How to Install Mods on a Palworld Server

Q: Can you install mods on a hosted Palworld server?

Yes. PAK content mods drop straight into the Pal/Content/Paks/~mods/ folder via your host's file manager or FTP — upload, restart, done. Script mods (UE4SS/Lua) are also possible but only on a Windows-based plan with full file access, since the UE4SS injector cannot run on a Linux server.

Q: Are Nexus mods server-side or client-side?

Most Nexus Mods for Palworld are client-side only — reshades, UI changes, camera and sound tweaks, model swaps. They go in your local game install and uploading them to the server does nothing. Only mods that change shared gameplay (new Pals, spawns, balance) belong on the server, and every player usually needs the matching files.

Install mods on a Palworld dedicated server in 2026: PAK vs UE4SS/Lua mods, the Windows-only server caveat, and step-by-step setup.

Published on 14 juin 2026

Modding Palworld is absolutely possible in 2026, but it does not work the way Minecraft modding does. Palworld is built on Unreal Engine 5, has no official mod API, and the line between a "client mod" and a "server mod" is blurrier than most players expect. Before you upload a single file to your server, it pays to understand the two mod types, why most Nexus mods never touch the server, and the one caveat that trips everyone up: real server-side script mods are Windows-only. This guide walks you through installing mods on a hosted Palworld server, step by step.

The two kinds of Palworld mods

Almost every Palworld mod falls into one of two families. Knowing which one you are dealing with tells you exactly where the files go and whether the server is even involved.

PAK mods (the simplest)

These are packaged Unreal assets with a .pak extension. They cover new Pals, Paldeck tweaks, cosmetic reskins, balance edits and most data changes. Installing one is a drop-in job: you drop the .pak file into a mods folder and restart. No injector, no scripting, no compiling. If a mod ships as a single .pak, it is the easy path.

UE4SS + Lua mods (script mods)

These are logic mods that run code at runtime. They need UE4SS (Unreal Engine 4/5 Scripting System), an injector that hooks into the game and loads Lua scripts and DLLs. Think custom commands, gameplay systems, automation and anything that has to *do* something rather than just replace an asset. They are more powerful and far more fragile than PAK mods.

Which type do I have?

If the download is a single .pak file (or a folder of them), it is a PAK mod. If the instructions mention UE4SS, a Mods folder with enabled.txt, .lua scripts or dwmapi.dll, it is a script mod and needs the injector.

Client-side vs server-side: the part everyone gets wrong

This is the single most important concept in Palworld modding, and the reason so many players think their server mods are "broken" when they actually installed them in the wrong place.

Most mods on Nexus Mods are client-side only. Reshades, UI overhauls, camera tweaks, sound packs, model swaps and most quality-of-life mods change what you see and do on your own machine. They go in your local game install, not on the server, and uploading them to your host does nothing.

Server-side mods are the ones that change the shared world for everyone: new Pals that all players can catch, modified spawn tables, custom balance, gameplay scripts. These are the mods that actually belong on your dedicated server.

The Windows-only server caveat

As of 2026, true server-side script mods (UE4SS/Lua) only run on a Windows dedicated server. A Linux Palworld server cannot load the UE4SS injector, so script mods simply will not work there. PAK-based content mods are more flexible, but anything that needs UE4SS requires a Windows-based plan. Check your host's server OS before you buy.

Mod type	Where it goes	Linux server?	All players need it?
Client visual/QoL (most Nexus mods)	Each player's local game	N/A (client only)	No (cosmetic) / sometimes
PAK content mod (Pals, balance, data)	Server Paks/~mods folder	Often yes	Yes, if it changes gameplay assets
UE4SS + Lua script mod	Server, via UE4SS injector	No — Windows only	Depends on the mod

Rule of thumb: if a mod changes shared gameplay (Pals, spawns, balance) it belongs on the server and every player usually needs the matching files. If it only changes visuals, it is client-side.

All players must match

For any mod that changes gameplay assets, every player has to run the exact same version as the server. A version mismatch usually shows up as failed connections, missing Pals or crashes on join. Share the mod files and version number with your whole group.

Install a PAK mod on a hosted Palworld server

This is the common case and the easiest one. On a managed host you do everything through the file manager or FTP, no command line needed.

Back up your save first

Before touching anything, download your save folder from the panel. Saves live in Pal/Saved/SaveGames/. A bad or incompatible mod can corrupt a world, so this 30-second backup is non-negotiable. See [how to create a Palworld server](/en/guides/palworld/how-to-make-a-palworld-server) if you are not sure where these files are.

Stop the server

Never edit server files while it is running. Hit Stop in your host's panel and wait for the status to show Offline before continuing.

Open the file manager or connect via FTP

Use your panel's built-in file manager, or connect with an FTP client (FileZilla) using the host/username/password your provider emailed you. You want to navigate to the game's Paks directory.

