The Space Age expansion reinvigorated Factorio’s playerbase significantly — peak concurrent players hit 118,000 at launch, and consequently the game remains far more active than before. Space Age introduces interplanetary logistics across multiple planets (Nauvis, Vulcanus, Fulgora, Gleba, Aquilo) and adds space platform construction. Notably, space platforms simulate on separate “surfaces,” which in practice means heavier CPU demands than a single-planet factory. All three Space Age mods — space-age, quality and elevated-rails — must be enabled in mod-list.json. Furthermore, players must own the DLC to join a Space Age server.
Factorio is fundamentally different from every other game in this guide — it’s primarily a solo experience that happens to have multiplayer. However, a dedicated server changes the dynamic considerably: friends can drop in and contribute to the factory on their own schedule, the world runs 24/7 without one player holding host, and the factory continues to produce even when nobody is logged in. That said, choosing the right server matters more for Factorio than for almost any other game, because the simulation is entirely CPU-bound and single-threaded. As a result, a factory that runs at 60 UPS on the right hardware stutters at 30 UPS on the wrong one — and specifically, the performance gap between high-clock Ryzen hardware and the EPYC CPUs common on budget hosts is measurable and frustrating at megabase scale. This guide covers providers from our full UK hosting panel — ranked for the single-core performance, mod support and GBP pricing that Factorio engineers actually need.
Factorio measures server performance in UPS — Updates Per Second. A healthy server runs at 60 UPS; consequently, everything below that causes the game to slow down proportionally. For example, 30 UPS means the game runs at half speed for all players simultaneously. As a result, CPU single-core performance is the only hardware metric that matters. More cores don’t compensate for a lower clock — in practice, one fast core beats eight slow ones every time.
Unlike most games where RAM is fixed by player count, Factorio’s memory usage grows with factory complexity. Specifically, early-game servers use 1–2GB comfortably, whereas late-game megabases with thousands of entities, trains and logistic bots can consume 4–8GB or more. Furthermore, Space Age increases this further due to multiple planetary surfaces running simultaneously. In practice, it’s worth starting with 2GB and upgrading as the factory grows rather than over-speccing at the start.
Factorio enforces exact mod version matching — if your server runs Space Exploration 6.0.14, all connecting players must have precisely that version installed. This is notably stricter than Source engine games. Moreover, most 1.1 mods are not compatible with 2.0. As a result, it’s essential to confirm mod compatibility before installing a new version on an active server — otherwise, players are immediately locked out until they update their local installations.
Best Factorio server hosting UK
Ranked by UK/London node, single-core CPU performance for UPS, mod support, Space Age readiness and GBP value. DatHost does not offer Factorio — top 3 is LOW.MS / Host Havoc / GTX Gaming.
LOW.MS
Gold Pick
🇬🇧 London UK
LOW.MS earns the top UK spot for Factorio through three factors working together. First and most importantly, the Ryzen 9 9950X’s high boost clock gives the simulation the single-core headroom that large, active factories demand. Additionally, the London UK node ensures that British engineers and their friends experience sub-20ms latency — relevant in Factorio specifically because desync events and latency-hiding glitches are more noticeable with complex logistics networks active. Furthermore, the 5-day refund window is long enough to actually build a meaningful factory, stress-test the UPS, and evaluate performance under representative load before committing.
For Space Age specifically, LOW.MS’s scalable RAM matters considerably. Space Age’s multiple planetary surfaces each simulate independently — as a result, RAM consumption is higher than vanilla Factorio, particularly once space platforms, Gleba biochambers and Vulcanus foundries are all running simultaneously. Starting with a mid-range RAM allocation and upgrading as the factory grows is a viable approach precisely because LOW.MS allows scaling without migrating to a new server.
Full FTP access and a file manager cover mod-list.json editing, server-settings.json configuration and save file uploads. The Corero DDoS protection on the London node matters for public Factorio servers, which occasionally attract unwanted traffic. Overall, at £8.12/mo with a 5-day refund, LOW.MS represents the clearest value proposition for UK Factorio communities running active or large-scale factories.
