DDNet Server HostingDDNet Server Hosting – Your Own Race Server
A race server with its own rank table and map votes, tracking the same DDNet release your Steam players run.
Choose your Game Server
Select from our wide range of optimized game servers. Each server is configured for maximum performance and comes with DDoS protection.
1. Plan Type
2. Location
3. Choose Plan
Bronze 4GB
Silver 6GB
Gold 8GB
Platinum 10GB
Diamond 12GB
Emerald 16GB
Xtreme 32GB
Which DDNet Plan Is Right for You?
Compare recommended use, plan hardware and monthly prices.
| Plan | Recommended for | Hardware | Monthly price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze 4GB | 64-slot race server (recommended)DDNet-Server runs on a few hundred MB; 4 GB RAM and 50 GB disk are a huge margin. | 4 vCore Ryzen 9950X · 4 GB DDR5 6000MHz · 50 GB NVMe SSD Samsung 990 PRO | ₺240.00/mo |
| Silver 6GB | Heavy demo recording, big map archiveWorth it for the extra disk; no gameplay performance gain over Bronze. | 4 vCore Ryzen 9950X · 6 GB DDR5 6000MHz · 60 GB NVMe SSD Samsung 990 PRO | ₺345.00/mo |
| Gold 8GB | Not needed for DDNetA single DDNet server uses a tiny fraction of this memory. | 4 vCore Ryzen 9950X · 8 GB DDR5 6000MHz · 70 GB NVMe SSD Samsung 990 PRO | ₺440.00/mo |
| Platinum 10GB | Not recommendedExtra RAM will not make a race server faster; keep your money on Bronze. | 4 vCore Ryzen 9950X · 10 GB DDR5 6000MHz · 100 GB NVMe SSD Samsung 990 PRO | ₺530.00/mo |
| Diamond 12GB | Not recommended12 GB RAM on the same 4 vCores, which DDNet never uses in any scenario. | 4 vCore Ryzen 9950X · 12 GB DDR5 6000MHz · 110 GB NVMe SSD Samsung 990 PRO | ₺617.50/mo |
| Emerald 16GB | Not recommendedExtra cores add nothing to a single DDNet server process. | 6 vCore Ryzen 9950X · 16 GB DDR5 6000MHz · 120 GB NVMe SSD Samsung 990 PRO | ₺840.00/mo |
| Xtreme 32GB | Not recommended32 GB and 12 vCores are far beyond what a race server needs. | 12 vCore Ryzen 9950X · 32 GB DDR5 6000MHz · 200 GB NVMe SSD Samsung 990 PRO | ₺1520.00/mo |
Why TheCrewHost for DDNet?
Game-specific features that matter when you keep a public DDNet race server running.
Same release channel as Steam
DDNet ships free on Steam as app 412220, and the server program comes inside the game's own files rather than a separate package. This environment follows that distribution.
Your own ranks and times
Finish times are stored in ddnet-server.sqlite by default. Players check standings with /rank, /top5 and /times, and you can move to MySQL with sv_use_sql if you outgrow SQLite.
Map votes and rotation
add_vote puts map options in the vote menu, and players can also call a vote by name with /map. sv_vote_yes_percentage and sv_vote_time set the rules for passing a vote.
Admin, moderator and helper
sv_rcon_password grants full control, while sv_rcon_mod_password and sv_rcon_helper_password give limited access. Failed login attempts are punished via sv_rcon_max_tries and sv_rcon_bantime.
Teams, saves and practice
sv_team decides whether teams are optional or required. Players lock their team with /lock, save progress under a code with /save, and train in practice mode without ranks counting.
Slots that account for dummies
DDNet players often bring a dummy, a second tee that counts as its own connection. sv_max_clients_per_ip defaults to 4, which is why 64 slots fill faster than you might expect.
DDNet server hosting at TheCrewHost starts at ₺240.00 ($6.00) a month and runs DDNet-Server on Ryzen 9 9950X hardware in İstanbul. DDNet (DDraceNetwork) is a free 2D platformer born from Teeworlds' DDRace mod, built around freeze tiles, hooking and teamwork. This environment is based on DDNet's Steam distribution, so the server follows the same release channel as players who launch the game from their Steam library. You set the name, map, slot count and rcon passwords in data/autoexec_server.cfg, then build a community around your own SQLite rank table, map votes and team rules. For the standalone ddnet.org build with version pinning, see our DDRaceNetwork page.
What is a DDNet server, and which build does this environment run?
A DDNet server is a race server where teams try to clear maps full of freeze tiles using combinations of hooking and jumping. DDNet is open source, the actively maintained continuation of Teeworlds' DDRace mod, and home to thousands of community-made maps. Cooperation is the core: most maps cannot be finished alone, and you need a crew that hooks each other across the gaps.
The DDNet environment on this page is based on the game's Steam distribution. DDNet is listed on Steam as free app 412220, and unlike many games it has no separate anonymous server package; the DDNet-Server program ships with the game's own files and sits inside the ddnet folder. Keeping your server on the Steam channel makes version alignment easier when most of your players launch DDNet from Steam.
If you would rather run the same server software from the standalone Linux release on ddnet.org, with version pinning and a nightly option, our DDRaceNetwork environment exists for exactly that. Both speak the same protocol; the difference is where the files come from and on what schedule.
Which settings in autoexec_server.cfg matter most?
