How to Host a Rust Server For Free – A Comprehensive Guide for Dev

Greetings, Dev! If you’re interested in playing Rust with your friends, you might want to consider hosting your own server. Having your own Rust server has a lot of benefits, including more control over the environment and the ability to play with your own custom mods. However, hosting a server can be costly, especially if you’re just starting out. In this article, we’ll be showing you how to host a Rust server for free. Here’s what we’ll be covering:

Choosing a Rust Server Host

Before we get started, we need to choose a Rust server host. There are a lot of options out there, but we recommend using servers that are specifically designed for Rust. Some of the best options include:

Rust Hosts

Rust Hosts is a popular option for hosting Rust servers. They offer reliable servers with great uptime and a user-friendly control panel. They also offer a free tier, which is perfect for small groups. Here’s how to sign up:

Step 1: Sign up for Rust Hosts

Head over to the Rust Hosts website and sign up for an account. You’ll need to provide your email address and create a password.

Step 2: Create a Server

Once you’ve signed up, you can create a new server by clicking on the “New Server” button. You’ll need to choose a name for your server and select the free tier.

Step 3: Configure Your Server

Once your server has been created, you can configure it to your liking. Rust Hosts offers a lot of customization options, so take your time and make sure everything is set up the way you want it.

Step 4: Share Your Server

Finally, you’ll need to share your server with your friends. Rust Hosts provides you with a unique IP address and a port number, which you can share with your friends. They can then use this information to connect to your server in Rust.

Rustafied

Rustafied is another great option for hosting Rust servers. They offer a free tier, but it’s limited to 25 players. Here’s how to sign up:

Step 1: Sign up for Rustafied

Head over to the Rustafied website and sign up for an account. You’ll need to provide your email address and create a password.

Step 2: Create a Server

Once you’ve signed up, you can create a new server by clicking on the “New Server” button. You’ll need to choose a name for your server and select the free tier.

Step 3: Configure Your Server

Once your server has been created, you can configure it to your liking. Rustafied offers a lot of customization options, so take your time and make sure everything is set up the way you want it.

Step 4: Share Your Server

Finally, you’ll need to share your server with your friends. Rustafied provides you with a unique IP address and a port number, which you can share with your friends. They can then use this information to connect to your server in Rust.

Setting Up Your Rust Server

Now that you’ve chosen a Rust server host, it’s time to set up your server. Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Install Rust Server

The first thing you need to do is download and install the Rust server software. You can download it from the Rust website.

Step 2: Configure Your Server

Once you’ve installed the Rust server software, you’ll need to configure it to your liking. This includes setting up your server name, map, and other settings.

Configuring Your Server Name

Open the server.cfg file and change the value of server.hostname to the name of your server.

Configuring Your Map

Open the server.cfg file and change the value of server.levelurl to the name of the map you want to use.

Other Settings

There are a lot of other settings you can change to customize your server. Check out the Rust documentation for more information.

Step 3: Start Your Server

Once you’ve configured your server, you can start it up by running the Rust server software.

Step 4: Invite Your Friends

Finally, you’ll need to invite your friends to join your server. Give them the IP address and port number of your server, and they should be able to connect to it in Rust.

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