- ✓ Ryzen 9 9950X — highest single-core for UPS headroom
- ✓ London UK — sub-20ms, no desync latency issues
- ✓ Scalable RAM — upgrade as factory grows
- ✓ Space Age 2.0 ready · full mod support · FTP
- ✓ Corero DDoS · 5-day refund · 4.8★ Trustpilot
- ✗ No one-click mod installer (manual mod-list.json)
- ✗ Fewer locations than BisectHosting
Host Havoc
Silver Pick
🇬🇧 London
Host Havoc’s Factorio-specific TCAdmin template covers the configuration options that matter in practice: server-settings.json editing, mod folder management, save file uploads, Space Age DLC enablement through mod-list.json and auth token configuration for public server visibility. Additionally, their sub-10-minute support response time is notably valuable for Factorio specifically — mod version mismatches can lock all players out instantly, and resolving them quickly depends on fast human support rather than automated ticket queues.
At $14/mo (£10.36) as a flat rate on a London UK node, Host Havoc positions well for communities that prioritise consistent performance and fast support over the lowest possible entry price. Furthermore, their 72-hour refund provides enough time to upload a save file, run the simulation and evaluate UPS under the factory’s actual load.
- ✓ Own hardware — consistent UPS, no cloud spike throttle
- ✓ London UK · Factorio-specific TCAdmin template
- ✓ Space Age 2.0 · full mod support · auth token config
- ✓ 4.8★ from 1,515 reviews · <10 min support
- ✓ NVMe · DDoS protection · auto backups
- ✗ 72h refund (shorter than LOW.MS 5-day)
- ✗ Higher entry price vs GTX Gaming
GTX Gaming
Bronze Pick
🇬🇧 London + Stockholm
Best budget UK
GTX Gaming is the strongest budget UK option for Factorio, combining DDR5 5.7GHz hardware — which in practice delivers solid single-core UPS performance — with both London and Stockholm UK nodes for coverage across British and Scandinavian engineering groups. Their game switching feature is notably useful for Factorio communities, since it’s common to rotate between Factorio and other survival games during breaks between major factory projects. Moreover, at $12.99/mo entry with a 7-day refund, GTX Gaming gives more time than any of our top 3 to properly evaluate UPS performance under real factory load.
Full mod support through FTP and a file manager covers mod-list.json editing for Space Age enablement, mod .zip uploads to the mods folder, and server-settings.json configuration for auth tokens and public visibility. Additionally, their control panel exposes the common configuration options without requiring direct file editing — consequently, less technically experienced players can manage most settings through the panel interface rather than needing to navigate JSON files directly.
- ✓ DDR5 5.7GHz — solid single-core UPS headroom
- ✓ London + Stockholm UK · 7-day refund
- ✓ Space Age 2.0 · full mod support
- ✓ Game switching · competitive £9.63/mo entry
- ✓ 4.7★ (1,386 reviews)
- ✗ Less single-core clarity vs LOW.MS Ryzen 9 9950X
- ✗ Per-slot pricing model
All Factorio hosting providers compared
GBP ($1=£0.741, ). ✅ UK = confirmed London node. SA = Space Age 2.0 confirmed. ⚠ = verify directly. DatHost does not offer Factorio.
