How to Host a Terraria Server in 2026: Vanilla, tModLoader or TShock

To host a Terraria server, pick the server type first: vanilla for the base game, tModLoader for content mods like Calamity, or TShock for admin tools. Give it 1 GB for a small vanilla group and 2 to 3 GB for bigger groups or mods, open TCP port 7777, and set world size, difficulty and password.

Terraria is one of the lightest games you can host, which makes it a great first server. The catch is that the setup forks early: vanilla, tModLoader and TShock are separate server builds, not toggles, and picking the wrong one usually means redoing the setup. This guide covers how to host a Terraria server in 2026, which build to pick, and the few settings that actually matter.

How to host a Terraria server: the short version

• Pick one server type: vanilla (base game), tModLoader (content mods, every player runs tModLoader) or TShock (server-side admin, players keep the normal game).
• 1 GB runs a small vanilla world, 2 GB suits about 8 players or a light mod list, and 3 GB covers bigger groups and big content mods like Calamity.
• Terraria uses TCP port 7777, and world size, difficulty and password are set before the world generates.

Vanilla vs tModLoader vs TShock: which Terraria server should you run?

• Vanilla runs the base game, now on version 1.4.5 (the Bigger & Boulder update). Players join with the normal game, no extra steps. Pick this for a persistent world with friends and no mods.
• tModLoader adds content mods: new items, bosses, biomes and big overhauls like Calamity. Every player needs tModLoader, a free separate app on Steam for Terraria owners, and when they join it offers to download any of the server's mods they are missing. One thing to know in 2026: tModLoader's stable release is still built on Terraria 1.4.4 while the 1.4.5 port is in progress, so modded worlds do not have the 1.4.5 content yet.
• TShock is a server-side admin and plugin framework: groups and permissions, region protection, item bans, anti-cheat and server-side characters, with no client mods at all. TShock 6 supports Terraria 1.4.5. Pick this for a public or community server where moderation matters more than new content.

TShock and tModLoader do not run together. Want content mods? Run tModLoader. Want admin power on the unmodded game? Run TShock.

How much RAM does a Terraria server need?

Less than most games. The Terraria wiki puts a small vanilla world at about 500 MB of free RAM, rising with world size and player count, and first-time world generation briefly uses around 650 MB. TShock's own docs ask for at least 1 GB. Mods are what change the math, because every tModLoader mod adds to memory and big content mods add a lot.

A practical sizing guide:

• 1 GB: a small vanilla or TShock world for a few friends.
• 1.5 to 2 GB: up to about 8 players, a bigger world, or a light tModLoader list of quality-of-life mods.
• 3 GB: up to 16 players, or a big content mod like Calamity with your group.
• Beyond that: Calamity with its add-ons plus several other large content mods, played by a big group, can outgrow 3 GB. If that is your plan, talk to support about a bigger server before you start.

After a session or two, check memory use in your panel. If it sits near the limit, size up. If it barely moves, you picked well.

How to set up a tModLoader server

1. Choose tModLoader as the server build. On your own machine, the dedicated server comes with tModLoader itself, from Steam or GitHub.
2. In your own game, enable the mods you want, then open Workshop, Mod Packs, Save Enabled as New Mod Pack and Open Mod Pack Folder. Its Mods folder holds the .tmod files and an enabled.json that lists them.
3. Copy those files into the server's mods folder. On BruceNode that is the mods folder in the server's main directory, uploaded through the Files tab or SFTP.
4. Restart from the Console tab. Add big content mods before the world generates, because mods like Calamity add their own biomes during world generation. If a world was already created without them, set a new world name in the Startup tab and restart for a fresh one.
5. Keep everyone on the same tModLoader version as the server. A version mismatch is the most common reason a player cannot join.

How to set up a TShock server

1. Choose TShock as the server build. On first start it creates a tshock folder with config.json and a tshock.sqlite database for accounts, groups and regions.
2. Find the setup code in the console (it is also saved to tshock/setup-code.txt). Join the server and type /setup <code> in chat to get temporary admin.
3. Create your account with /user add <name> <password> owner, log in with /login <name> <password>, then type /setup again to switch setup mode off.
4. Set the server password and other options in tshock/config.json.
5. Add plugins by dropping their .dll files into the ServerPlugins folder and restarting. The tshock-plugin topic on GitHub is a good place to find them.

TShock is the right call the moment your server is public, because region protection saves you from rebuilding spawn after the first griefer.

Hosting a Terraria server on BruceNode

Pick vanilla, tModLoader or TShock at checkout and the server installs with that build. Vanilla creates a Classic world on first start. To play Expert, Master or Journey on vanilla or tModLoader, change the difficulty and set a new world name in the Startup tab, then restart, and a fresh world generates in that mode.

Plans run from Micro (1 GB, $1.50/mo) to Large (3 GB, $8/mo), with Medium (2 GB, $4/mo) the popular pick. Servers run from our Canada location, the game port is assigned automatically and shown in the panel, every plan includes NVMe storage and DDoS protection, and our free subdomain tool gives friends a name to type instead of an IP. Comparing hosts first? Here is what to look for in a game server host.

Start a Terraria server on BruceNode and use code BRUCE20 for 20% off your first month. Your world can be up before the next Blood Moon.

Terraria server FAQ

What port does a Terraria server use?

TCP port 7777 by default. On BruceNode your port comes from our Terraria range and is shown in the panel, so players enter your IP or subdomain, then that port.

Can you run tModLoader and TShock together?

No. TShock does not support tModLoader, so pick one: tModLoader for content mods, TShock for moderation on the unmodded game.

Do players need mods installed to join a tModLoader server?

They need tModLoader on the same version as the server. When they connect, tModLoader offers to download any of the server's mods they are missing.

Can I play the 1.4.5 update on a modded server?

Not on tModLoader's stable release yet, which is still built on 1.4.4. Vanilla and TShock servers run 1.4.5 today, so you can explore the new content right away.