4 hours ago
Short answer up front: to set up a FiveM server in 2026 you download the latest server artifact from Cfx.re, run it, and txAdmin (which is now built into every server build) walks you through the rest in your browser on port 40120. No separate txAdmin install, no hand-editing configs before you even get started. Below is the full step by step, plus what to do after the wizard finishes.
I have set up more FiveM servers than I care to admit, both for my own communities and for people who asked for help here, so this is the process I actually use today, not a rehash of a 2021 tutorial.
What you need before you start
Step 1: download the server artifact
Grab the latest recommended build from the official artifact listings: Windows builds or Linux builds. On Windows you extract the server.7z into a folder like C:\FXServer\server. On Linux it is:
Do not download txAdmin separately. It ships inside the artifact and has for years, so any guide telling you to clone the txAdmin repo is outdated.
Step 2: first launch and the txAdmin wizard
Run FXServer.exe on Windows or bash run.sh on Linux. The console prints a PIN and a link to the panel on port 40120. Open http://your-server-ip:40120 in your browser (localhost:40120 if you are on the same machine), enter the PIN, and link your Cfx.re account. Then you set a master admin password. Write that password down somewhere safe, recovering a lost txAdmin master account is a pain you do not want.
The official walkthrough for this part lives in the Cfx.re docs if you want screenshots.
Step 3: deploy with a recipe
This is where txAdmin earns its keep. Instead of manually cloning cfx-server-data and writing a server.cfg from scratch, the setup wizard offers recipes, which are basically automated deployments. Your main options:
During deployment you paste your license key from portal.cfx.re. Once the recipe finishes, txAdmin starts the server and you can connect from the FiveM client with connect your-ip:30120 or by finding it in the server list.
Step 4: first resources and basic hardening
After the wizard, do these before you invite anyone:
QBCore vs ESX in 2026, the short version
You will hit this decision the moment you pick a recipe, so here is my honest take. ESX is the oldest framework and still has the largest script ecosystem, tons of tutorials, and it is simple to learn. QBCore had a huge run but its original development has largely stalled, and the community energy moved to Qbox, a QBCore fork that ships with ox_lib and ox_inventory and stays compatible with most QBCore scripts. There is a decent side by side in this framework comparison if you want the details.
My rule of thumb: starting fresh in 2026, look at Qbox or ESX. If you are moving an existing QBCore server, Qbox is the natural upgrade path when you next do a big rebuild. If your paid scripts are ESX-only, that decides it for you, check your script compatibility before you pick, not after.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need to install txAdmin separately?
No. txAdmin has been bundled with every FiveM server artifact for years. Download the artifact, run it, and the panel is there on port 40120.
Is a FiveM server free to run?
The server software, txAdmin and the license key are all free. Your only real cost is the machine it runs on. Note that servers over 48 slots and some premium features fall under Cfx.re subscription tiers, so check portal.cfx.re if you plan to grow big.
Can I run it on my home PC?
Technically yes, and it is fine for testing with friends. For anything public you want a VPS or dedicated server: home upload bandwidth, port forwarding headaches and your PC needing to stay on 24/7 make home hosting a bad long term plan.
The panel on port 40120 does not load. What now?
Nine times out of ten it is a firewall. Check both the OS firewall (Windows Firewall or ufw/iptables on Linux) and your hosting provider's cloud firewall or security group. Also make sure the server process is actually still running, the console will tell you if it crashed on startup.
That is the whole process. If you get stuck at any step, or if you have opinions on the Qbox versus ESX debate (I know some of you do), reply below and I will do my best to help. Also curious what recipes people are deploying with these days.
I have set up more FiveM servers than I care to admit, both for my own communities and for people who asked for help here, so this is the process I actually use today, not a rehash of a 2021 tutorial.
What you need before you start
- A Windows or Linux machine (VPS or dedicated). For a small RP server with a framework I would not go below 8 GB RAM. A vanilla freeroam server runs on much less, but frameworks, MySQL and a pile of resources eat memory fast.
- A free Cfx.re account and a license key from portal.cfx.re. The old keymaster site redirects there now. The key is free for a normal server.
- Ports 30120 (game, TCP and UDP) and 40120 (txAdmin web panel, TCP) open in your firewall. This is the number one thing people forget, especially on cloud VPS providers where the provider firewall sits in front of the OS firewall.