| # | Provider | GBP/mo | 🇬🇧 UK? | Space Age | Trustpilot | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOW.MS | £8.12 | ✅ London | ✅ | 4.8★ (193) | Ryzen 9 9950X · scalable RAM · 5-day refund · Corero DDoS | Visit → |
| 2 | Host Havoc | £10.36 | ✅ London | ✅ | 4.8★ (1,515) | Own HW · Factorio template · <10 min · 72h refund | Visit → |
| 3 | GTX Gaming | from £9.63 | ✅ London + Stockholm | ✅ | 4.7★ (1,386) | DDR5 5.7GHz · game switch · 7-day refund | Visit → |
| 4 |  BisectHosting | ~£8.89–13 | ✅ London | ✅ | 4.8★ (25,348) | 21 locations · 15 min support · 3-day backup | Visit → |
| 5 |  Apex Hosting | from £2.22 | ✅ London | ✅ | 4.8★ (8,054) | Beginner-friendly · £2.99/mo entry · 7-day | Visit → |
| 6 |  Gaming Deluxe | ~£10 | ✅ London · GBP | ✅ | 4.5★ (82) | UK company · GBP billing · DDR5 5.0GHz+ | Visit → |
| 7 |  GGServers | ~£4.45 | ✅ London | ✅ | 4.6★ (3,407) | Budget UK · London · NVMe | Visit → |
| 8 |  Shockbyte | ~£3.71 | ✅ EU | ✅ | 3.8★ (10,176) | Budget entry · unlimited slots · 72h refund | Visit → |
| 9 |  SparkedHost | from £5.93 | ✅ EU + UK | ✅ | 4.8★ (2,291) | Ryzen DDR5 · Apollo panel · 48h refund | Visit → |
| 10 |  ScalaCube | ~£5.93 | ✅ UK + EU | ✅ | 4.5★ (4,713) | UK node · beginner-friendly · one-click setup | Visit → |
| 11 |  Nitrado | ~£4.59 | ✅ EU | ✅ | 3.6★ (7,403) | Pay-as-go · from $6.19/mo · 4-player entry | Visit → |
| 12 |  G-Portal | ~£12.10 | ✅ Frankfurt | ✅ | 4.0★ (2,836) | $16.33/mo · 20 slots · Frankfurt DE | Visit → |
| 13 |  Survival Servers | ~£7.41+ | ✅ EU | ✅ | 4.7★ (862) | EU nodes · Xeon NVMe · instant setup | Visit → |
| 14 |  Indifferent Broccoli | ~£12.59 | ⚠ Germany EU | ✅ | 4.4★ (792) | Uncapped RAM pool · 7-day refund · EU only | Visit → |
| 15 |  AleForge | £5.93 (8GB) | ⚠ US only | ✅ | 4.9★ (139) | Cheapest/GB · US only · 7-day refund | Visit → |
| 16 |  Hostinger | £7.03 | ✅ UK VPS | ✅ | 4.7★ (66k+) | VPS · root access · Linux · manual setup | Visit → |
| 17 |  Wabbanode | ~£8.89 | ⚠ Verify | ✅ | 4.7★ (42) | Ryzen 9 7950X DDR5 · verify UK node | Visit → |
DatHost does not offer Factorio. ⚠ = verify directly. Prices GBP, . Port UDP 34197 (game), TCP 27015 (RCON). Auth token from factorio.com required for public server browser.
UPS — the only performance metric that matters for Factorio hosting
Most games measure server performance in FPS or player count. Factorio, however, uses a fundamentally different metric: UPS — Updates Per Second. Understanding UPS is essential before choosing a hosting plan, because it explains why some providers perform dramatically better than others for large factories.
60 UPS is the target — the game simulates 60 ticks per second, and consequently everything runs at normal speed. Belts move at full speed, inserters cycle correctly, trains follow their schedules on time, and circuit networks trigger exactly when they should. In practice, most servers easily maintain 60 UPS on early-game factories regardless of hardware. The challenge arrives specifically as bases scale toward megabase territory, where the number of simulated entities grows into the hundreds of thousands.
Below 60 UPS, the entire game slows proportionally for all players simultaneously. For example, 30 UPS means the factory runs at half speed — belts move slower, trains take twice as long to reach their destinations, and production rates halve across the entire factory. Moreover, this affects all connected players equally regardless of their individual computers’ performance. As a result, a factory that was perfectly optimised to run at X items/minute at 60 UPS produces X/2 at 30 UPS — a direct production penalty.
Why single-core clock speed is the only hardware metric that matters
Factorio’s simulation engine is deterministic and single-threaded. Every entity update — specifically, every belt item position, every inserter arm cycle, every assembler crafting tick, every train path calculation — runs sequentially on a single CPU thread. Furthermore, this is by design: the deterministic model ensures every player’s game state stays perfectly synchronised without a centralised authority resolving conflicts.
As a result, adding more CPU cores does nothing to improve UPS beyond what a single core can achieve. However, a faster single core — specifically, a higher boost clock — directly translates to more entity updates per second, and therefore higher sustainable UPS on larger factories. In practice, this means a Ryzen 9 9950X at 5.7GHz outperforms a 32-core EPYC running at 3.0GHz for Factorio, despite the EPYC having vastly more total compute. For Factorio hosting in particular, this makes hardware selection unusually important compared to other games.
