A Palworld dedicated server is memory-hungry, starting around 8 GB for a small group and climbing as your world ages and more players and Pals load in, which makes RAM the single most important spec to get right.
Why Palworld uses so much memory
Palworld constantly simulates a living world. Every base keeps its Pals working, structures standing, and machines running even while you are off exploring. When a player joins, the server loads that player, their captured Pals, their bases, and the area around them into memory. More players means more of everything held in RAM at once, so memory use rises with your player count rather than staying flat.
A rough sizing guide
Use this as a starting point, then adjust based on how your server actually runs:
- 1 to 4 players: around 8 GB is comfortable for a fresh world.
- 5 to 10 players: 10 to 12 GB gives you headroom as bases grow.
- 10 to 16 players: plan for 16 GB.
- A full server near the player cap: 16 GB or more, especially on an older world.
These are guidelines, not hard limits. A small group that builds enormous bases with hundreds of Pals can use more than a larger group of casual players.
Why it grows over time
A brand new world is light. As weeks pass, your group places more bases, breeds and catches more Pals, and fills storage across the map. All of that persists in the save and has to be loaded and simulated, so a server that felt fine at launch can start to strain months later. This is normal, and it is why picking a little extra RAM up front pays off.
Signs you need more RAM
Watch the Console tab. Warning signs include:
- Players rubber-banding, or Pals freezing and teleporting around.
- The server crashing or restarting on its own, especially when it is busy.
- Out-of-memory messages in the Console log.
- Noticeable lag that gets worse the longer the server runs.
If you see these during peak hours, more memory is usually the fix.
Upgrading on GuavaHost
Every GuavaHost plan is fully configurable. You pick your RAM at checkout, and you can upgrade any time from the client area at guavahost.com/account. Billing is prorated, so you only pay the difference for the time left in your cycle. Upgrades apply after a quick restart, and your world save is untouched.
If you are not sure how big your group will get, it is fine to start modest and scale up once you see real usage. That is the whole point of being able to change RAM whenever you like.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.