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 |
| 12 GB | ~100 slots | Medium community, standard 4000–4500 map, modded |
| 24 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/UDP — the Steam query port that lists your server in the community browser. If you do not set one explicitly, Rust derives it from the higher of the game and RCON ports, plus one.
- 28082/TCP — the Rust+ companion app. Optional; only needed if you want players to use the mobile app.
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 24 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/UDP (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, 12 or 24 GB, all ports pre-opened, DDoS protection included.