How to Make a FiveM Server

1. What you need before you start

Three things: a copy of Grand Theft Auto V (your players need one too), a free Cfx.re account, and somewhere for the server to run. A license key from the Cfx.re keymaster is required for every server; it is free for non-commercial communities, while monetised servers need an Elements Club subscription from Cfx.re directly.

Plan roughly 45 to 60 minutes for a first setup with a framework. No programming knowledge is required for the standard route, though it helps once you start customising scripts.

2. Hosting vs running it at home

You can technically run FiveM on your own PC, but your city is then offline whenever your PC is, your home IP is exposed to every player (and every DDoS kid), and upload bandwidth becomes the bottleneck the moment more than a handful of friends join.

FiveM server hosting solves all three: the server runs 24/7 in a datacenter, sits behind professional DDoS protection, and comes with a control panel, backups and support. That is the route this guide follows.

3. Create the server

Order a FiveM server and pick the location closest to your community; a latency checker shows your real ping per region before you pay. The server is provisioned instantly: within a few minutes you have control panel access with your server already running.

4. Set up txAdmin

txAdmin is FiveM's web-based management interface, and it is where you will spend most of your admin time: live console, player management, scheduled restarts, backups and recipe-based deployments. On our platform txAdmin comes pre-configured; open it from the control panel, link it with the PIN shown in the console, and set your admin password.

Inside txAdmin, the setup wizard asks for your Cfx.re license key from the keymaster. Paste it once and txAdmin handles the rest of the identity setup for you.

5. Install a framework: QBCore or ESX

A framework is the foundation your roleplay features build on: jobs, money, inventories, characters. QBCore is the modern, modular choice with a huge ecosystem; ESX Legacy is the long-standing community staple with years of scripts behind it. Both are excellent; pick the one whose ecosystem matches the scripts you want to run.

With one-click installation from the control panel, the framework, its database and txAdmin wiring are configured for you. Doing it manually instead? Use txAdmin's recipe deployer and connect the included MySQL database via oxmysql.

6. Add resources and scripts

Resources live in the resources folder and are enabled with an ensure line in your server.cfg. Upload them through the file manager or SFTP. Start small: a voice resource (pma-voice or SaltyChat), a job pack and one or two MLO interiors, then expand once the basics run smoothly.

Every resource you add costs some CPU and memory, and badly optimised scripts are the number one cause of a laggy city. Add resources in small batches and watch txAdmin's performance graphs as you go.

7. server.cfg essentials

Your server.cfg controls the identity of your city: sv_hostname (what players see in the server list), sv_maxclients (your player cap), your license key, and the ensure lines for your resources. Two practical tips: keep a commented backup of every change, and never share the file publicly, because it contains your license key and database credentials.

8. Go live and keep it healthy

Restart the server, open FiveM, press F8 and connect using connect your-ip:port, or find your server in the list by its hostname. Invite a few friends, watch performance, then announce your city.

After launch: schedule daily restarts in txAdmin, keep artifacts up to date (one click in our panel), take regular backups, and grow your resource pack gradually. Your community will forgive a small city; it will not forgive a laggy one.