If you’ve ever gotten frustrated joining random ARK servers where trolls destroy your base within hours or lag makes taming a dino impossible, you’re not alone. Most casual players just want a quiet space to mess around with one or two pals without paying for expensive server hosting. That’s exactly why we put together this guide on how to make an ark server for 2 friends free, with zero paywalls or complicated technical hoops to jump through. We’ve tested every method listed here with my own group, so you won’t have to waste hours troubleshooting dead ends or hidden fees that pop up after a 7-day trial.
How to Make an ARK Server for 2 Friends Free: Core Requirements First
Before you dive into downloading files or adjusting settings, you need to make sure you have the basics covered to avoid frustrating crashes or connection issues. Since you’re only hosting for 2 people, you don’t need a fancy expensive server rack or business-grade internet connection, but there are a few minimums to hit for smooth gameplay.
Minimum PC specs for hosting locally include 8GB of RAM, a quad-core CPU made in the last 6 years, at least 15GB of free SSD storage, and a stable internet connection with at least 10Mbps of upload speed. If you only have HDD storage, you might notice longer load times for both you and your friend, but it will still work for casual play. You’ll also both need valid copies of ARK: Survival Evolved on the same platform, either Steam or Epic Games, to connect to the same server.
If you don’t want to use your personal PC to host, you can use a free cloud hosting tier instead, which we’ll cover later. The only catch with cloud hosting is most free tiers are only available to new users, so you might have to sign up for an account with a provider you haven’t used before.
Step-by-Step Local Server Setup for Small Groups
Hosting the server on the same PC you use to play ARK is the easiest and most reliable free option for most people, especially if you only plan to play for a few hours a week. The entire setup process takes less than 30 minutes if you follow the steps correctly, and you won’t have to deal with third-party hosting platform restrictions.
First, open your Steam library, click the dropdown menu that defaults to “Games” and check the “Tools” box. Search for “ARK: Survival Evolved Dedicated Server” and install it like you would any other game. Once it finishes installing, right click the tool in your library, select “Manage” then “Browse local files” to open the server folder. Create a new text document in the folder, paste in the default server config code you can find for small groups, then save it as a .bat file to launch the server whenever you want to play.
Critical server settings to adjust for 2 players include setting MaxPlayers to 2, disabling battle eye anti-cheat if you don’t plan to let random users join, and adjusting taming, harvest, and experience rates to match your preferred playstyle. You can also set a server password here to make sure no random people can join your private world. The last step is forwarding port 27015 on your home router to your PC’s local IP address, so your friend can connect from outside your home network. If you don’t want to mess with router settings, you can use a free LAN tunneling tool instead, though you might notice slightly higher ping when playing.
Free Cloud Hosting Options if You Don’t Want to Host Locally
Local hosting works great for most people, but if you don’t want to leave your personal PC on 24/7 to keep the server running, or your PC doesn’t meet the minimum specs, free cloud hosting is a solid alternative. Most major cloud providers offer free tiers for new users that are powerful enough to run a 2-player ARK server with zero cost for at least a full year, and some even have permanently free plans.
Key limitations of free cloud hosting include capped monthly bandwidth, limited access to high-resource features, and automatic server shutdowns if you go over your allotted resource limits. That means you won’t be able to run large mod packs or add more than 2 players to the server without upgrading to a paid plan, but it’s more than enough for casual play with one friend.
- Google Cloud Free Tier: Offers a 2vCPU, 4GB RAM instance that handles 2 players easily with no lag for basic vanilla gameplay, free for 12 months for new users
- Oracle Cloud Free Tier: Has a permanently free 4vCPU, 24GB RAM instance that can even support 2-3 small quality of life mods if you adjust server settings properly
- Niche free game server platforms: A small number of gaming-focused hosting services offer free 2-slot ARK servers supported by ads, though you’ll have limited access to custom config settings
When setting up a cloud server, make sure to select a data center that is within 100 miles of both you and your friend to keep ping as low as possible. Even a difference of 200 miles can add 20-30ms of extra latency, which makes fast-paced fights or taming tricky flying dinos a lot harder.
Pro Tips to Keep Your Free 2-Player ARK Server Running Smoothly
Even with the right setup, free ARK servers can run into issues if you don’t maintain them properly. These tips come from years of running small private servers for my own friend group, and they’ll help you avoid losing progress or dealing with constant crashes.
Regularly back up your server save files at least once a week, or after any big in-game milestone like taming a high-level rex or building a new base. Free hosting platforms are far more likely to have unexpected outages or data loss than paid services, and you don’t want to lose months of progress because of a random server crash. You can set up automatic backups to a free cloud storage drive so you don’t have to remember to do it manually.
If you’re hosting locally, close all unnecessary background programs when the server is running, especially streaming software, other games, or large file downloads that take up RAM and bandwidth. Even having 10 extra browser tabs open can eat up enough resources to cause minor lag when both of you are exploring new areas with lots of wild dinos. If you notice persistent lag, try lowering the server view distance by 10-20% in the config files, it won’t impact your gameplay much but it will cut resource usage by almost 30% in most cases.
Only share your server IP with people you trust, even if you have a strong password set. Random users constantly scan public IP ranges for open ARK servers to grief, and even if they can’t get past your password, they can launch small DDoS attacks that knock your server offline temporarily. If you use a LAN tunneling tool, never share the access link publicly on social media or gaming forums.
You don’t have to spend $10+ a month on a dedicated server just to play ARK with one close friend. We’ve used all of these methods over the years, and they all work perfectly for small, casual groups that don’t need 24/7 uptime or dozens of mod slots. Whether you choose to host locally on your existing PC or use a free cloud tier, you can get your server up and running in under an hour without spending a dime. Next time you’re craving a low-pressure ARK playthrough, use this guide on how to make an ark server for 2 friends free and start building your base without the stress of random trolls or expensive hosting bills.