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Requirements: hardware, OS and the rules

Requirements: hardware, OS and the rules

What you need to run a FiveM server: realistic hardware sizing, Windows or Linux, network, and the legal basics of the Cfx.re license, Rockstar content and Tebex.

Diese Doku ist vorerst auf Englisch.

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Before you rent a machine or promise a community a launch date, check three things: the hardware you need for the kind of server you want, the operating system you are comfortable with, and the rules you agree to when you run a FiveM server.

What you need no matter what

  • A legal copy of GTA V on the PC you play from. The server itself does not need GTA V installed.
  • A Cfx.re account and a free server license key from portal.cfx.re. One key per server.
  • A machine that stays online: your own PC for testing, or a VPS or dedicated server for a public server.
  • Open ports: 30120 TCP and UDP for players, and 40120 TCP for the txAdmin web panel (keep that one private if you can). See Ports and networking.
  • MariaDB if you plan to run a framework like QBCore, Qbox or ESX. A plain server with vMenu does not need a database. See Database setup.

Hardware sizing

Cfx.re does not publish official hardware requirements, and the real load depends far more on your resources than on your player count. A server with 40 well written scripts behaves very differently from one with 300 leaked ones. Use the table below as a starting point, then measure with txAdmin’s performance chart and the profiler.

Server type CPU RAM Storage Notes
Local test server on your PC Any modern 4 core 4 GB free 10 GB Fine for development. Run the game and the server on the same machine.
Small public server, up to ~48 players, light scripts 2 to 4 fast cores 4 to 8 GB 30 to 60 GB SSD vMenu or a light framework, a few car packs.
Roleplay server, 48 to 128 players, full framework 4+ cores with high single core speed 8 to 16 GB 60 to 120 GB NVMe MariaDB on the same machine is common at this size.
Large server, 128+ players, heavy streaming 6 to 8+ high clock cores 16 to 32 GB NVMe, plus a CDN or separate file server for assets Needs a paid Cfx.re tier for the slots, and careful script work.

A few things matter more than raw numbers:

  • Single core speed. The main server thread runs on one core. A high clock CPU beats a many core, low clock one.
  • Upload bandwidth. Every joining player downloads all your streamed assets. A 2 GB car pack times 50 players joining after a restart is 100 GB of upload. Keep packs lean, shrink textures with the YTD Optimizer, and consider a file server or CDN for big servers.
  • Disk speed. MariaDB and txAdmin logs like fast disks. Avoid spinning disks.
  • Clean IP. Some hosting IP ranges are blocked on the Cfx.re platform. Check a VPS IP with the Cfx Blacklist Checker before you pay for a year.

Important

The free slot limit is 48 players. Going above 48 needs a Cfx.re Element Club tier (Argentum or higher), bought on the Cfx.re Portal. Setting sv_maxclients 64 without it does not work.

Windows or Linux

Both are fully supported by FXServer and txAdmin.

Windows Linux
Setup Download server.7z, extract, double click FXServer.exe. Download fx.tar.xz, extract, run bash run.sh. Needs basic shell skills.
Cost Windows Server licenses make VPS plans pricier. Usually cheaper for the same hardware.
Tools HeidiSQL, CodeWalker and Windows only tools run on the same box. Everything is done over SSH. Run the game tools on your own PC.
Running as a service Scheduled task or a service wrapper. systemd, screen or tmux.
C# resources Supported. Supported.

If you have never used a Linux shell, start on Windows (even your own PC) and move to Linux later. Your resources and server.cfg work the same on both, just watch out for case sensitive file names on Linux: ensure MyResource will not find a folder called myresource.

Tip

Develop on a local Windows server, deploy to a Linux VPS. Keep the whole server folder in git so moving between them is a git pull. See Security basics for what never to commit.

Game server providers vs your own VPS

Game server providers (GSPs) give you a panel with FXServer and txAdmin preinstalled. That is the fastest way to get online, and many of them can host MariaDB for you. A VPS or dedicated server gives you full control and usually more hardware for the money, but you handle updates, backups and security yourself. These docs work for both: txAdmin looks the same everywhere.

The rules you agree to

Running a FiveM server means agreeing to the Cfx.re Platform License Agreement (the “terms”, at fivem.net/terms). It has been updated several times, including a new Creator Platform License Agreement that took effect on 12 January 2026, so read the current version yourself. This section is a plain summary, not legal advice.

What the platform allows

  • Running a server with your own game mode, scripts, maps and vehicles.
  • Making and sharing resources, free or paid.
  • Accepting money from players, but only through Tebex, Cfx.re’s authorised commerce partner, and only for things the terms allow.

What gets servers and creators in trouble

Commonly cited points from the current agreement and Cfx.re’s guidance:

  • Selling Rockstar’s content. You cannot sell access to GTA V assets, vehicles, clothing or maps that Rockstar made, or charge for things that are just the base game.
  • Loot boxes and gambling. Chance based purchases and real money gambling mechanics are not allowed.
  • Selling in-game currency or anything that can be converted back into real money.
  • Using other people’s IP. Real world brands, logos, copyrighted cars and characters. “Everyone else does it” is not a defence when a takedown arrives.
  • Leaked resources. Running or sharing leaked paid scripts is a licence violation, can get your server delisted, and leaked code is a common place to hide backdoors.
  • Hosting other people’s servers commercially without authorisation. Only authorised game server providers may do that.

Tebex and asset escrow

  • Tebex is the store you connect on the Cfx.re Portal. Players buy packages, and Tebex can run commands on your server to deliver them.
  • Asset escrow is how paid resources are protected. When a creator sells a resource on Tebex with escrow, the files are encrypted and only run for the buyer’s Cfx.re account. As a buyer you download them from the assets section of the Cfx.re Portal, logged in with the account that bought them. Escrowed resources usually leave a config.lua and a few “open” files readable so you can configure them.
  • If you sell your own work, see Publishing a resource.

Caution

If a “free” copy of a paid script shows up on a random Discord, it is leaked. Beyond the licence issue, leaked resources are one of the most common ways servers get backdoored (remote code that gives someone else admin, or drains your Tebex). Don’t run them.

Checklist before you start

  • GTA V installed and FiveM working on your PC.
  • Cfx.re account created, license key generated on the Portal.
  • Machine chosen (local PC, VPS or GSP) and its IP checked with the Cfx Blacklist Checker.
  • Ports 30120 TCP/UDP reachable, 40120 reachable at least from your own IP.
  • MariaDB installed if you want a framework.
  • A text editor (VS Code) and git.

Next: Server setup overview.