Self-Hosting vs. Renting an Enshrouded Server: Which Is Better?

Self-hosting is better if you already have a Windows PC that can stay powered, meet Keen Games’ hardware and upload guidance, and someone is willing to handle networking, updates and backups. Renting is better when your group wants an always-available world without dedicating a home computer or connection to server duty. Both options run the same Enshrouded dedicated-server software. The real difference is who supplies and maintains the Windows machine, internet connection, storage and support.

What is the difference between self-hosting and renting an Enshrouded server?

A self-hosted server runs on your own Windows computer and home internet connection. You control the executable, configuration file, save data, logs, firewall rules and backups, but you also pay the electricity bill and perform every maintenance task.

A rented server runs in a provider’s data center. You normally manage it through a web control panel while the provider supplies the physical machine, operating system, public network connection and, depending on the plan, automated restarts and backups. Keen Games says it partnered with G-Portal for dedicated-server rentals and that players may also use other providers.

The game itself does not become a different edition when you rent. World progression is stored on the dedicated server, while each player’s character progression is stored on that player’s client. A dedicated server matters when the world should remain available while its owner is offline; if everyone always plays together, an ordinary player-hosted session may be sufficient.

Which option is better for most Enshrouded groups?

Use the following decision rule before comparing prices:

• Choose self-hosting when you already own a suitable Windows desktop or spare PC, can provide reliable upload capacity, and have a technically comfortable administrator.
• Choose renting when 24/7 availability, a convenient geographic location, or reduced maintenance matters more than eliminating a monthly bill.
• Choose a normal player-hosted session when the same person is present for nearly every play session and nobody needs the world online while that person is away.

For a small, trusted group with existing hardware, self-hosting usually has the lower ongoing cash cost. For a community, irregular schedule or group spread across regions, renting usually reduces operational friction.

How do self-hosting and renting compare?

Factor	Self-hosted	Rented
Upfront cost	Requires a Windows PC, SSD capacity and networking equipment you may not already own.	Usually no server hardware purchase; you pay the provider’s recurring charge.
Recurring cost	Electricity and your existing internet service; no separate server-rental bill because the software is bundled with the Steam game.	Monthly or longer-term rental fee; exact prices vary by provider and date.
Availability	The machine must be powered and connected whenever players expect access.	Designed for continuous availability, subject to the provider’s maintenance and outages.
Operating system	Windows is currently the documented platform. Linux support is planned but not yet documented as available.	The provider handles the host operating system, but you should confirm that its server build is current.
Setup effort	Install the Steam Tool, edit JSON, configure Windows Firewall and router forwarding, and test access.	Create a server in a control panel and select a region and slot count; exact controls differ by provider.
Control	Direct access to configuration, saves, logs, executable and backup files.	Control is limited to the provider’s panel and file-access features.
Backups and restore	You choose the schedule, destination and retention policy.	Automated backups may be available, but frequency, retention and download access must be checked before purchase.
Geographic placement	Players connect to your home connection, which may be excellent for local friends and poor for distant ones.	You can usually select a data-center region, but actual locations and latency vary.
Support	You are the support desk for ports, crashes, updates and restores.	The provider may help with infrastructure and panel issues; game-specific support policies differ.

What hardware does a self-hosted Enshrouded server need?

Keen Games’ 2024 guidance recommends the following baseline for an active group. The CPU requirement rises for a full 16-player server, while the published RAM, storage and per-player bandwidth guidance remains the same.

Active players	CPU guidance	RAM	Storage	Network guidance
4–6	Six cores/12 threads, Intel Core i7-class at about 3.2 GHz or an AMD equivalent	16 GB	SSD with at least 30 GB free	About 2 Mbit/s upload per active player, with roughly matching download
Up to 16	Eight cores/16 threads at about 3.7 GHz or an AMD equivalent	16 GB	SSD with at least 30 GB free	About 2 Mbit/s upload per active player, with roughly matching download

The CPU figures are recommendations, not a guarantee of a particular frame rate or latency. For 16 players, multiplying the per-player guidance gives roughly 32 Mbit/s aggregate upload. Treat that as a planning target and leave headroom for video calls, cloud synchronization and other household traffic; it is arithmetic from Keen Games’ per-player figure, not a separately published benchmark.

How much RAM does the server actually use?

