Friends often want a private Factorio server for one simple reason: a shared factory world the group can return to together without depending on one person to host from their own PC. A dedicated place to play keeps everyone on the same save and makes it easier to plan sessions.
This guide is for groups of friends who want to get a Factorio server running on EphemeralHost’s Factorio page, start it when needed, and share it with the group. Factorio starts from 0.25 €/h and billing is per minute on the public price list, so this is about paying for play time, not a monthly subscription.
Why friends use a private Factorio server
A private Factorio server gives your group one shared world to treat as an ongoing factory project. Instead of splitting progress across different saves or waiting for one person to host, everyone works in the same place and builds on what the group did last time.
That setup is also nice socially. With a friends-only server, you can build, explore, and organize at your own pace without mixing into a public community. Small groups often want exactly that: a space that feels familiar, where the people joining are the people you invited.
It also makes planning easier. When game night comes around, everyone knows where the shared world is and joins the same place again. You do not need to rebuild a routine every session or depend on one friend being at their PC first just so the rest of the group can play.
For many groups, the appeal is simple:
- one shared world for the whole team
- control over who gets the server address
- a clear moment to start the server for a session
- less reliance on one friend hosting from their own computer
This kind of setup fits the same friends-first pattern as other guides for private group servers, small-group co-op worlds, shared sandbox sessions, and organized match nights. This guide stays practical and focused on getting from the idea of a server to your first session together.
How to create and start your Factorio server
The setup flow is meant to be straightforward for a group of friends. First, create your Factorio server in the browser. As part of that, pick the slots that fit your group so the server matches the way you plan to play together.
For this game, keep the focus simple. Factorio runs on the Casual tier, so this guide is not the place to get into hardware details. What matters here is the basic friends-first flow: make the server, choose the slots, and get it ready for your next session.
After that, you have two easy ways to start it. You can start the server in the panel, or use /start in Discord. That fits nicely with how many groups already organize game nights, because the same place where you message the group can also be the place where you kick off the server.
Once the server is running, the panel shows the address to share with your friends. Send that to the group, and everyone knows where to connect. That is really the core routine:
- create the server in the browser
- pick the slots for your group
- start it in the panel or with
/startin Discord - share the address the panel shows
- have everyone join the same world
You do not need to think about advanced administration to get started. For most groups, the important part is simply having one shared place to meet, play, and continue the same factory together.
If you want the game-specific page for this setup, the Factorio page is where EphemeralHost lists Factorio, its price from 0.25 €/h, and how to join. If you like comparing how other friends-first guides explain the first steps, the same simple pattern also shows up in the Mordhau guide, the Holdfast guide, the TF2 guide, and this Valheim article.
What it costs when you only play together
Factorio starts from 0.25 €/h. For a group of friends, the useful part is not just the starting price, but how the billing works around real play sessions.
Billing is per minute. That fits the way many friend groups use a server: you start it when people are ready, play for the evening, and stop thinking about it when the session is over instead of treating it like something that needs to run all day.
EphemeralHost uses prepaid credit without a subscription. That is handy for groups that want a simple setup for shared sessions, because you can top up credit and use it when it suits your schedule rather than signing up for a monthly plan.
Another practical point for friends is that prepaid credit never expires. Some groups play a lot for a few weeks, then get busy and come back later. A usage-based setup works well for that kind of rhythm because the credit is still there when your next factory session happens.
In short, the pricing model is built around actual use:
- Factorio starts from 0.25 €/h
- billing is per minute
- payment uses prepaid credit
- no subscription is required
- prepaid credit never expires
That keeps the cost discussion pretty clear for a private group server. You are not estimating a full month of constant uptime for a world that only gets used on certain evenings. You are looking at a server your group can start for a session, use together, and pay for based on the time it runs, with the public price list showing how per-minute billing is handled.
What happens when nobody is online
A big benefit for a friends-only Factorio server is that it does not need to keep running just because your session ended. When nobody is online, the server pauses by itself. For a group that plays in planned sessions, that helps avoid paying for idle time between one factory night and the next.
Just as important, the world stays saved when the server pauses. That means your group can come back later and continue the same factory instead of treating each session like a fresh start. The shared world is still your shared world when everyone returns.
By default, the automatic pause happens after 20 minutes with nobody online. If your group wants more room between people dropping in and out, that timing can be adjusted per server to:
- 1 hour
- 3 hours
- never
That gives you some flexibility around how your group actually plays. Maybe everyone leaves at the same time and you want the server to pause fairly soon. Or maybe people tend to step away and rejoin, so a longer window feels more natural.
In practical terms, this makes the server feel like something you use for sessions rather than something you rent as a full-time fixture. You can finish for the night, log off, and come back later to keep building where you left off. That same friends-first approach shows up in guides like this Valheim server guide.
How to share the server with your group
Once the server is running, the simplest next step is to send your friends the address shown in the panel. That gives everyone one clear place to join, which is usually all a group needs to get the session moving.
It is worth keeping the first setup as simple as possible. Start with the basic flow:
- create the server
- start it
- share the address
- get everyone into the same world
After that, your group can decide whether anything else needs changing. For most friend groups, getting into the same factory together matters more than tweaking details before the first session even begins.
It also helps to avoid going too deep into game-specific joining instructions here. Each game has its own steps for joining, so this guide stays at the practical group level rather than getting into menus, settings, or technical connection details for Factorio.
A small bit of coordination can make sessions smoother too. Pick one person to handle starting the server before play begins, either in the panel or with /start in Discord. Then everyone knows who is responsible for getting the world online.
Think of it as a simple routine: choose a time, start the server, share or resend the address if needed, and have the group join together.
Questions friends ask about hosting a Factorio server
Does one person need to handle the server?
Usually, yes. One friend can take care of the setup for the group and keep things simple on game night. That person can create the server, choose the slots, start it when the session begins, and share the address with everyone joining.
For a small group, that is often the easiest way to keep the shared world organized.
Is this meant for a friends-only world?
Yes. This guide is about a private server for your own group, so the goal is straightforward: one shared place where invited friends can play together and return to the same factory over time.
That setup works well if your group wants:
- one ongoing world
- a simple routine for sessions
- one address to pass around
What happens to the world between sessions?
Your progress is meant to carry over from one play session to the next. When nobody is online and the server pauses, the world stays saved.
For games with a world, there is also backup coverage tied to that pause behavior:
- a backup at every pause
- the last 3 backups kept for free
Can our group use the server casually instead of on a fixed schedule?
Yes. This kind of setup fits groups that play when people are available rather than at the same time every week. If friends are free, start the server and play. If not, it can stay paused until the next session.
That makes it a practical fit for groups with changing plans.
Do we need a subscription to keep the server for later?
No. The server uses prepaid credit without a subscription. Credit never expires, which is useful for groups that might play a few evenings, stop for a while, and come back later.
That keeps the setup simple for shared use over time.
Getting your Factorio world ready
Before the first session, decide who will create the server and who will start it on the day. A simple handoff helps avoid last-minute confusion when everyone is ready to build.
It can also help to agree on two basics in advance:
- how many slots your group needs
- how long the server should wait before pausing when nobody is online
That way, your server setup matches how your friends actually play, whether everyone joins at once or people arrive and leave at different times.