The quick answer

The easiest way to create an Assetto Corsa server

Choose a hosting plan and nearby location, open the new server from your dashboard, select a track and cars in the Content tab, configure the session, then press Start. Once the server is online, use the panel’s Content Manager join link to connect and invite other players.

With hosted service, you do not need to leave a gaming PC running or configure port forwarding on your home router.

Step 1

Before you start

You only need a few things before building the lobby. Having them ready makes the rest of the setup much faster.

An Assetto Servers accountCreate an account or sign in before selecting a plan.

Your preferred server regionChoose the location closest to most of your drivers.

A lobby namePick a clear name players will recognize in the server list.

Optional custom contentKeep your car and track archives ready if the lobby will use mods.

Tip

Start with default content for the first launch. Once the server connects correctly, add custom cars and tracks one group at a time.

Step 2

Choose a plan and server location

Open the hosting plans and select the resources that fit your lobby. For a first test, the Free Plan provides a 3-day server with four player slots, 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, and 2 GB of asset storage.

1
Select a plan.
Use the Free Plan for a small test or choose a larger plan for leagues, events, and bigger mod collections.
2
Choose the billing cycle.
Paid plans show the available billing options before checkout.
3
Name the server.
Use a short name that describes the community, event, or driving style.
4
Select a location.
Pick the region that gives the majority of players the shortest route and lowest latency.

Assetto Servers cart with the Free Plan and Atlanta server location selected — Select a plan, give the server a recognizable name, and choose the location closest to your drivers.

Step 3

Open the server from your dashboard

After the server is created, it appears under My Servers in your customer dashboard. Provisioning may take a short time while the game server files and panel connection are prepared.

Wait until the server status changes from provisioning to ready or online.
Open the server card to enter the Assetto Servers control panel.
Check the resource bar for CPU, memory, disk, player count, and current uptime.

Customer dashboard showing a running Free Plan server in Atlanta — The new server card shows its status, plan, region, content, and Manage action.

Step 4

Add cars and tracks

Open the Content tab. The Asset Library accepts supported car and track archives, organizes them for reuse, and lets you build the server entry list without manually editing folder paths. Follow the detailed walkthroughs to add cars to an Assetto Corsa server and add tracks and choose their layouts. For a cruising layout with an AI lane, continue with the AI traffic server setup guide.

1
Upload the content archives.
Drop your packaged cars and tracks into the Asset Library upload area.
2
Choose the track and layout.
Select the exact layout the server should load.
3
Add cars to the entry list.
Set the available models, number of entries, and skins where needed.
4
Apply the selection.
Save the content configuration before moving to sessions and rules.

Content tab showing the Asset Library, Brands Hatch GP, server setup, and two Mazda MX-5 Cup entries — The Content tab with Brands Hatch GP selected and two Mazda MX-5 Cup entries ready to apply.

Custom content must match

Every player needs the same car and track files used by the server. Different versions are a common cause of Assetto Corsa checksum failures.

Add timing and leaderboards after the base server works

Once the lobby is stable, explore the Assetto Corsa server plugin suite for timing and drift scoring, use the Timing Stage Builder to capture a route, and connect the Assetto Corsa Discord bot when you want status, join links, and leaderboards in your community.

Step 5

Configure the lobby

The panel separates the most common configuration into focused tabs, so each part of the event can be reviewed before launch.

Rules tab with assists, voting, damage, tyre wear, and penalties — RulesSet assists and realism
Configure server rules for ABS, traction control, damage, tyre wear, voting, and penalties.

Weather and Time tab with two weather slots and dynamic track controls — Weather & TimeBuild the conditions
Configure weather and time, temperature, wind, and dynamic-track behavior.

Sessions tab with practice, qualifying, and race settings — SessionsCreate the event flow
Configure practice, qualifying, and race sessions, then set their duration and join rules.

First-lobby setup

For a quick test, start with one practice session and open joining. Add qualifying, race rules, weather rotation, and stricter realism after the base server works.

Step 6

Start the server and connect

Return to the top of the panel and press Start. Watch the console and status badge while Assetto Corsa loads the selected content. When the status is online, the session details should show the active map, cars, weather, and session type.

1
Press Start.
Allow the server to finish booting before changing settings or restarting.
2
Confirm the session details.
Check that the correct map, cars, weather, and session are loaded.
3
Use Join in CM.
Open the session through Content Manager or copy the join link to share with players.

Online Assetto Corsa server console with session details and Content Manager join buttons — The Console confirms that the server is online and exposes the Content Manager join controls.

Invite-only lobby

If the session is only for people you trust, follow the private Assetto Corsa server guide before sharing the join link.

Step 7

Test the server before sharing it

Join once as the administrator before inviting the full group. A short test catches most configuration and content problems.

The server appears online and accepts a connection. The correct track layout loads. Every configured car is selectable. Practice, qualifying, and race timing behaves as expected. Password, assists, penalties, and weather match the event plan. A second player can use the shared Content Manager join link.

Common first-launch problems

Problem	Likely cause	What to check
Server is not visible	The server is still starting or the session did not load.	Check the status badge and console, then confirm the content selection.
Checksum failed	The client and server have different versions of a car or track.	Install the exact same content package on every client.
Player cannot join	Missing content, a wrong password, or a full entry list.	Confirm the join link, password, installed mods, and available slots.
Wrong event settings	Changes were not applied before startup.	Apply each tab, then restart the server to load the saved configuration.

FAQ

Assetto Corsa server setup questions

Do I need to port forward an Assetto Corsa server?

Not when you use Assetto Servers hosting. The game server runs in the selected data-center location, so you do not configure ports on your home router.

Can I use custom cars and tracks?

Yes. Upload supported content archives to the Asset Library, select the track and layout, and add cars to the entry list. Players need matching copies of that content.

Can I create a server for free?

Yes. The current Free Plan includes three days, four player slots, 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, and 2 GB of asset storage for one free server per account.

How do friends join the server?

Once the server is online, share the Content Manager join link from the panel. Also share any required cars, tracks, and the server password.

Do I need to edit configuration files?

Most common setup can be handled through the Content, Rules, Weather & Time, Sessions, Startup, and Settings tabs. The Files tab remains available for advanced configuration.

Ready to build your first lobby?

Start with a free 4-player server

Use the same panel shown in this guide and test the complete setup workflow for three days.

Start Free Server Browse More Guides