A private Luanti server gives your group one shared world to build in, explore, and come back to together, without depending on one person to keep the game running from their own PC. This guide is for a small friend group using Luanti on EphemeralHost, not for advanced admin work or a public community.
The basic flow is simple: create the server in the browser, choose your slots, start it in the panel or with /start in Discord, and share the address shown in the panel. Luanti starts from 0.25 €/h on the per-minute price list. We’ll cover easy setup, paying only while it runs, and auto-pause while your world stays saved.
Why a private Luanti server works well for a friend group
Luanti is a sandbox game that suits a relaxed style of multiplayer. Friends can build together, explore the same world, and drop in for shorter sessions without needing every play night to be a big planned event. That makes it a natural fit for small groups who want one place to meet up and keep working on shared ideas over time.
A private server helps because the world belongs to the group, not just to whichever friend happens to be hosting from their own PC that day. Progress stays in one place, everyone connects to the same shared world, and the session does not depend on one person keeping their game open so others can keep playing.
That setup makes sense for lots of common friend-group routines, such as:
- a few people logging on after school or work
- a weekend project focused on building together
- a longer world the group revisits whenever time lines up
This guide is only about private play with friends, so the focus is on convenience, easy access, and keeping things practical for a small group. It is not about running a large public community or covering advanced server administration.
If you have read similar friends-focused guides like hosting Enshrouded, hosting Satisfactory, hosting Factorio, hosting Mordhau, hosting Palworld, hosting Vintage Story, hosting Holdfast, or hosting TF2, the idea is similar: make it easy for friends to get into the same game together. Each game page includes the essentials for joining, and Luanti-specific joining details are on the Luanti game page.
How to get your Luanti server online
Getting your Luanti server online is a short process that fits a small group well.
The basic order looks like this:
- create the Luanti server in the browser
- choose the number of player slots your group needs
- finish the setup there
- start the server when you are ready to play
- share the server address with your friends
Once the server has been created, you can start it from the panel whenever your group wants to use it. That keeps the process simple for casual sessions, whether you are planning ahead or deciding to play on short notice.
If your group already uses Discord to organize game nights, there is also a simple option there: you can start the server with /start.
When the server is online, the panel shows the server address. The person organizing the session can send that address to the rest of the group so everyone knows where to connect. For a private friend world, that is often all you need to get a session moving.
This setup works nicely for casual play because it removes a lot of the small steps that can make a group session feel harder to start than it needs to be. Instead of relying on one friend to host from their own game each time, your group has one shared server that can be started when you want to use it.
There is no need for this guide to go deep into technical game menus or the in-game joining steps. Those Luanti-specific details are covered on the game page, while this article stays focused on the hosting flow itself.
Luanti runs on the Casual tier, and that is another reason to keep the focus here on the practical steps for friends rather than on platform details.
What you pay for and when billing happens
Luanti starts from 0.25 €/h.
For a friend group, the main idea is simple: billing follows the time your server is actually running. With pay-per-minute billing, you are not paying for long stretches when nobody in your group is using the server. That makes it easier to match the cost to real play time, whether you play for a short evening or come back for a longer session on the weekend.
EphemeralHost uses prepaid credit rather than a subscription. Your group can add credit, use the server when it suits your schedule, and come back later without needing an ongoing plan. The credit does not expire, which is helpful for groups that do not play on the same routine every week.
A few practical points matter here:
- billing is based on the time the server runs
- prepaid credit does not require a subscription
- prepaid credit never expires
- add-ons are billed only while the server runs
If your group organizes through Discord, there is one small extra worth knowing about: Discord accounts that are at least 30 days old can get €2 starter credit. That can help a new group try out a first session without needing to put in much up front.
The result is a setup that stays easy to understand. You add credit, start the Luanti server when your friends want to play, and the cost tracks actual use instead of an all-the-time monthly commitment.
If you want to compare Luanti with the rest of the game catalog or review the public price list, the pricing page is the place to check.
Why auto-pause is useful for a shared world
For a private Luanti world, auto-pause solves a very common problem: a session ends, everyone logs off, and nobody wants to think about server housekeeping afterward. By default, when nobody is online, the server pauses by itself after 20 minutes.
That timing is not fixed for every group. Per server, you can adjust it to:
- 1 hour
- 3 hours
- never
This gives your group a simple choice about how quickly the server should stop after a play session. Some friends may want it to pause soon after the last person leaves, while others may prefer a longer gap in case someone is coming back later the same evening.
The main reason this works well for a shared friend world is that the world stays saved when the server pauses. Your builds, exploration, and group progress remain there for the next session, so the server can fit a longer-term world that your friends return to over time.
In day-to-day use, that means a play night can stay casual. One person starts the server, everyone joins, and when the evening is over, the group can simply leave when they are done. There is no need to make shutting the server down a final task that somebody has to remember.
Auto-pause also helps with cost control. If the server is not being used, it can stop billing instead of continuing to run empty.
There is also a backup detail worth knowing: for games with a world, a backup is made at every pause, and the last 3 backups are kept for free.
A simple way to organize play sessions with friends
Before your group starts playing regularly, it helps to think about slots in a practical way. Choose them based on how many people are likely to be online at the same time, not the total number of friends in a wider chat or community server. That keeps the setup matched to your real sessions.
For most private groups, a simple routine is enough:
- one person starts the server shortly before play time
- they copy the address shown in the panel
- they send it to the group
- everyone joins the same world
Because the server can be started in the browser or with /start in Discord, it fits nicely into the tools many friend groups already use to plan the evening. You do not need a big process around it.
This is especially handy for groups whose schedule shifts from week to week. If plans change, the server can be started when needed instead of sitting on all day waiting for people.
If you want to see the same practical approach applied to another game, the Vintage Story for friends guide is a useful example.
Common questions about hosting a Luanti server
Who should create the server for the group?
Any friend in the group can set it up. It usually works best if one person handles the server details and shares the address before each session, so everyone knows they are joining the same world.
How many slots should we pick?
Base it on how many people are likely to play at the same time. For a private Luanti world, that is usually more useful than counting everyone in a larger chat who might join someday.
A simple way to decide is to think about:
- your usual group size
- whether extra friends join occasionally
- whether you want a little room for last-minute invites
Is Luanti on the same kind of server as the Performance tier?
No. Luanti runs on the Casual tier, which uses a container. For this guide, the practical part is just that Luanti is available from 0.25 €/h.
Do we keep paying when the server is empty?
No. Billing applies while the server runs. If nobody is online, it can pause by itself, which helps a friend group avoid paying for idle time between sessions.
What if our group plays irregularly?
That is fine for a world that people revisit now and then. Prepaid credit does not require a subscription, and the credit never expires, so you can add credit and use the server around your own schedule.
Can we leave the server up longer after people log off?
Yes. The pause behavior can be adjusted per server. Instead of the default 20 minutes with nobody online, you can change it to:
- 1 hour
- 3 hours
- never
That gives your group a way to match the server to short sessions, longer evenings, or a world you want to keep available.
Start small and keep it easy
A friends-only Luanti world is easier to manage when you keep the routine light. Pick the slots for the people who actually play together, then use the same server again whenever your group wants another session.
What matters most:
- Luanti starts from 0.25 €/h
- it runs on the Casual tier
- after 20 minutes with nobody online, it pauses by itself unless you set 1 hour, 3 hours, or never
- when it pauses, the world stays saved