How much does a FiveM server cost?

The FiveM license: free

FiveM is free to use as a player and as a server owner. The license key you need to start a server comes from the Cfx.re portal at no cost, and a key is tied to one server at a time. The only paid thing on the Cfx.re side is optional: a Cfx.re Element Club subscription that lifts the slot limit from 48 to 128 or 2048 players and unlocks a few server features. Below 48 players you need nothing.

Hosting: 4 to 110 euros a month

Managed FiveM hosting is sold by RAM. A 2 to 3 GB plan for a friends-only or freeroam server costs around 4 to 8 euros a month. A 6 to 8 GB plan for an ESX or QBCore city with 32 to 64 players costs 15 to 30 euros. Large public cities on 16 to 32 GB run 50 to 110 euros. At VibeGAMES the FiveM plans start at a few euros a month and all include DDoS protection, NVMe storage, txAdmin and one-click frameworks; the price differences between hosts are mostly hardware (CPU clock speed), protection and support.

A VPS or dedicated server is the alternative when you want full control: a VPS with 8 GB costs about the same as an 8 GB game server plan, a dedicated machine starts around 60 to 100 euros. You then do the Linux, database and txAdmin work yourself. Our guide on FiveM hosting versus a VPS compares both in detail.

Resources: where the money goes

Scripts, MLOs (interiors), vehicle packs and clothing are what make a server unique, and most good ones are paid. A quality script such as a custom phone, inventory or banking system costs 20 to 60 euros one-off; an MLO 10 to 50; a well-made vehicle pack 30 to 100. Many are sold as a one-time purchase, some as a subscription. A typical roleplay city has spent 300 to 1,500 euros on resources before opening, and keeps spending as it grows.

You can build a city for free with ESX or QBCore and their open-source resources, and many servers do. The free ecosystem is large; the paid resources mostly buy polish and support.

The costs people forget

A domain name for your website and Discord invite: 10 to 15 euros a year. A Discord bot for whitelisting or stats: free to 10 euros a month. A website or Tebex store for donations: free tier available, paid tiers 10 to 25 euros a month. Advertising on server listing sites: optional, 10 to 50 euros for a featured spot. Backups: included in most hosting plans, otherwise a few euros for extra storage.

Time is the biggest hidden cost. Setting up a roleplay city with a framework, jobs, a database and fifty resources takes an experienced person a weekend and a beginner several weeks. Budget for it honestly, or pay a developer: freelance FiveM developers charge 15 to 50 euros an hour.

Three example budgets

Friends-only freeroam, 16 players, vMenu and a few free scripts: 4 to 8 euros a month, nothing else. Small roleplay server, 32 players, ESX or QBCore, mostly free resources with two or three paid scripts: 15 to 25 euros a month for hosting plus around 100 euros to start. Public roleplay city, 64 to 128 players, custom cars and MLOs, a developer on the team: 50 to 110 euros a month for hosting, 300 to 1,500 euros in resources before launch, and ongoing costs for new content.

Earning it back

Cfx.re's terms allow monetization only through Tebex, and only for things that do not give a gameplay advantage in a way that breaks their rules: priority queue, cosmetics, donor roles. Many mid-sized cities cover their hosting and resource costs this way; very few make a profit. Plan a FiveM server as a hobby that can pay for itself, not as a business, and you will not be disappointed.