How to make a FiveM server (GTA RP) from scratch

🎮 What FiveM is and what you need

FiveM is a multiplayer platform for GTA V, built by Cfx.re, that lets you play on dedicated servers with custom scripts, maps and rules. That is where roleplay (GTA RP) servers come from.

To play you need a legitimate copy of GTA V on PC. To run a server you do not need a copy of the game at all: it is a separate, free program. What you do need:

• A Cfx.re account and a free license key.
• A machine with a public IP that stays on around the clock.
• A MySQL database if you plan to use a roleplay framework.

🧩 FXServer and txAdmin, the two parts of a server

FXServer is the server program itself. txAdmin is the web panel bundled with it: start and restart, live console, player management, scheduled restarts and editing server.cfg, the configuration file. Three lines worth understanding from day one:

• endpoint_add_tcp "0.0.0.0:30120" and endpoint_add_udp "0.0.0.0:30120": the port. 30120 is the default and has to be open on both TCP and UDP.
• sv_maxclients 48: the number of slots.
• ensure resource_name: starts a resource (script, map, vehicle) at boot.

🔑 The free Cfx.re license key

Without a key the server will not start. You get one for free at portal.cfx.re (formerly Keymaster): sign in, open the server keys section and create a server key for your server's IP address.

It goes in server.cfg, as sv_licenseKey "your_key", or in the txAdmin setup wizard, which asks for it when you deploy. The key is tied to the IP, so if you change machine, generate another. More detail in getting started with FiveM: license and basic setup.

🚀 The txAdmin wizard and its recipes

On first boot, txAdmin prints a PIN in the console: you enter it on the txAdmin page, link your Cfx.re account and the wizard begins. The convenient route is a recipe, a template that downloads and installs a complete framework, including its resources, its database tables and a ready-made server.cfg. It only asks for your license key and database details, and a few minutes later you have a working base.

🧱 ESX, QBCore or Qbox: picking a framework

The framework handles characters, money, jobs, inventory and vehicles:

• ESX: the most widely used, with the largest catalogue of free and paid scripts.
• QBCore: more modern and tidier, with many built-in systems that fit together consistently.
• Qbox: an evolution of QBCore, compatible with a good share of its scripts.

None of them is right for everyone. Choose based on the scripts you want to run, and do not switch once the city is live: player data does not convert itself.

💾 The MySQL database and oxmysql

All three store characters, vehicles and inventories in MySQL and connect through the oxmysql resource, configured in server.cfg:

set mysql_connection_string "mysql://user:password@host:3306/db_name?charset=utf8mb4"

oxmysql has to start before the framework, and many scripts come with a .sql file that must be imported into the database.

👥 Slots, OneSync and how much RAM you need

Slots are set with sv_maxclients. Up to 48 slots are free; more requires a Cfx.re subscription, which you take out with them, not with your host. OneSync is the sync system that lets a server go past the classic 32 players; current frameworks require it, and in txAdmin you switch it on in the FXServer settings.

RAM depends more on the scripts, maps and vehicles you load than on the player count. As a rough guide:

Type of server	Suggested RAM
Testing and small servers	2-4 GB
A city with a fair number of scripts	6-8 GB
A large, heavily scripted city	10-16 GB

Start modest and move up if memory sits close to the limit.

🏠 Why hosting it at home is a bad idea

• Exposed IP: players connect to your home IP and, if it changes, the license no longer matches.
• Attacks: roleplay servers are a common DDoS target, and a home connection cannot absorb one.
• A PC running 24/7: power, noise, and downtime with every reboot or update.

⚡ Step by step with ZentexNode

With ZentexNode FiveM hosting, txAdmin is included, with servers in Spain (a good fit for Europe), Anti-DDoS protection and NVMe disks. It costs €1 per GB of RAM per month, from €2/month, with no contract.

• 1. Order the RAM you need in the store.
• 2. Automatic activation: once you pay, the server is created on its own and the details arrive by email.
• 3. Open txAdmin: start the server from the panel and use the PIN shown in the console.
• 4. Add the license: create the server key with your server's IP and paste it into the wizard.
• 5. Choose a recipe: ESX, QBCore or Qbox.
• 6. Create the database from the panel and give its details to the recipe when it asks.
• 7. Upload your resources over SFTP to resources and add their ensure line: how to install resources and scripts on FiveM.

Before any big change, take a copy: how to create and restore backups.

🚨 Common mistakes when starting out

• Invalid license. The key was created for a different IP: generate one for the server's current IP.
• Resources that do not load. The ensure line is missing from server.cfg, the folder name does not match, or it starts before a dependency. The order: oxmysql, then the framework, then everything else.
• Misconfigured database. Wrong details in mysql_connection_string, or .sql files never imported: you will see oxmysql errors in the console and characters that do not save.

❓ Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to make a FiveM server?
The server software and the license key are free. You pay for hosting and, only if you want more than 48 slots, the Cfx.re subscription.

Do I need to own GTA V to run the server?
No. The server does not use a copy of the game; only players need one to join.

ESX or QBCore for a first server?
Either works. ESX has more scripts and tutorials; QBCore and Qbox arrive more complete out of the box.

Ready to start today? Pick a plan on the FiveM hosting page: it activates automatically on payment, with txAdmin ready to deploy your framework.