Private Rust Server Hosting: A Friends-Only Setup Guide
VYKIX managed Rust hosting starts from €29.99/mo excl. VAT, with VxShield DDoS protection and no added player-slot fee. Your order total, including applicable taxes and fees, is shown before payment. See the Rust plan and what it includes.
Before your friends start building, test your private Rust server with an account you have not invited. It should be refused. A private-server name or low player limit will still let strangers in unless you configure admission controls.
Facepunch documents two options for Rust PC: a whitelist plugin, or a zero-player limit combined with the built-in skip-queue list. Set up one of them and test it before choosing the group’s map, wipe policy and co-op rules. Facepunch’s access-control guide
Choose and test who can join
Section titled “Choose and test who can join”If you choose a whitelist plugin, confirm support for your installed Oxide or Carbon version. Add Steam IDs using the author’s permission instructions and check the log for loading errors.
For the built-in route, set server.maxplayers to 0 and put invited accounts on the skip-queue list. Administrators can join too, so review both lists. Use Facepunch’s procedure; setting a small positive limit still admits players up to that limit.
Try joining with an allowed account, then with a separate unlisted account. Repeat both checks after a framework or admission-plugin change. Back up the configuration and permissions so you can restore them. If the plugin fails to load or lets the wrong account in, restrict access until you have repaired it.
Browser visibility and admission are separate
Section titled “Browser visibility and admission are separate”Facepunch’s hidden-server setup uses query-traffic restrictions and requires administrator/root access. Check which controls your hosting service gives you before changing those rules. Keep the admission checks in place: someone can still share the address after the listing disappears.
If the server has disappeared when you wanted it listed, work through the Rust server-list diagnosis.
VYKIX’s managed Rust plan gives you game-file access, console controls and Oxide/Carbon workflows through VXPanel. After installing the framework, configure your permissions and test who can join.
Choose a wipe schedule the group understands
Section titled “Choose a wipe schedule the group understands”The monthly Rust PC update falls on the first Thursday under Facepunch’s published 2026 schedule. Plan for required map resets, then agree on any extra wipes with your friends. Check the release notice before removing data. Facepunch’s 2026 schedule
Tell the group what you plan to do with the map and with blueprints. Blueprints can stay when the release permits it, though Facepunch has required resets in the past. The November 2025 announcement did not establish a permanent monthly blueprint-wipe policy, so leave room for later requirements in your own policy. Blueprint-wipe announcement
You can schedule force wipes, map wipes, restarts and maintenance in VXPanel. Review each task’s actions, take a backup and confirm framework compatibility before using the schedule. The Rust wipe guide has 2026 dates and checks for the restart.
Pick the map before building on it
Section titled “Pick the map before building on it”Use server.worldsize to choose a world that fits how the group plays. A smaller map can cut travel time; a larger one gives people more room to explore and build apart.
Inspect a generated candidate before settling on its seed. Look for the monuments you want, usable spawn access and routes between them. If the group has started building and wants a different size, save the existing world and plan a new map. Changing generation settings will not shrink the occupied world.
Set gathering rates and co-op rules
Section titled “Set gathering rates and co-op rules”If gathering uses more of the evening than your group wants, try a modest increase and compare the session with your current rates. Start by testing 2x or 3x. When changing decay, consider both upkeep and the extra structures that may remain in the save.
Rust’s server.pve provides native PvE behavior. TruePVE instead applies configurable damage rules and requires the native setting to be false. Choose a system and use the PvE setup guide to test its rules with non-admin accounts.
| Optional addition | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Whitelist plugin | Check framework support and Steam-ID permissions, then try an unlisted account |
| TruePVE | Test damage rules and exceptions against the entities your group uses |
| Raidable Bases | Provide CopyPaste and prepared base files, and check the features in your edition |
| Inventory, kits or teleport plugins | Follow the author’s setup and permissions, then try them against your group’s rules |
Read TruePVE’s author documentation and Raidable Bases’ requirements before installation. Add and test one plugin at a time, backing up its configuration and data. Confirm framework support for extensions as well as plugins.
Compare hosting by the work you want to own
Section titled “Compare hosting by the work you want to own”A spare PC can host the group if it has enough resources and suitable networking. Assign someone to keep it running at play time, install updates and recover files after a fault. Check public reachability and upstream protection with your ISP, and expose the services you need.
On VYKIX managed hosting, we maintain the host OS and protection rules. You configure admission, mods and the wipe policy.
Our managed Rust PC plan runs your chosen Oxide or Carbon setup on the VX-BM-I9-14900K-OC build. It includes file access, VxShield protection, a 10G network port and three same-server backup slots. Fair-use limits apply to slots, DDR5 memory and NVMe storage. Keep another backup off the server. See Rust plans and billing options.
Use the Rust hosting cost calculator to compare billing periods and extras. If you are bringing a group from another host, ask about complimentary, best-effort migration and seven extra days on an eligible paid plan. We will agree with you on the files and timing before moving them.
Use the trial for a defined group test
Section titled “Use the trial for a defined group test”You have 48 hours with the free Rust PC trial. It needs a valid card for fraud verification, with no trial charge or automatic paid conversion. Service is suspended at 48 hours; active data is deleted seven calendar days after suspension. Export the files you need before expiry. Continuing requires a separate paid order, and paid hardware can differ from the trial configuration. Trial and migration terms
Use that time to test allowed and refused joins, inspect your map and play a session with the required plugins. Keep the hardware and session results in your notes. Several wipe cycles and performance on different paid hardware still need separate checks.
Review paid Rust hosting and free 48-hour trial availability.