Build your server checklist
Choose your preferences to build a checklist. This tool suggests server characteristics; it does not search or rank live servers. Your choices stay in this page and are not saved or sent anywhere.
Your server checklist
- Look for Tutorial or Combat Training tags for practice, then compare the rules of a survival server before committing to a wipe.
- Solo-only rules may suit you if you want a group cap of one. Check whether alliances, shared bases and trading count as teaming.
- For short sessions, compare advertised gather rates and time-limited raid rules. Faster progression may save farming time but does not prevent losses.
- Start with servers advertised in Europe, then compare actual ping from your connection during your normal play time. A region label is not a latency measurement.
Official, Community and Modded: what should you check?
Start with the server browser, then read the operator’s description. Facepunch permits certain administration plugins and vanilla setting changes within Community; gameplay-changing plugins generally belong in Modded. Read Facepunch’s Community plugin rules.
Swipe the table to compare all columns.
Server labels describe a starting point, not a quality ranking
| Label | What it tells you | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Official | A server listed in the Official tab | Read the specific operator’s group, queue and wipe rules. The tab alone is not a difficulty rating. |
| Community | Community-operated servers subject to Facepunch’s plugin rules | Some administration plugins and changes to vanilla settings are permitted. Do not assume every setting is identical. |
| Modded | Servers using plugins beyond the Community allowances | Check gather rates, kits, teleports and other advertised changes individually. Modded is not one consistent ruleset. |
| PvE / Build / Training tags | Filters for a preferred activity rather than a guarantee | Read damage, raid and event rules. For practice, compare Tutorial or Combat Training tags as well. |
Facepunch documents activity, region and wipe-frequency tags, including PvE, Tutorial, Combat Training and weekly, biweekly or monthly schedules. Use them to narrow your search, then confirm the details in the server’s own rules. See the official server-browser tags.
Compare population with your actual play time
A population number is a snapshot. Before investing a wipe, revisit your shortlist at the hours you normally play. Check whether a queue will use up your available session and whether the group cap accommodates everyone you want to play with.
- Connection: compare ping from your own connection. A nearby region is a useful starting point, not a promise of low latency.
- Group rules: read how the operator defines teaming, alliances, shared bases and substitutes. A team-size setting alone does not explain enforcement.
- Administration: look for published rules, a reporting route and clear appeal instructions. An “active admins” label does not prove response times.
- Progression: compare advertised rates and restrictions with your time budget. Faster gathering does not guarantee an easier opponent or protect a base.
Check map and blueprint wipes separately
Before joining, find the operator’s next map-reset announcement and its separate blueprint-reset policy. Ask what progress resets, the exact day and time zone, and whether the announcement applies to the server you selected. Do not read “monthly” or “no BP wipe” as a permanent promise.
Facepunch’s wipe-timer documentation explains weekly, biweekly and monthly formats, configurable time zones and explicit overrides. Those settings are why a generic calendar or tag cannot replace the operator’s current announcement. This guide does not calculate your server’s next wipe or claim a universal blueprint-reset schedule. Read the official wipe-timer documentation.
Common server-choice questions
Which Rust server should a beginner choose?
Choose the activity you want to learn first. Tutorial or Combat Training can support focused practice; for survival, compare clear rules, your connection, group limits and a schedule you can attend. Treat “beginner friendly” as a claim to investigate, not a difficulty setting.
Should a solo player use a solo-only server?
A solo-only rule may fit if you want a one-player group cap. Read how the server handles alliances and shared resources before choosing it. An uncapped server offers a different group environment; neither choice guarantees safety or easier fights.
Does PvE mean my base cannot be raided?
Check the operator’s actual damage, raid-window and event rules. The PvE tag helps you find a play style; it does not document every exception or moderation decision.
Sources and scope
420 Services prepared this criteria guide from the sources below, reviewed on 15 October 2026. Selection advice is editorial guidance, not a server benchmark. We did not measure live populations, queues, ping, moderation performance or server safety. This guide concerns Rust PC and does not cover Console Edition.
- Facepunch Wiki: server-browser tags
- Facepunch Support: Community servers using plugins and mods
- Facepunch Wiki: server wipe timer
- Facepunch: Community Server and Hosting Guidelines
Read and follow the rules of your chosen server and Facepunch’s terms. Facepunch’s hosting guidelines prohibit cheating, griefing and hacking; this page does not imply an exemption or endorsement.