How to Make a FiveM Server in 2026: Complete Beginner Guide

Making a FiveM server in 2026 is easier than it used to be, but the beginner tutorials still skip the parts that matter: choosing the right hosting, understanding txAdmin, picking a framework, setting up a database, installing resources in the correct order, and testing the server before real players join.

This guide walks through the full process from zero to a joinable RP server. You do not need to be a developer, but you should be comfortable copying commands, editing config files, and reading console errors without panic.

What You Need Before You Start

Before opening txAdmin, get the boring pieces ready. Most failed first servers are not caused by FiveM itself; they fail because the owner picks a weak host, forgets the database, blocks the game port, or installs resources before the base server works.

• A Windows PC for local testing, or a VPS/dedicated server for public hosting
• A free Cfx.re account for txAdmin and your server license key
• The latest recommended FXServer artifacts from the official FiveM runtime
• Access to ports 30120 TCP/UDP for players and 40120 TCP for txAdmin
• MariaDB or MySQL if you plan to run ESX, QBCore, Qbox, inventories, housing, jobs, or economy scripts
• A text editor such as VS Code for editing server.cfg and resource configs

Keep the official FiveM txAdmin setup guide open while you work. This article explains the decisions around each step, while the official docs are useful for exact UI wording if txAdmin changes.

Step 1: Choose Local Testing or Public Hosting

If you are learning, start locally on your own PC. A local server lets you break things, restart quickly, and learn the folder structure without paying for hosting. Once your framework, database, and first resources work, move the server to a VPS or game host.

For a public server, do not judge hosting only by RAM. FiveM cares heavily about single-core CPU performance, disk speed, network stability, and DDoS protection. A cheap VPS with weak CPU can feel worse than a smaller plan with better cores.

• Testing server: 4 GB RAM, modern CPU, 20 GB storage
• Small public RP server: 6-8 GB RAM, strong single-core CPU, NVMe storage
• Growing 64-slot server: 8-16 GB RAM, DDoS protection, automated backups
• Large production server: dedicated CPU resources, monitoring, staging server, offsite backups

Step 2: Download FXServer

FXServer is the actual FiveM server runtime. Download it only from official sources. For Windows, use the Windows server artifacts. For Linux, use the Linux server artifacts. Pick the build marked as recommended unless you have a specific reason to test another build.

On Windows, extract the server archive to a simple path such as:

C:FXServerserver

Avoid paths with weird characters, desktop sync folders, or deeply nested directories. Simple paths make console errors easier to read and reduce permission problems.

Step 3: Start txAdmin

txAdmin is the web control panel included with modern FXServer builds. On Windows, open your extracted server folder and run FXServer.exe. On Linux, you normally start the server from the terminal with:

./run.sh

txAdmin usually opens at:

http://localhost:40120

Follow the setup wizard: link your Cfx.re account, create the admin password, name your server, and choose a starter recipe. If this is your first server, use the default FiveM recipe first. Prove the base server starts before installing a full RP framework.

Step 4: Create Your Cfx.re License Key

Every public FiveM server needs a license key. Create one in the Cfx.re Portal, then paste it into txAdmin when the recipe asks for it. If you are editing manually, it appears in server.cfg like this:

sv_licenseKey "your_license_key_here"

Use a key that matches the machine where the server runs. If you move from local testing to a VPS, create or update the key for the new server IP.

Step 5: Understand Your Server Folders

A clean folder structure saves hours later. New owners often install every resource directly into one messy folder, then cannot tell which script is causing errors. Group resources by purpose from day one.

server-data/
  server.cfg
  resources/
    [core]/
    [framework]/
    [standalone]/
    [jobs]/
    [vehicles]/
    [maps]/
    [voice]/
    [admin]/

The square brackets are just folder names. FiveM can load resources from inside them, and they make your server.cfg easier to scan.

Step 6: Pick a Framework

For a serious RP server, you usually need a framework. The framework handles players, jobs, money, inventory connections, character data, and shared functions that other scripts rely on. The main choices are ESX, QBCore, and Qbox.

• ESX is mature, widely supported, and familiar to many older RP communities.
• QBCore has a large ecosystem, many modern resources, and strong beginner documentation.
• Qbox is newer, more opinionated, and attractive if you want a cleaner modern stack.

If you are unsure, read our ESX vs QBCore vs Qbox comparison before committing. Switching frameworks later is possible, but it is one of the most painful migrations a server owner can do.

Step 7: Install MariaDB or MySQL

Most RP frameworks need a database. Without one, characters, vehicles, inventories, jobs, houses, and money will not persist correctly. MariaDB is a common choice for FiveM servers, and you can download it from the official MariaDB download page.

A typical local development database might use:

Database: fivem
User: fivem
Password: use_a_real_password_here
Host: localhost
Port: 3306

Then your server.cfg connection string usually looks similar to:

set mysql_connection_string "mysql://fivem:use_a_real_password_here@localhost/fivem?charset=utf8mb4"

Install your database bridge, usually oxmysql, before the framework that depends on it. Bad database order is one of the most common startup problems.

