /opt/fivem/server
ARTIFACT_URL='PASTE_THE_OFFICIAL_RECOMMENDED_LINUX_FX_TAR_XZ_URL_HERE'
curl --fail --location --proto '=https' "$ARTIFACT_URL" -o /opt/fivem/fx.tar.xz
tar -tJf /opt/fivem/fx.tar.xz | head
tar -xJf /opt/fivem/fx.tar.xz -C /opt/fivem/server
rm /opt/fivem/fx.tar.xz
exit

Run the download only after replacing the placeholder with an HTTPS URL from the official index. The listing step checks that the archive can be read; it is not a cryptographic authenticity check. The Cfx.re Linux setup instructions document the artifact-based layout.

Step 4: Run FXServer Under systemd

Create /etc/systemd/system/fivem.service:

sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/fivem.service > /dev/null <<'UNIT'
[Unit]
Description=FiveM FXServer with txAdmin
Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=fivem
Group=fivem
WorkingDirectory=/opt/fivem/server
ExecStart=/opt/fivem/server/run.sh +set txDataPath /opt/fivem/txData +set txAdminInterface 127.0.0.1 +set txAdminPort 40120
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
TimeoutStopSec=120
KillSignal=SIGINT
UMask=0077
NoNewPrivileges=true

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
UNIT
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now fivem
sudo systemctl status fivem --no-pager
sudo journalctl -u fivem -n 80 --no-pager

The explicit txDataPath makes the profile location predictable. Do not append +exec server.cfg to this txAdmin launch command: Cfx.re instructs administrators to start FXServer in monitor mode without +exec for txAdmin.

In a terminal on your own computer, keep this tunnel running:

ssh -N -L 40120:127.0.0.1:40120 ADMIN_USER@YOUR_VPS_IP

Open http://127.0.0.1:40120 locally. Use the setup PIN shown in the service logs and follow the account-linking workflow. If local port 40120 is occupied, change the left side of -L to an unused port and open that local port instead.

Step 5: Deploy a Recipe and Configure the Server

In txAdmin, create a profile, choose a maintained recipe, review its sources, and supply your Cfx.re server license key. Begin with a minimal setup to verify networking. Add ESX, QBCore, or other frameworks only after checking the recipe's dependencies and maintenance status.

Recipes execute deployment actions and fetch resources; treat them as code you are allowing onto your server. Follow the official txAdmin setup workflow and keep the profile's actual data directory recorded for backups.

In the server.cfg generated by your recipe, review these settings rather than replacing the whole file:

endpoint_add_tcp "0.0.0.0:30120"
endpoint_add_udp "0.0.0.0:30120"
sv_hostname "My Community RP"
sets sv_projectName "My Community RP"
sets sv_projectDesc "A community FiveM server"
sets locale "en-US"
sv_maxclients 32
sv_licenseKey "REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_CFX_SERVER_KEY"

Keep one pair of endpoint directives; do not blindly append duplicates. Preserve the recipe's resource start order, permissions, and framework configuration. Treat the license key as a secret.

The example uses 32 slots as an initial configuration, not a capacity promise. Check current Cfx.re entitlement requirements before increasing slots. Review configuration details in the official server command reference.

Step 6: Add MariaDB Only If Your Framework Needs It

A basic server can be tested before adding a database. For a database-backed framework on the same VPS:

sudo apt install -y mariadb-server
sudo systemctl enable --now mariadb
sudo mariadb-secure-installation
sudo mariadb

Within the MariaDB shell, replace the password and run:

CREATE DATABASE fivem CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'fivem'@'127.0.0.1' IDENTIFIED BY 'REPLACE_WITH_A_LONG_RANDOM_PASSWORD';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON fivem.* TO 'fivem'@'127.0.0.1';
EXIT;

Use a framework-compatible database connector and follow its current connection-string syntax. If using a URI, percent-encode special characters in credentials. Point it to 127.0.0.1, use the dedicated database account, and import the schema required by the recipe. Avoid embedding a database root password in server.cfg.

Check sudo ss -lntp | grep 3306. For this local deployment, MariaDB should listen on loopback, not a public interface. Keep port 3306 closed in both firewalls. A remote database requires a separate private-network and access-control design.

Step 7: Connect and Verify the Installation

Start the game server through txAdmin. On a player's computer, open FiveM's F8 console:

connect YOUR_VPS_IP:30120

On the VPS, inspect the configured listeners and recent output:

sudo ss -lntup | grep -E '30120|40120'
curl --fail http://127.0.0.1:30120/info.json
sudo journalctl -u fivem -n 100 --no-pager

Expect gameplay listeners on the configured public interfaces and txAdmin on 127.0.0.1:40120. Test from a separate internet connection too: a successful local HTTP request does not prove public UDP reachability.

Before inviting the community, verify a player can join, reconnect, use the intended resources, and persist framework data across a controlled restart. Schedule one VPS reboot and confirm systemd and the configured txAdmin profile restore service as intended.

Performance Tuning That Actually Helps

Measure at the busiest time of day with a representative resource set. A clean test server and a live city with custom maps are different workloads.

htop
free -h
df -h
mpstat -P ALL 1
iostat -xz 1

Interpret the results together:

• One busy CPU thread with spare total CPU can indicate a script or main-thread bottleneck.
• Sustained CPU steal time (%steal) can indicate contention on a shared host. Compare another instance or a dedicated CPU plan.
• Swap activity and low available memory justify reducing workload or adding RAM.
• High disk latency calls for checking database activity, logging, storage saturation, and free space.

