How to Host a Team Fortress 2 Server (2026 Setup Guide)
TF2 hosting ranges from a casual 24-slot public server to a 100-slot trade server, and the RAM math barely changes between them. Here's how to get a TF2 server running with SourceMod, maps and MvM done right.
Decide what kind of server this is first — casual public, Mann vs. Machine, or a trade/idle server — since each has a different slot target. A standard 24-slot public server, a 32-slot MvM mission, and a 100-slot trade server are all normal, just very different.
Size RAM by slot count, not ambition. TF2's server binary is 32-bit, so it can't use more than about 4GB regardless of the machine — 2GB runs a small private server, 4GB a full 24-slot public server with SourceMod. Trade servers scaling to 100 slots are a slot-count question, not a memory one.
If you're running Mann vs. Machine, remember Valve's own guidance: an MvM server runs exactly 32 slots with the mission's popfile in place. Install the mission files through the file manager before announcing the run.
Drop SourceMod and MetaMod into tf/addons, and maps into tf/maps or tf/workshop — all through the panel's file manager. Everything there is included in the automatic backups and comes back on a restore.
Skip the Steam Game Server Login Token unless you want the public in-game browser listing. Players can connect by IP (connect your-ip:27015) without one — a free token from steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers adds browser visibility, addable later from the panel.
Use a cleaner Team Fortress 2 path
CoalHost gives your TF2 server SourceMod, custom maps and backups out of the box.
Deploy Team Fortress 2 now →