Step 8: Build Your server.cfg in the Correct Order

server.cfg controls what your server loads and in what order. Order matters. Dependencies must start before resources that use them. A clean starter order looks like this:

# Network and identity
endpoint_add_tcp "0.0.0.0:30120"
endpoint_add_udp "0.0.0.0:30120"
sv_hostname "Your Server Name"
sets sv_projectName "Your Server Name"
sets sv_projectDesc "Serious RP built on a clean framework"
sv_maxclients 32
sv_licenseKey "your_license_key_here"

# Database
set mysql_connection_string "mysql://fivem:password@localhost/fivem?charset=utf8mb4"

# Core resources
ensure mapmanager
ensure chat
ensure spawnmanager
ensure sessionmanager

# Dependencies
ensure oxmysql
ensure ox_lib

# Framework
ensure qb-core

# Server resources
ensure [standalone]
ensure [jobs]
ensure [vehicles]
ensure [maps]

Your exact framework resources will differ, but the idea stays the same: base runtime first, dependencies second, framework third, gameplay resources last.

Step 9: Add Resources Slowly

This is where many new servers collapse. Owners download a huge pack, add every ensure line at once, restart, and face 300 errors with no idea which resource caused them. Add one category at a time.

1. Start the base server and connect in-game.
2. Add the framework and confirm characters load.
3. Add inventory and confirm items persist after restart.
4. Add voice and confirm players can hear each other.
5. Add one job, test it fully, then add the next.
6. Add vehicles and maps after core gameplay is stable.

If you want a practical stack overview, read 10 FiveM scripts every RP server needs. Use it as a planning checklist, not as permission to install everything in one evening.

Step 10: Open the Correct Ports

Players connect through port 30120. txAdmin runs on 40120. On a VPS, you need firewall rules and sometimes hosting panel rules. For the game server, allow both TCP and UDP on 30120.

Game server: 30120 TCP + UDP
txAdmin:     40120 TCP

Do not expose txAdmin casually. Use a strong password, avoid sharing admin access, and restrict panel access when your hosting setup allows it.

Step 11: Test Before You Invite Players

A server that starts is not automatically ready. Test the exact flows real players will use. Create a character, relog, receive money, buy an item, change jobs, spawn a vehicle, store it, restart the server, and confirm the data is still there.

• Can a new player connect without staff help?
• Does character creation save after relog?
• Does inventory persist after restart?
• Do job menus open without console errors?
• Do vehicles spawn, store, and respawn correctly?
• Does voice work at normal distance?
• Does txAdmin show clean restarts?

Step 12: Check Performance Early

Do not wait until launch night to think about performance. Use resmon in the FiveM client and txAdmin monitoring on the server. One bad loop in a script can hurt every player.

If your server already feels heavy with one or two testers, it will not magically improve with 40 players. Read our FiveM server optimization guide and fix the obvious problems before adding more content.

• Keep always-running client scripts lightweight.
• Remove resources you are not actually using.
• Split large vehicle packs into sane streaming groups.
• Watch database errors and slow queries.
• Test crowded areas, not only empty spawn.

Vehicle-heavy servers should also read our guide to FiveM vehicle streaming without lag. Cars, maps, and clothing can hurt performance long before your Lua scripts become the bottleneck.

Step 13: Plan the Server Before Launch

The technical setup only gets players through the door. Retention comes from the server concept: economy, jobs, staff rules, faction structure, events, progression, and reasons to log in again tomorrow.

Before opening publicly, write down:

• Your core RP theme: serious city, economy RP, gangs, racing, emergency services, or mixed
• Your starter jobs and how players make money in the first hour
• Your staff rules and punishment ladder
• Your money sinks: vehicles, housing, businesses, fines, repairs, crafting
• Your launch event and Discord onboarding flow

For the design side, pair this guide with our articles on FiveM job design and economy balancing. A stable server with boring gameplay still dies; a fun server with a broken economy also dies.

Common Beginner Mistakes

If this is your first FiveM server, avoid these traps:

• Installing leaked resources that contain backdoors or broken code
• Mixing ESX and QBCore scripts without checking compatibility
• Skipping the database setup and wondering why nothing saves
• Adding a huge resource pack before the base framework works
• Launching without testing restart persistence
• Buying hosting based only on RAM instead of CPU and network quality
• Giving too many people txAdmin or database access

Launch Checklist

Before you announce the server, run through this final checklist:

1. Fresh player can connect from FiveM Direct Connect.
2. Character creation, inventory, cash, bank, and job data persist after restart.
3. Console is free of repeating framework, database, and missing export errors.
4. Server rules, Discord channels, and staff permissions are ready.
5. Backups are configured for the database and server files.
6. At least two staff members have tested police, EMS, mechanic, inventory, vehicles, and voice.
7. You have a rollback plan if a new resource breaks launch night.

Final Recommendation

The best beginner FiveM server is not the one with the most scripts. It is the one with a stable framework, clean database, sensible resource order, tested player flows, and a clear reason for people to come back.

Start small: make the server joinable, make data save, make one job fun, make voice work, and make restarts boring. After that, add scripts, vehicles, maps, and custom systems with confidence instead of guessing.