Palworld If you’ve run a Palworld dedicated server for more than a few hours, you’ve probably watched your RAM usage climb steadily until the server crashes. That’s not your hardware - it’s a known memory leak in Palworld’s early access server software, and it’s the single biggest pain point for server owners right now.
The good news: there are real fixes. Not “just buy more RAM” fixes, but actual configuration changes and maintenance practices that keep servers stable. This guide covers what’s actually going on, how to deal with it, and how to tell the difference between a memory leak and other performance problems.
Quick RAM reference
Before diving into the problems, here’s what you need to run a Palworld server:
| Players | Recommended RAM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | 8GB | Minimum for a stable experience. Restarts every 4-6 hours. |
| 5-10 | 12-16GB | 16GB gives you real headroom. |
| 10-20 | 16-24GB | Pocketpair recommends 16GB as the baseline. |
| 20+ | 32GB | Large community servers. Expect frequent restarts regardless. |
Pocketpair officially recommends 16GB minimum, and they’re not exaggerating. Palworld loads a large open world with physics-driven creature AI, and the memory leak means usage only goes up over time. You can run smaller servers on 8GB with proper restart schedules, but 16GB is where things start feeling comfortable.
At WinterNode, our Palworld plans start at 6GB ($11.94/mo) and go up to 32GB ($63.68/mo) at $1.99/GB. For most groups of 5-6 players, 7GB gets you started - though 16GB is where you stop worrying about it.
The memory leak problem
Here’s what’s actually happening: Palworld’s server process gradually allocates more memory over time and never releases it. This is a textbook memory leak, and Pocketpair has acknowledged it as a known early access issue. It affects every Palworld dedicated server regardless of host, hardware, or operating system.
The severity depends on your settings and player count, but the pattern is always the same: RAM usage climbs over hours of gameplay until the server hits its memory limit and crashes. With default settings on a 16GB server, you might get 6-12 hours before things get unstable. On an 8GB server, that window shrinks significantly.
The bEnableInvaderEnemy fix
The single most effective mitigation is disabling invader enemy spawning. Set this in your PalWorldSettings.ini:
bEnableInvaderEnemy=FalseThis disables random enemy raids on player bases - and it roughly halves RAM consumption over a play session. The invader spawning system is one of the biggest contributors to the memory leak.
You lose base raids, which some players enjoy. But most server owners consider that a fair trade for not crashing every few hours. If you want raids back, you can always re-enable this once Pocketpair patches the underlying issue.
Warning
Stop your server before editing PalWorldSettings.ini. If you edit config files while the server is running, your changes will be overwritten when the server stops. This is a common Palworld gotcha - see our configuration guide for details.
On WinterNode, the file is located at /Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini. Open it through File Manager, find the bEnableInvaderEnemy setting, change it to False, save, and start the server.
Restart schedules - your best defense
Even with bEnableInvaderEnemy disabled, Palworld servers still leak memory. Scheduled restarts are not optional - they’re part of running a stable Palworld server right now.
Recommended restart intervals:
| Setup | Restart interval |
|---|---|
| 8GB, invaders disabled | Every 2-4 hours |
| 8GB, invaders enabled | Every 1-2 hours |
| 16GB+, invaders disabled | Every 4-6 hours |
| 16GB+, invaders enabled | Every 2-4 hours |
On WinterNode, you can automate this with the Schedule Manager. Set up a recurring restart task and the server handles it automatically - your players get a brief interruption, but no data loss and no crashes.
Tip
Schedule restarts during low-activity hours if your group has a predictable play schedule. A 4 AM restart is invisible to most players. If you run a public server with around-the-clock activity, shorter intervals with a warning message work better.
The combination of disabling invaders and scheduling restarts is what keeps most Palworld servers running. Neither fix alone is as effective as both together.
Lag spikes vs. sustained lag
Not all performance issues are memory leaks. If your server feels slow, it helps to know what you’re actually dealing with.
Sustained lag that gets worse over time - this is the memory leak. RAM usage climbs, the server starts swapping to disk (or runs out entirely), and everything slows down. Restarts fix it temporarily. This is normal Palworld behavior right now.
Short lag spikes that resolve themselves - usually CPU-related. Large base builds with many Pals working, or combat encounters with lots of creatures, can spike CPU usage. This isn’t a memory issue and more RAM won’t help. WinterNode doesn’t throttle CPU (fair usage, no hard caps), so these spikes resolve naturally once the load drops.