Keen Games’ 2025 FAQ reports about 4.4 GB of physical RAM while the server is idle. Each additional player can add up to 100 MB, and total server-process use is not expected to exceed about 6 GB under the described conditions. Each additional saved world can also add up to 100 MB.

The 16 GB recommendation therefore includes room for Windows, security software, Steam and other processes. It does not mean the Enshrouded process itself consumes 16 GB. A machine that barely meets the recommendation may still struggle if it is also used for a demanding game, recording, streaming or numerous background services.

How much storage is needed?

Keen Games recommends 30 GB of free space for the server installation. Save files are created every five minutes and can range from about 1 MB to 100 MB. Keep additional capacity for multiple worlds, rolling backups, logs and temporary update files instead of treating 30 GB as a complete long-term backup plan.

Do I need to leave my PC on to self-host?

Yes. Players can connect only while the host computer is powered on, the dedicated-server process is running, and the home connection and router are reachable. Sleep mode, a laptop lid closing, a Windows update reboot or a power outage will make the world unavailable.

The server can run in the background, but Keen Games’ FAQ says a DOS window remains visible. Plan for a small, stable Windows machine rather than a gaming PC that someone routinely shuts down. Configure Windows to avoid automatic sleep, schedule maintenance for times nobody plays, and consider an uninterruptible power supply if unexpected shutdowns would be costly.

How do I set up a self-hosted Enshrouded server?

The exact menus can change with Steam updates, but the documented workflow is straightforward.

1. Own and unlock the game on Steam. Buying and unlocking Enshrouded unlocks the dedicated server in Steam’s Tools section.
2. Install the dedicated-server tool on Windows. Linux is not currently a documented supported platform; Keen Games says Linux support is planned for later.
3. Reserve the machine. Use an SSD with at least 30 GB free, 16 GB RAM and a CPU appropriate to your expected player count. For 16 players, plan around the stronger eight-core/16-thread recommendation.
4. Open the configuration file. The server uses enshrouded_server.json. Make a backup copy before editing it.
5. Set the server’s identity and slots. The documented slotCount range is 1 to 16. Choose a value that matches your group rather than exposing unused slots.
6. Allow the documented query port. The default query port is 15637. Permit the server through Windows Firewall and forward the required port on your router to the host PC. The router’s interface and protocol labels vary, so verify the current game documentation and your router’s instructions instead of copying a generic rule.
7. Start the process and test locally. Confirm that the process stays running, the DOS window remains open as expected, and the world loads without errors. Test from another device on the same network before asking friends outside the network to connect.
8. Test from outside your home network. Ask a friend on a different connection to join. If local connections work but outside connections fail, check the firewall rule, port forwarding, the host’s local IP address and whether your ISP places the connection behind carrier-grade NAT.
9. Define maintenance and backups. Saves are made every five minutes, but that is not a substitute for a separate backup. Copy the save directory while the server is stopped or use a method that produces a consistent snapshot. Keep several dated versions on another drive or machine.
10. Document updates and recovery. Record the installed server build, configuration changes and backup locations. Stop the server cleanly before updating, preserve the previous build and restore a copy of the world before attempting risky troubleshooting.

What are the hidden costs and responsibilities of self-hosting?

Eliminating a rental invoice does not make hosting free. A desktop drawing continuous power can add noticeable electricity cost, and an older computer may need an SSD, memory or network upgrade. You also assume the cost of downtime: if the machine crashes while nobody is home, friends cannot repair it for you.

• Power and cooling: the host must remain on, and heat or fan noise may matter in a living space.
• Internet capacity: upload is usually the limiting direction. Other household traffic can create lag even when a speed test shows enough headline bandwidth.
• Security: exposing a service through the router increases the importance of Windows updates, strong account passwords and a firewall rule limited to the required service.
• Administration: someone must apply server updates, check logs, restart after failures, rotate backups and communicate planned downtime.
• Recovery: a saved world is valuable only if you can locate, copy and restore it. Test a restore before the group has hundreds of hours invested.

What does renting remove, and what does it not guarantee?

Renting removes the need to keep a personal Windows PC online and shifts machine, network and control-panel operations to the host. It is attractive when players live far apart, need a region closer to most of the group, or cannot configure a home router.

