Best Valheim server mods (2026)
Which Valheim mods are worth running on a dedicated server, grouped by what they change - quality of life, storage, building and server-side-only. Covers BepInEx, Thunderstore, matching versions across clients, and why console players are excluded.
Valheim modding runs on BepInEx, and almost everything worth installing is published on Thunderstore. The useful question is not which mod is "best" in the abstract, but which category of problem you are trying to fix. Most groups want two or three quality-of-life plugins and nothing else.
Valheim 1.0 arrives on September 9, 2026 with no preceding public test branch, so mods meet the final build at the same moment as everyone else. From that date, open a plugin's Thunderstore page and check for a release that explicitly names 1.0 before installing it. A plugin built for an earlier version will usually stop the server from starting rather than fail quietly.
Console players cannot install mods. If anyone in your group is on PS5, Switch 2 or Xbox, a modded server locks them out. See crossplay or mods before committing.
How server mods actually work
Three rules explain most of the trouble people run into:
- BepInEx is the loader. Plugins are DLLs that go in
BepInEx/pluginson the server, keeping whatever folder structure the archive came with. - Most mods must match on both sides. If a plugin changes content, gameplay or the UI, every player needs the same plugin at the same version. A mismatch usually shows up as a refused connection.
- Server-side-only mods are the exception. These run entirely on the server and ask nothing of players, which makes them by far the lowest-effort category to adopt.
For the mechanics, see installing BepInEx mods.
Point your players at a mod manager such as r2modman or the Thunderstore app rather than asking them to copy DLLs by hand. You can export your exact profile as a code, and everyone ends up on matching versions without a support thread.
Quality of life
The category almost every group installs first. These smooth out friction without changing what the game is.
| What you want | Look for | Client install? |
|---|---|---|
| Per-mod settings you can edit in game | Configuration Manager | Yes |
| Extra equipment and quick slots | Equipment and Quick Slots | Yes |
| Plant and farm anything, with sane spacing | PlantEverything | Yes |
| Keep the map and pins shared across the group | A cartography or shared-map plugin | Yes |
Configuration Manager is the one to install before any other. It turns every BepInEx plugin's settings into an in-game menu instead of a config file you have to edit and restart for.
Storage and inventory
The most-felt improvement per megabyte installed. Valheim's base storage handling is deliberately tedious, and one plugin removes most of it.
| What you want | Look for | Client install? |
|---|---|---|
| Quick stack into nearby chests | Quick Stack Store Sort Trash Restock | Yes |
| Automatic sorting and restocking | AzuAutoStore, or similar | Yes |
| Craft directly from nearby containers | A container-crafting plugin | Yes |
Storage mods change how items move, not what exists. That makes them relatively safe to remove later, unlike content mods, which can leave missing items behind in a world that was built with them.
Building
Worth it for groups whose sessions are mostly base-building, and rarely worth it otherwise.
| What you want | Look for | Client install? |
|---|---|---|
| Blueprints you can save and paste | PlanBuild | Yes |
| Free camera while building | A build-camera plugin | Yes |
| Relaxed placement and snapping rules | An advanced-building plugin | Yes |
Building mods change what structures are possible. If you later remove one, any structure that depended on it can disappear. Take a backup before adding or removing this category, not after.
Server-side only
The best value on a dedicated server, because players install nothing and nothing can drift out of version sync.
| What you want | Look for | Client install? |
|---|---|---|
| Server events posted to Discord | DiscordConnector | No |
| Admin and debug commands on a dedicated server | Server Devcommands | No |
| Character data held server-side | ServerCharacters | No |
If you want a modded server but your group will not reliably keep plugins updated, restrict yourself to this category. It gives you moderation and visibility improvements with none of the version-matching maintenance.
Keep the list short
Every plugin is a thing that can break on the next Valheim patch, and they break together. One bad DLL usually takes the whole server down rather than disabling itself. A practical approach:
Add one mod at a time
Start the server, confirm it loads and players can connect, then add the next one.
Check BepInEx/LogOutput.log after each
Load errors are named there. It is much faster than guessing from a failed start.
Keep an unmodded backup
Snapshot before each addition, so rolling back is a restore rather than a diagnosis.
Re-check after every game update
Treat a Valheim patch as a reason to verify the list, not a surprise.
Next steps
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to install Valheim server mods?
Install the Valheim BepInEx pack on the server, then place each plugin and its bundled folders in BepInEx/plugins. On berrybyte, switch the server software to Valheim BepInEx and it installs the framework for you. Add one mod at a time so a broken plugin is easy to identify.
Do Valheim server mods work with crossplay?
Not usefully. Console versions of Valheim cannot install mods at all, so any mod that players also have to install makes the server PC-only in practice. Keep a crossplay server vanilla if PS5, Switch 2 or Xbox players need to join it.
Do I need the same Valheim mods as the server?
For most mods, yes, and at the same version. Content, gameplay and UI plugins are checked against what the server is running. Server-side-only mods are the exception - they run entirely on the server and players install nothing. Each mod's page says which kind it is.
Will Valheim mods work after the 1.0 update?
Assume not on release day. Valheim has no official mod support and there is no public test branch before 1.0, so every plugin meets the final build for the first time on September 9, 2026. Check each mod's Thunderstore page for a release that names 1.0 before installing it.