Your server's identity is defined in ddnet/data/autoexec_server.cfg. sv_name is the name shown in the list, and sv_map sets the starting map, which defaults to Sunny Side Up. sv_port uses 8303 by default over UDP. sv_register controls whether the server registers with the master server list; with it off, only people who know the address can find you. password sets a join password.
sv_max_clients tops out at 64, and there is a DDNet-specific twist here: many players use a second tee called a dummy, and each dummy counts as its own connection. sv_max_clients_per_ip defaults to 4, and dropping it to 1 locks out everyone who plays with a dummy. Assume a 64-slot server may fill with around 30 actual people.
Permissions come in three tiers. sv_rcon_password gives full admin rights, while sv_rcon_mod_password and sv_rcon_helper_password grant limited access to moderators and helpers. sv_rcon_max_tries caps failed password attempts, and sv_rcon_bantime sets how long anyone who exceeds it gets banned.
How do you set up map rotation and votes?
DDNet maps are single files with a .map extension, and on the server they live in data/maps. After uploading a new one over SFTP, you can switch to it through rcon with change_map or let players choose. Clients download the map from the server automatically on first join; point sv_maps_base_url at an HTTPS address and that download happens over the web instead, much faster.
The vote menu is filled with add_vote: each line holds the label shown in the menu and the command it runs, such as a map name paired with the change_map command for it. Write those lines into autoexec_server.cfg and the menu is ready after every restart. Players can also start a vote for any map by name with /map.
Settings keep voting balanced. sv_vote_time sets how many seconds a vote runs, and sv_vote_yes_percentage sets the share needed to pass. If votes pile up at busy hours, sv_vote_delay spaces them out, and sv_rcon_vote limits voting to authenticated staff. sv_vote_kick turns vote-kicking on or off.
How do the rank table, teams and practice mode work?
The biggest draw of running your own DDNet server is your own rank table. By default the server writes finish times to ddnet-server.sqlite, which is effectively the server's memory and the file your backups most need to protect. Players see their placement with /rank, the top times with /top5 and recent runs with /times. If your community grows to several servers that should share one table, sv_use_sql switches to a MySQL backend, with the SQLite file used as a fallback when MySQL cannot be reached.
Teams are fundamental to DDNet. sv_team 0 disables teams, 1 makes them optional and 2 requires playing in a team. Players join with /team, lock their team with /lock and bring a friend into a locked team with /invite. On long maps, /save stores the team's progress under a code, and /load picks it back up.
With sv_practice on, teams can switch to practice mode and train without any rank being recorded. sv_rescue lets players escape freeze with /rescue, and note that this one only takes effect from the initial config.
Which plan is enough for a DDNet server?
The smallest one, by a wide margin. DDNet-Server is lean C++ software, and the people who package it plan for roughly 250 MB of memory and 2 GB of disk. Even a full 64-slot race server uses a small slice of Bronze 4GB.
To be straightforward about it, Silver through Xtreme bring no performance gain for DDNet. Those plans hold far more RAM and cores than a single DDNet server can use. On the CPU side, all that matters is a fast core for the server's physics and collision loop, and the Ryzen 9 9950X provides that on every plan.
What fills the disk over time is accumulation: a growing map archive, demos recorded with sv_auto_demo_record and logs kept for a long time. If you plan to hoard demos, Silver's 60 GB can be a reason to step up; otherwise, stay on Bronze.
How do players join your DDNet server?
With sv_register on, the server registers with DDNet's master list and players find it by searching its name in the in-game server browser. Adding it to favorites keeps it from getting lost next time. If the server is unlisted, players open the console with F1 and type connect followed by IP:port; the default port is 8303, and your panel shows the full address.
On a passworded server, players enter the password as they connect. Steam players launch DDNet from their library, and people on the standalone non-Steam build can join the same server, because what matters is the protocol, not the distribution channel. Even so, players on the current release run into the fewest problems.
A server in İstanbul keeps hook timing and team movement feeling smooth for players connecting from Türkiye. In a race game, where a tiny drift can ruin a run, that is one of the reasons a community sticks with a server.
How to Set Up a DDNet Server
- 1
Pick the Bronze 4GB plan
A single DDNet server uses a few hundred megabytes even with 64 slots full. The entry plan is plenty; look at Silver only if you will keep lots of demos.
- 2
Wait for the Steam-based install
After payment is confirmed, the server installs automatically and appears at gamepanel.hostingmerkezi.net. DDNet-Server lives inside the ddnet folder.
- 3
Edit autoexec_server.cfg
In ddnet/data/autoexec_server.cfg set sv_name, sv_map, sv_max_clients and the three rcon passwords. Turn on sv_register if you want to be listed.
- 4
Upload maps and build the vote menu
Upload .map files to data/maps over SFTP, fill the menu with add_vote lines and tune vote timing to suit your community.
- 5
Set team and rank rules
Choose sv_team, sv_practice and sv_rescue to match the server's character. Back up ddnet-server.sqlite, where the rank table lives, on a regular basis.
- 6
Get your server into the browser
Give players the server name or IP:port. Once they add it to favorites, getting back is a single click every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from people launching their own DDNet race server.
How much does DDNet server hosting cost?
How much RAM does a DDNet server use?
What is the difference between this DDNet environment and DDRaceNetwork?
Can I add my own maps?
How soon is my DDNet server ready?
How do players connect to my DDNet server?
How do dummies affect my slot count?
Are my rank table and settings backed up?
Is my DDNet server protected from attacks?
Can I upgrade later?
İstanbul Location,
Maximum Performance
Our İstanbul datacenter runs on Ryzen 9 hardware, delivering low latency to players in Türkiye and good connectivity to Europe, the Middle East and the Caucasus.
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İstanbul
Turkey
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