Rubber-banding or teleporting - typically network-related. Check your players’ connections and make sure they’re connecting to a server location near them. If everyone is experiencing it simultaneously, the server might be under heavy load from the memory leak.
Lag immediately after server start - this is unusual for Palworld and might indicate a mod conflict or corrupted world data. Check your server logs before assuming it’s a performance issue.
Save corruption prevention
Palworld has had reports of save data corruption - another early access growing pain. This one can’t be fixed with a config change, but you can protect yourself.
Take regular backups. WinterNode runs automated backups every 12 hours with 45-day retention, so you always have a fallback. But if you’re making major changes to your world - taming rare Pals, building large structures, reorganizing bases - consider taking a manual backup before and after.
Don’t ignore crashes. If your server crashes from an out-of-memory event, check your world data after restarting. Crashes during a save operation are the most likely cause of corruption. If something looks wrong, restore from your most recent backup rather than hoping the damage is minor.
Player save data lives in /Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/<WorldUUID>/Players/. If a specific player’s data gets corrupted (they can’t join, their character is broken), you can restore or delete their individual save file without affecting anyone else. Our known issues guide covers this process.
The config file reset gotcha
This one catches people constantly. You edit PalWorldSettings.ini, restart the server, and all your changes are gone.
The cause is simple: Palworld’s server overwrites the config file when it shuts down. If you edit the file while the server is running, then stop or restart, the running server writes its in-memory config over your changes.
The fix: Always stop the server completely before editing any config file. Make your changes, save, then start the server. This applies to every file in the config directory, not just PalWorldSettings.ini.
If you’ve been burned by this before and want a safety net, keep a local copy of your settings so you can paste them back quickly if something goes wrong. Our configuration guide walks through the full editing process.
When to upgrade RAM
More RAM doesn’t fix memory leaks - it just buys you more time between restarts. That said, there’s a real quality-of-life difference between restarting every 2 hours and restarting every 6.
Signs you need more RAM:
- Server crashes between scheduled restarts, even with invaders disabled
- RAM usage hits 90%+ within 2-3 hours of a fresh start
- You’re adding more players and the crash window is shrinking
- You want longer restart intervals without risk
Signs it’s not a RAM problem:
- Lag spikes during combat that resolve after the fight (CPU)
- Issues that happen immediately on a fresh start (mod conflict or corruption)
- One specific player experiences problems but others don’t (their connection or save data)
Upgrading is straightforward on WinterNode - you can bump your plan mid-billing cycle and only pay the prorated difference. Your world data carries over automatically.
Getting started
Palworld server hosting is $1.99/GB with no CPU limits, no storage caps, and no hidden fees. Automated backups run twice daily with 45-day retention. Setup takes under 60 seconds.
If you’re already running a server elsewhere and fighting these issues, migrating is straightforward - upload your save files via SFTP and you keep your world, bases, and Pals.
Info
For large world transfers, use SFTP instead of the browser-based File Manager. Palworld save files can grow large, and SFTP handles big uploads more reliably.
Our support team actually plays these games and can help you dial in your restart schedule and config settings. Get your Palworld server →
Frequently Asked Questions
Most Palworld server crashes are caused by memory leaks. The server gradually consumes more RAM over time until it runs out and crashes. Disabling bEnableInvaderEnemy and scheduling automatic restarts every 4-6 hours are the two most effective fixes.
Set bEnableInvaderEnemy=False in your PalWorldSettings.ini file and schedule automatic restarts every 4-6 hours. This combination keeps most servers stable. The memory leak is a known early access issue that Pocketpair is working on.
8GB handles 1-4 players comfortably. For 5-10 players, 12-16GB is recommended. Pocketpair officially recommends 16GB minimum, though smaller servers can run on less with proper restart schedules.
Yes. Disabling invader enemy spawning is the single most effective fix for Palworld memory leaks. It can roughly halve RAM consumption over a play session. You lose random base raids, but most players consider that a fair trade for server stability.
Every 4-6 hours is a good baseline for servers with 12GB+ RAM and bEnableInvaderEnemy disabled. Smaller servers or those with invaders enabled may need restarts every 1-2 hours. WinterNode's Schedule Manager makes this easy to automate.