When hitch warnings appear, capture a short profile in the server console:

profiler record 500
profiler status
profiler view

Use the capture to locate expensive resource activity before buying a larger VPS. Repeat with the same test scenario after each change. The Cfx.re profiler guide explains recording and interpreting profiles.

For database-heavy RP scripts, investigate repeated queries, missing indexes, and excessive polling. For player connection problems, distinguish asset-download time from network latency and server frame stalls. A higher advertised port speed alone does not fix poor routing or slow scripts.

Back Up the Data You Need to Restore

Preserve the entire txAdmin data directory, the actual server-data/resource directories used by your recipe, custom configuration, and a database dump when applicable. A VPS snapshot alone may capture an inconsistent live database.

For a small deployment with a maintenance window, use this consistent workflow:

1. Announce maintenance and stop gameplay through txAdmin, then stop the service with sudo systemctl stop fivem.
2. With scripts no longer writing data, dump the framework database if present.
3. Archive the server files and any external resource directories.
4. Restart the service, then copy the backup to separate storage.

Example commands for the layout in this guide, run after step 1:

sudo install -d -m 700 /var/backups/fivem
sudo sh -c 'umask 077; mariadb-dump --single-transaction --routines --events fivem | gzip > /var/backups/fivem/database.sql.gz'
sudo tar -czf /var/backups/fivem/server-files.tar.gz -C /opt fivem
sudo systemctl start fivem

Skip the database command for a deployment without MariaDB. The transaction option is intended for transactional tables such as InnoDB; stopping writers also protects application consistency. Include resource paths outside /opt/fivem explicitly if your recipe uses them.

These fixed filenames are a single maintenance backup, not a retention system. Automate dated copies, exit-status checks, failure alerts, and off-server uploads before production. Restrict access because archives contain credentials. Define a retention policy, and restore files plus the matching database to an isolated test VPS regularly.

Troubleshooting Common FiveM VPS Problems

Symptom	First checks	Useful next action
Players cannot connect	Process running, correct public IP, TCP/UDP 30120, both firewalls	Test direct connection from an external network
txAdmin is unreachable	Service logs, loopback listener, SSH tunnel	Keep the tunnel open and use the local forwarded URL
License error	Key present, account registration, portal requirements	Correct the key and registration; redact it from shared logs
Database connection fails	MariaDB running, connector syntax, host/account match	Test the dedicated account against 127.0.0.1
Resources fail after upload	Linux filename case, dependencies, resource start order	Read the first relevant resource error before reinstalling
Hitch warnings	Per-thread CPU use, resource profiler, database latency	Fix the expensive resource or query, then retest
Missing after a VPS reboot	systemd status, profile selection, startup errors	Check the journal and txAdmin auto-start behavior
Direct connect works but listing does not	Listing configuration, outbound connectivity, logs	Follow Cfx.re listing troubleshooting separately

Maintenance and Update Routine

Keep a staging profile or separate test VPS. Back up files and database before changing FXServer artifacts, framework versions, connectors, or resources. Record the installed artifact and resource revisions so rollback is possible.

Stop the service before replacing artifacts. Extract a new build into a clean directory, preserve the separate data path, test it, and keep the previous runtime available until verification passes. Avoid mixing arbitrary old and new runtime files.

Use SSH keys, protect administrator accounts, review txAdmin permissions, and restrict configuration file access. Publicly facing game ports still need provider-side network protection appropriate to your risk; a local firewall cannot prevent upstream link saturation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is FiveM server software free?

You can obtain the server artifacts and register a server key through Cfx.re. Hosting, paid resources, and any entitlements required for your intended features or slot count are separate costs. Check the current portal and applicable terms before launch.

Is 4 GB RAM enough?

It can be a starting point for a minimal installation or small private test. A framework, database, and custom resources can outgrow it quickly. For a small RP launch, budget around 8 GB total RAM initially and measure actual use.

Should I use Linux or Windows?

This walkthrough uses Ubuntu to keep service management and automation straightforward. Windows can suit teams with Windows-specific resources or administration preferences. Verify artifact and resource compatibility, then include licensing and OS overhead in the comparison.

Does txAdmin need to be installed separately?

No. It is included with FXServer. This guide launches monitor mode through systemd and reaches its loopback-bound panel through an SSH tunnel.

Which provider should I choose first?

Start by checking LightNode if its locations fit your community and you want flexible billing. Confirm the price of the exact configuration, then run a representative playtest. Compare Vultr for compute choices, OVHcloud for its protection offering, Hetzner for dedicated-vCPU value, and DigitalOcean for developer tooling.

Final Recommendation

For a new FiveM community, our overall shortlist leader is LightNode, particularly when regional placement and billing flexibility matter. Check its configuration-specific pricing, choose an x86-64 VPS with enough headroom, and validate routing with real players.

A successful launch also needs a reproducible installation, protected administration, maintained resources, performance measurements, and backups you have actually restored. Complete those checks before scaling your community.

Explore LightNode VPS configurations.