Find the Paks / ~mods folder

Navigate to Pal/Content/Paks/. Inside, create a folder named ~mods if it does not already exist (the tilde forces the game to load it last). On some panels the mods folder is exposed directly — when in doubt, ~mods inside Paks is the safe target.

Pal/Content/Paks/~mods/

Upload the .pak file

Drag the mod's .pak file into the ~mods folder. If the mod ships with extra .ucas and .utoc files, upload those alongside it — keep all three together. Do not rename them.

Restart and verify

Start the server from the panel and watch the console for a clean boot. Join the server in-game (with the same mod installed client-side if the mod requires it) and confirm the new content shows up. If players can't connect, the most likely cause is a version mismatch between client and server files.

That's the whole job

For a drop-in PAK mod, the entire process is upload, restart, verify. Most managed Palworld hosts make this a 5-minute task because the FTP access and one-click restart are already set up for you.

Setting up UE4SS + Lua mods (Windows servers only)

Script mods are a different beast. They require the UE4SS injector to be installed in the server files, which is only possible on a Windows dedicated server.

Confirm you have a Windows server

UE4SS hooks into the game process in a way a Linux server cannot replicate. If your plan is Linux-based, you will need to switch to a Windows-based plan (or a host that offers one) before any of this works. This is the step most people skip — and the reason their script mods never load.

Install UE4SS into the server folder

Download the UE4SS release that matches your Palworld server build and extract its files (including dwmapi.dll and the Mods folder) into the binaries directory next to the server executable. UE4SS reads its Mods folder to know what to load.

Add your Lua mod and enable it

Place the mod's folder inside UE4SS's Mods directory, then add its name to Mods/mods.txt (or set enabled.txt inside the mod folder, depending on the mod). Follow the mod's own README — script mods are not standardized.

Restart and check the UE4SS log

Restart the server and open the UE4SS console/log. A working setup prints that it loaded your mod; errors there tell you exactly what failed. Expect more trial-and-error than with PAK mods.

Not every host allows custom binaries

Uploading a .dll injector goes beyond what some locked-down managed panels permit. If you plan to run UE4SS script mods, pick a host that gives you full file access on a Windows plan — or be ready to self-host. PAK content mods rarely hit this limitation.

Which host for a modded Palworld server?

For modding, the host choice comes down to two things: easy file access (FTP + one-click restart) and, if you want script mods, the right operating system.

Inovaperf — the cheapest entry point at €5.99/month (8 GB, Paris datacenter), with FTP access that makes dropping in PAK mods straightforward. A great low-cost base for content mods.
Minestrator — a managed panel with NVMe storage and clean file management, well suited to PAK mods and group servers.
Shockbyte — a large international host with semi-automatic Palworld updates, handy when patches keep breaking mods.
GGServers — another established managed option with one-click setup for Palworld.

A managed host removes the FTP/restart friction for PAK mods. The catch is script mods: if you need UE4SS/Lua, you must confirm the provider offers a Windows-based Palworld plan with full file access before you commit. For exact pricing across all of these, see the Palworld server cost guide and the full Palworld hosting comparison.

Warning

Mods can break after a Palworld patch. Updates frequently change the engine build, which invalidates UE4SS and can make PAK mods crash on load. Always back up your save before updating, and be ready to temporarily remove mods until they are updated for the new version. If your world matters, never update the server the day a big patch drops without a backup in hand.

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Palworld mods FAQ

Can you install mods on a hosted Palworld server?

Yes. PAK content mods drop straight into the Pal/Content/Paks/~mods/ folder via your host's file manager or FTP — upload, restart, done. Script mods (UE4SS/Lua) are also possible but only on a Windows-based plan with full file access, since the UE4SS injector cannot run on a Linux server.

Are Nexus mods server-side or client-side?

Most Nexus Mods for Palworld are client-side only — reshades, UI changes, camera and sound tweaks, model swaps. They go in your local game install and uploading them to the server does nothing. Only mods that change shared gameplay (new Pals, spawns, balance) belong on the server, and every player usually needs the matching files.

Why don't my server mods work?

The two usual causes are: (1) you installed a client-side mod on the server, where it has no effect; or (2) you are trying to run a UE4SS/Lua script mod on a Linux server, which can't load the injector. Script mods need a Windows server. Also double-check that the client and server are running the exact same mod version.

Do all players need to have the mods installed?

For any mod that changes gameplay assets (new Pals, balance, data), yes — every player must run the same version as the server, or they'll get connection errors, missing content or crashes. Purely cosmetic client-side mods (like a reshade) only affect the player who installs them and don't need to be shared.

Will my mods survive Palworld updates?

Often not without an update. Palworld patches frequently change the engine build, which can break UE4SS entirely and cause PAK mods to crash on load. Always back up your save before updating, and expect to wait for mod authors to release a compatible version after big patches. Pick a host with easy save backups to stay safe.