Don't Starve Together Server RAM: How Much You Need
2 GB is the honest minimum for a Don't Starve Together server, 4 GB suits a real mod list or a bigger group, and 6 GB a large public server.
2 min read · Updated Oct 24, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team
A Don't Starve Together server needs 2 GB of RAM as an honest minimum, 4 GB once you have a real mod list or a bigger group, and 6 GB for a large public server with a long mod list. The reason it is not 1 GB, which is what most guides quote: a normal world is two shards, the surface and the caves, and each one wants about a gigabyte whether or not anybody is underground.
The short answer
- Surface and caves, no mods, a small group: 2 GB. This is our starting plan.
- A real mod list, or a bigger group, or a world you have played for months: 4 GB.
- A large public server with a long mod list: 6 GB.
Why two shards changes the maths
Most guides you will find quote the requirements for a single Don't Starve Together process. A proper server runs two: the surface and the caves. They are separate worlds with separate memory, and both are running whether or not anybody is underground. That is why 1 GB, which is enough for one shard, is not enough for a server.
We run both shards on every plan rather than charging extra for caves, so the starting plan is sized for both.
What pushes it up
- Mods. This is by far the biggest factor. Each mod on your server's Mods page is loaded into both shards, and a long list adds up quickly.
- World age. A world that has been played for months has more built structures, more items on the ground and more entities to track.
- Player count. Less significant in this game than in most, but it adds up at the top end.
Check what you are using
The Usage card on your server's Overview and Console tabs shows live memory use as RAM, with a usage history chart. Watch it with your usual group online and your usual mods loaded. If it sits near the limit and the console reports slow saves or the game feels like it is stuttering for everyone at once, move up a tier.
Upgrading
- Sign in at customer.guavahost.com, open My servers and click Manage on your Don't Starve Together server.
- Click Manage plan in the server menu, then Change plan.
- Pick the RAM you want and click Next step until you reach Check and confirm, which shows what is due today for the rest of your billing period.
- Press Confirm and pay (or Confirm change if there is nothing to pay), and complete the payment if you are asked to.
- When you see Your new plan is live, press Restart at the top of the server page so it picks up the new memory.
Billing is prorated so you pay only the difference for the rest of the cycle, and your world, mods and settings are untouched. Nothing is wiped. Upgrading your plan has more on how it works.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.
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