Rust Server System Requirements (CPU, RAM & Ports)
Rust — Facepunch Studios' survival game — is one of the most demanding titles to self-host. Because the entire procedurally generated map, every building and every player is simulated on the host, a Rust dedicated server is heavy on CPU single-thread performance and hungry for RAM. Here is what you actually need to run a smooth server, and how those requirements map to hosting plans.
CPU: single-thread speed matters most
Rust's server tick is largely bound by single-core performance, so a modern CPU with a high clock speed beats a many-core chip with low clocks. For a small survival server you want a recent CPU core in the 3.5 GHz+ range; larger populations and modded servers running lots of Oxide plugins benefit from faster cores rather than simply more of them.
RAM: scales with map size and players
RAM is the requirement most people underestimate. Rust loads the whole world into memory, so a bigger worldsize and a higher player count both push memory usage up. Under-provisioning RAM causes lag spikes, rubber-banding and crashes on wipe day when the map regenerates.
| Plan RAM | Recommended players | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 8 GB | ~50 slots | Small community / small map, Vanilla or light Oxide |
| 10 GB | ~100 slots | Medium community, standard 4000–4500 map, modded |
| 12 GB | ~200 slots | Large community, big map, heavily modded Oxide/uMod |
These are the tiers offered on Rust on Flux. If you run a large procedural map or a plugin-heavy modded server, size up a tier — a starved server is a laggy server.
Ports you must open
A Rust server uses three ports. Miss the query port and your server runs but never appears in the in-game browser:
- 28015/UDP — the game port players connect to.
- 28016/TCP — RCON, for remote admin and the WebRcon console.
- 28017/TCP — the Steam query port that lists your server in the community browser.
Storage, bandwidth and OS
Server files plus map and save data are modest — budget a few gigabytes, more if you keep many backups. Bandwidth scales with player count; a busy 100+ slot server pushes real traffic, so a host with strong network capacity and DDoS protection matters. Rust servers most commonly run on Linux (Debian/Ubuntu) for lower overhead, though Windows is supported. On a managed host like Flux the OS, ports, DDoS mitigation and monthly Facepunch updates are all handled for you.
Server requirements FAQ
How many players can a Rust server hold?
It is configurable via server.maxplayers. Common community servers run 50–200 players; the ceiling in practice is set by your CPU and RAM. Our 12 GB tier comfortably targets ~200 slots.
Is Rust CPU or RAM bound?
Both, but single-thread CPU speed sets your tick rate and RAM sets how large a map and player count you can hold. Prioritise a fast core and enough memory for your map size.
What ports does a Rust server use?
28015/UDP (game), 28016/TCP (RCON) and 28017/TCP (Steam query). All three should be open; 28017 is what makes the server appear in the browser.
Deploy a right-sized Rust server on Flux — pick 8, 10 or 12 GB, all ports pre-opened, DDoS protection included.