It does not automatically guarantee better gameplay or better support. Before paying, verify the provider’s current Enshrouded build, physical region, CPU and RAM allocation, slot limit, restart controls, update timing, backup schedule, save-download access, cancellation terms and refund rules. Prices, locations, support quality, mod policies and backup retention are volatile and were not established uniformly by official documentation.

Ask specifically whether you can download a complete save, restore an earlier version, change the slot count, trigger a clean restart and move the world elsewhere. A low headline price may be less useful than a slightly more expensive plan with nearby placement, transparent backups and responsive support.

Is renting worth it for a 16-player community?

For a 16-player community, renting often wins on administration even when self-hosting is technically possible. Keen Games’ guidance points to an eight-core/16-thread CPU and about 32 Mbit/s aggregate upload before household headroom. A home connection that cannot sustain that upload consistently will create a worse experience than a suitably located data center.

Self-hosting remains reasonable when the community already owns the hardware, has dependable upstream bandwidth and has a named administrator. Measure real upload performance during the hours people play; do not rely only on the internet plan’s advertised maximum.

How should I choose between self-hosting, renting and a player-hosted game?

Pick self-hosting when these statements are true

• A compatible Windows machine can stay powered whenever access is expected.
• The group is small or the household connection has substantial upload headroom.
• One person accepts responsibility for ports, updates, backups and recovery.
• You want direct access to saves and configuration without a provider’s policy limits.

Pick renting when these statements are true

• Players need access at different times or across several time zones.
• No one wants to leave a home PC running or expose a home router.
• A nearby data-center region would improve latency for a geographically scattered group.
• The group values a control panel and provider-managed infrastructure more than the lowest recurring cost.

Pick a normal player-hosted session when these statements are true

• Everyone normally plays at the same time.
• The host is present for every session.
• The group does not need a persistent world between play sessions.

What common self-hosting problems should I expect?

Friends cannot see the server

First confirm that the dedicated-server process is running and that the host’s local IP address has not changed. Then check the Windows Firewall rule and router forwarding for the documented default query port, 15637. If the rule works inside the home network but not from the internet, investigate carrier-grade NAT or an ISP restriction.

The server is reachable but feels laggy

Check upload saturation while players are connected, especially when another household member is uploading files or streaming. Reduce competing traffic, use wired Ethernet for the host, and compare latency from each player’s region. A faster download plan will not fix an upload bottleneck.

The process stops after an update

Stop the server, preserve the current configuration and save backups, then install the matching dedicated-server build. Avoid deleting the save directory while troubleshooting. If a provider hosts the world, ask whether it has completed the game update and whether a rollback is available.

A world appears to have lost progress

Remember that saves are produced every five minutes, so progress since the latest save may not exist after a crash. Stop writing to the affected world, identify the newest intact backup and restore it to a separate test location before replacing the live copy.

What is the bottom-line recommendation?

Self-host when you already have suitable Windows hardware, reliable upload capacity and an administrator who wants control. Rent when continuous availability and low maintenance are worth a recurring fee, particularly for groups spread across regions or approaching the 16-player limit. Neither option changes the underlying dedicated-server software; it changes who carries the infrastructure risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run the dedicated server and play Enshrouded on the same PC?

The official guidance describes server hardware and player clients separately and does not promise a supported combined-use configuration. It may work on a sufficiently powerful machine, but running the game and server together consumes CPU, memory, storage and upload headroom; a separate host is safer for a busy group.

Can I change the player limit after creating the server?

The configuration file allows slotCount values from 1 through 16. Change the value in enshrouded_server.json while the server is stopped, keep a backup of the original file, and restart before testing the new limit.

Does a five-minute save interval replace manual backups?

No. The interval controls automatic save creation, not protection from deletion, corruption or a bad update. Keep dated copies on storage separate from the live server and periodically verify that one can be restored.

Can I host on Linux today?

Keen Games’ dedicated-server installation guidance currently documents Windows support only and says Linux support is planned for later. A Linux compatibility layer or unofficial workaround is therefore outside the documented support path.

What should I ask a rental provider before paying?

Ask for the exact region, Enshrouded build, CPU and RAM allocation, maximum slots, backup retention, save-download and restore controls, restart and update behavior, cancellation terms and support response expectations. These details vary by provider and can change independently of the game’s official requirements.