How to check UPS on your server
/perf in console → shows UPS breakdown by category/time → shows tick rate/c game.map_settings.enemy_expansion.enabled=false → disable biter expansion for UPS gainSpace Age & mod-list.json — enabling DLC on your server
Space Age (released October 2024 alongside Factorio 2.0) is the largest expansion the game has received. However, enabling it on a dedicated server requires specific configuration steps that differ from vanilla Factorio. Understanding these steps upfront prevents the most common Space Age hosting mistakes.
Enabling Space Age in mod-list.json
Set space-age, quality and elevated-rails all to false in mod-list.json. The server consequently runs vanilla 2.0 without DLC content. This is the correct setting if your group doesn’t all own Space Age — furthermore, it’s also useful for speedrun or challenge servers where Space Age content would interfere with the objective.
The recommended workflow for Space Age starts is to create your save locally in Factorio’s single-player menu — this allows tweaking map generation settings through the GUI. Afterwards, upload the resulting .zip save file to the server’s saves/ directory via FTP. The server then loads that save on startup, and importantly the Space Age flag is embedded in the save itself.
Most mods built for Factorio 1.1 are not compatible with 2.0. Before adding any community mod to a 2.0 or Space Age server, check the “Required Version” field on the Factorio mod portal. Adding an incompatible mod will typically prevent the server from starting correctly — consequently, always test mod additions on a fresh save before applying them to an active community server.
Space Age hardware impact
Space Age introduces multiple planetary surfaces — Nauvis (the base planet), Vulcanus, Fulgora, Gleba and Aquilo — each of which simulates independently. Additionally, space platforms themselves run as separate surface simulations. As a result, a fully active Space Age factory with players on multiple planets simultaneously is considerably more demanding than an equivalent vanilla factory. Specifically, plan for 2–3× the RAM of an equivalent vanilla game at the same factory scale, and moreover ensure your server has strong single-core performance for the increased simulation load.
server-settings.json — complete reference for UK Factorio servers
Unlike most games that use plain .cfg or .ini files, Factorio uses JSON for its server configuration. All settings live in server-settings.json, and the structure is strict — malformed JSON prevents the server from starting. Most managed hosts expose a panel editor that handles the JSON formatting automatically, however FTP access allows direct editing for advanced configurations.
For public server listing, you need either a username+password or a username+token combination. However, the token is strongly recommended — server-settings.json is stored as plaintext, consequently a password in this file is a security risk if the file is accessed. Get your auth token from factorio.com/profile. Additionally, the token doesn’t expire the way passwords might when you change them.
Setting max_players to 0 means unlimited players. In practice, the actual limit is determined by UPS headroom — a megabase already running at 60 UPS can drop significantly if more players join and begin interacting. Therefore, for large active factories it’s worth setting a specific cap that keeps UPS comfortable rather than allowing unlimited connections to a factory that can’t handle the load.
The default 10-minute autosave interval is appropriate for most servers. However, for very large megabase saves, autosaving can cause a brief UPS dip as the save writes to disk. In practice, NVMe storage minimises this significantly — consequently, it’s notably more pronounced on SATA-based hosts. Reducing autosave frequency (e.g., every 20 minutes) helps if autosave dips are noticeable.
Server ports
Mods — installation, strict matching and popular picks for 2026
Factorio has one of the most active modding communities of any game in this guide — moreover, its mods range from small quality-of-life additions to complete total conversions that effectively turn Factorio into a different game. However, Factorio enforces strict mod version matching in a way that other games don’t, which in practice requires careful coordination across all players before any mod change.
Installing mods on a managed server
mods/ directory via FTP or file managermods/mod-list.json to enable each mod by namePopular mods for 2026 multiplayer servers
The dominant total conversion — adds dozens of planets, space science and a full progression to launching from the solar system. Compatible with 2.0, though not with Space Age DLC. Notably one of the most-played mods in Factorio history.
Popular overhaul that extends progression without fully replacing vanilla. Adds new resources, processing chains and research tiers. Frequently paired with Space Exploration for combined modpacks — consequently one of the most common multiplayer combinations.
Quality-of-life mod that distributes items evenly across machines when you drag-drop them. Specifically reduces the most common multiplayer frustration of accidentally overloading one machine. Near-universal in multiplayer servers.
Allows walking between buildings and entities that would normally block movement. Essentially removes pathfinding frustration in dense factory areas — moreover, it makes multiplayer base navigation significantly more fluid when multiple engineers are working in the same area simultaneously.