- For a framework server: MariaDB or MySQL installed. The txAdmin recipes can talk to the database during deployment, but the database itself has to exist first.
Step 1: download the server artifact
Grab the latest recommended build from the official artifact listings: Windows builds or Linux builds. On Windows you extract the server.7z into a folder like C:\FXServer\server. On Linux it is:
- wget the fx.tar.xz from the artifact page
- tar xf fx.tar.xz (install xz-utils if tar complains)
Do not download txAdmin separately. It ships inside the artifact and has for years, so any guide telling you to clone the txAdmin repo is outdated.
Step 2: first launch and the txAdmin wizard
Run FXServer.exe on Windows or bash run.sh on Linux. The console prints a PIN and a link to the panel on port 40120. Open http://your-server-ip:40120 in your browser (localhost:40120 if you are on the same machine), enter the PIN, and link your Cfx.re account. Then you set a master admin password. Write that password down somewhere safe, recovering a lost txAdmin master account is a pain you do not want.
The official walkthrough for this part lives in the Cfx.re docs if you want screenshots.
Step 3: deploy with a recipe
This is where txAdmin earns its keep. Instead of manually cloning cfx-server-data and writing a server.cfg from scratch, the setup wizard offers recipes, which are basically automated deployments. Your main options:
- CFX Default: a plain vanilla server. Good for freeroam, testing, or if you want to build everything yourself. No database needed.
- Framework recipes (QBCore, ESX Legacy and others): these pull the whole framework, set up the database tables and wire the config for you. You will be asked for your MySQL connection details during deployment, so have that ready.
- Custom template: point it at your own recipe or an existing server-data folder if you are migrating.
During deployment you paste your license key from portal.cfx.re. Once the recipe finishes, txAdmin starts the server and you can connect from the FiveM client with connect your-ip:30120 or by finding it in the server list.
Step 4: first resources and basic hardening
After the wizard, do these before you invite anyone:
- In the txAdmin panel, set up scheduled restarts (once or twice a day keeps memory usage sane) and enable the ban/whitelist features you want.
- Change sv_hostname, sv_projectName and sv_projectDesc in your server.cfg so you do not sit in the list as a default-named server.
- Add resources one at a time and restart between additions. When something breaks, and it will, you want to know which resource did it. The txAdmin live console and the resource monitor (CPU and memory per resource) make this much easier than the old tail-the-logfile days.
- If you deployed a framework, install ox_lib and a proper inventory early, before you have player data you care about. Swapping inventories on a live server is miserable.
QBCore vs ESX in 2026, the short version
You will hit this decision the moment you pick a recipe, so here is my honest take. ESX is the oldest framework and still has the largest script ecosystem, tons of tutorials, and it is simple to learn. QBCore had a huge run but its original development has largely stalled, and the community energy moved to Qbox, a QBCore fork that ships with ox_lib and ox_inventory and stays compatible with most QBCore scripts. There is a decent side by side in this framework comparison if you want the details.
My rule of thumb: starting fresh in 2026, look at Qbox or ESX. If you are moving an existing QBCore server, Qbox is the natural upgrade path when you next do a big rebuild. If your paid scripts are ESX-only, that decides it for you, check your script compatibility before you pick, not after.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need to install txAdmin separately?
No. txAdmin has been bundled with every FiveM server artifact for years. Download the artifact, run it, and the panel is there on port 40120.
Is a FiveM server free to run?
The server software, txAdmin and the license key are all free. Your only real cost is the machine it runs on. Note that servers over 48 slots and some premium features fall under Cfx.re subscription tiers, so check portal.cfx.re if you plan to grow big.
Can I run it on my home PC?
Technically yes, and it is fine for testing with friends. For anything public you want a VPS or dedicated server: home upload bandwidth, port forwarding headaches and your PC needing to stay on 24/7 make home hosting a bad long term plan.
The panel on port 40120 does not load. What now?
Nine times out of ten it is a firewall. Check both the OS firewall (Windows Firewall or ufw/iptables on Linux) and your hosting provider's cloud firewall or security group. Also make sure the server process is actually still running, the console will tell you if it crashed on startup.
That is the whole process. If you get stuck at any step, or if you have opinions on the Qbox versus ESX debate (I know some of you do), reply below and I will do my best to help. Also curious what recipes people are deploying with these days.