Terraria 1.4.5 added a wealth of new content, including boss events, biome expansions, and quality-of-life improvements. If you want to experience it all with friends, you need a dedicated server. This guide walks you through the setup process.
System Requirements for a 1.4.5 Server
Terraria servers are lightweight compared to most other games. For vanilla 1.4.5, 512 MB of RAM is sufficient for 4-8 players. With tModLoader and multiple mods, we recommend 1-2 GB. CPU load is minimal since Terraria runs single-threaded.
How much RAM do I need for a modded Terraria server?
A vanilla server needs 512 MB. With tModLoader and 10+ mods, allocate at least 1 GB. For 20+ large mods like Calamity + Thorium together, go for 2 GB. World size matters too: a Large world uses about 30% more memory than Small.
Installing tModLoader
tModLoader is the most popular mod loader for Terraria. Since 1.4.5, it is available directly through Steam as a separate item. On your game server:
- Stop your current Terraria server in the panel
- Select "tModLoader" as server software in settings (or install via Steam Workshop ID)
- Restart the server and wait for tModLoader to fully load
- Upload your desired mods through the mod browser or via SFTP to the Mods folder
- Restart the server to activate the mods
What are the most popular Terraria mods in 2026?
The most popular mods in 2026 are Calamity Mod (new bosses and biomes), Thorium (extra classes), Recipe Browser (crafting helper), and Boss Checklist. For a completely new experience, the Calamity + Fargo's Mutant Mod combination is extremely popular.
Optimizing Server Settings
In serverconfig.txt, you can adjust several settings. The most important for performance:
- maxplayers - Set this to the actual number of players, not higher. Each extra slot reserves memory.
- worldname and autocreate - Choose world size. 1 = Small, 2 = Medium, 3 = Large.
- difficulty - 0 = Normal, 1 = Expert, 2 = Master, 3 = Journey. Master produces the most drops but needs more RAM due to extra spawns.
- npcstream - Set to 15-30 for better NPC loading with many players.
Can I play Terraria crossplay between PC and mobile?
No, Terraria does not support crossplay between platforms. PC players (Steam) can only connect with other PC players. Console and mobile have their own multiplayer systems that are not compatible with dedicated servers.