Shows colour-coded indicators on machines — green for running, yellow for waiting for input, red for output full. In practice, this eliminates the most time-consuming part of factory troubleshooting, as bottlenecks become immediately visible without manual inspection of each machine.
Recipe browser that shows what produces and uses any given item. Essentially the in-game wiki replacement — for multiplayer servers with overhaul mods that add hundreds of new items, FNEI is furthermore indispensable for players who can’t memorise every new recipe chain.
RAM scaling by factory stage — plan ahead, not just for now
Unlike most games, Factorio’s hardware requirements are not fixed at server creation. Instead, they scale continuously as the factory grows — consequently, a server that handles early-game comfortably may struggle significantly at megabase scale. Planning the right starting spec and knowing when to upgrade is therefore important for long-running servers.
| Factory stage | Players | RAM | UPS risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early game (< launch) | 2–8 | 2GB | None | Any modern managed host handles this comfortably |
| Mid-game (post-launch) | 2–8 | 2–4GB | Low | UPS typically stable — however, large train networks begin to add load |
| Late-game (expansion) | 4–12 | 4–6GB | Medium | Single-core clock starts to matter; additionally, logistic bot networks are expensive |
| Megabase (1000+ SPM) | 4–12 | 6–12GB | High | High-clock Ryzen essential; furthermore, consider disabling biter expansion |
| Space Age (multi-planet) | 4–8 | 4–8GB | Medium–High | Multiple surfaces simulate independently — as a result, RAM usage is notably higher |
A common mistake is over-speccing at the start. In practice, 2GB RAM handles early-game factories comfortably. Moreover, starting small and upgrading as the factory grows is both more cost-effective and provides useful feedback on when the factory specifically starts to demand more resources.
The Factorio headless server runs natively on Linux and is specifically recommended by Wube Software. Linux requires a minimum glibc 2.30.1 (Debian 11+ equivalent). In practice, Linux uses notably less RAM than a Windows-based host for the same server, giving marginally more headroom at equivalent specs.
Autosaving a large factory compresses and writes the save file to disk. On SATA storage, this causes a noticeable UPS dip during the write. NVMe storage dramatically reduces this — consequently, on megabase servers, NVMe is effectively a requirement rather than a nice-to-have for smooth autosave performance.
Best UK Factorio host for your factory type
Ryzen 9 9950X · London UK · scalable RAM · Space Age ready · 5-day refund · from £8.12/mo. Best single-core UPS headroom for growing factories — furthermore, scalable RAM means you don’t have to migrate servers as the factory expands.
Megabases specifically require the highest single-core clock available. LOW.MS for Ryzen 9 9950X; Host Havoc for own-hardware consistency under sustained load. Both London UK. Consider 6–12GB RAM with NVMe specifically for megabase autosave performance.
£9.63/mo · London + Stockholm · DDR5 · 7-day refund · game switching. Best value for early-to-mid-game friend groups. Furthermore, game switching lets you rotate to other titles between Factorio projects.
Space Age’s multiple planetary surfaces increase RAM requirements notably. LOW.MS’s scalable RAM and Ryzen 9 9950X single-core performance handle multi-surface simulation better than fixed-spec competitors. Additionally, their 5-day refund gives time to test performance with all planets active.
From £2.22/mo · London · guided setup · 7-day refund · 4.8★ from 8,054 reviews. Best for first-time Factorio server owners who want a guided configuration experience — specifically, mod-list.json and auth token setup are the two biggest stumbling blocks for beginners.
UK-based · London · GBP billing · DDR5 5.0GHz+ · ~£10/mo. Best for UK groups or organisations wanting GBP invoicing and a British company. Furthermore, GBP billing eliminates currency conversion costs that add up over a long-running factory project.
Factorio server hosting UK — FAQ
"visibility": {"public": true} in server-settings.json. Second, and more importantly, provide your factorio.com credentials — either username + password or username + token. The auth token is strongly recommended over the password, specifically because server-settings.json is stored as plaintext on the server. Get your token from factorio.com/profile. Additionally, confirm UDP port 34197 is open — managed hosts configure this automatically, but self-hosted or VPS-based servers may need manual firewall rules. If the server appears briefly and then disappears from the browser, the token is likely incorrect or the server isn’t maintaining its registration heartbeat.