Palworld Server Unraid Setup: Proxmox and TrueNAS Guide

A Palworld server unraid setup can share a homelab machine with your other services, but the platform name does not tell you where the world is stored or whether it is backed up. You can run Palworld from an Unraid community template, a Proxmox VM or LXC, or a TrueNAS Community app. The safe choice depends on the image or app you select and how you map its save directory. This guide compares the documented routes and gives you checks to complete before you trust a world to them; it does not report hands-on install, connection, restore, or performance tests.

Choose the host layer that matches how you work#

Pick the layer you already know how to update and recover. A Linux VM offers a conventional guest operating system for the dedicated server. A container or catalog app can reduce setup steps, but its image, paths, ports, and update behavior belong to that specific template. There is no universal “best NAS setup” established by the platform documentation.

Host layer	Choose it when	Check before launch
Unraid Community Apps template	You want to manage a container in Unraid’s WebGUI	Template maintainer, image source, save mapping, port mapping, update method
Proxmox VM	You prefer a separate Linux guest with its own OS boundary	Guest resources, storage mount, firewall, and a guest-level backup plan
Proxmox LXC	You already manage Linux containers and understand host mounts	CPU and memory limits, mount-point backup behavior, permissions
TrueNAS Community app	Its current listing fits your TrueNAS version and storage plan	Community support status, app requirements, dataset mapping, and update path
Custom Compose on TrueNAS	You can maintain Compose YAML and troubleshoot the app yourself	Host-path permissions, image version, ports, persistent paths, and rollback

If you need the broader trade-offs between self-hosting routes, start with the Palworld dedicated-server overview. For image and Compose basics, see the Docker setup guide; the instructions here stay focused on the extra checks a NAS or hypervisor adds.

Palworld server Unraid setup: check the template#

Unraid’s Community Applications catalog is community-maintained. Open the current Palworld listing in Apps, then inspect who maintains it and follow the linked support and project pages. Do not assume that a template uses Pocketpair’s official container or that a familiar template still has the same settings as an older forum post.

Before clicking install, record these values from the template you are actually using:

1. Image and maintainer. Confirm the image repository and where its update instructions live. An image-specific guide such as the Thijsvanloef server image notes applies only if you choose that image; it is not a description of every Unraid template.
2. Save path. Find the container directory that holds Pal/Saved or the image’s documented world data. Map that directory to durable host storage, such as an appdata location, using the template’s own paths.
3. Game port. Confirm the container’s Palworld listen port is published as UDP and matches the server configuration. Pocketpair documents UDP 8211 as the default, but an image can expose configurable fields.
4. Credentials and extra arguments. Replace example passwords before exposing any admin or join access. Check current Pocketpair documentation before copying launch flags from an old template or tutorial; arguments may be obsolete or image-specific.

Unraid describes appdata as Docker container working storage. That makes it a useful location for application files, but it does not make those files a backup. Keep a separate copy or snapshot plan for the world and configuration before updates.

Choose a Proxmox VM or LXC deliberately#

Proxmox supports both virtual machines and Linux containers. A VM runs its own guest OS, so you manage the game server and its files inside that guest. An LXC container shares the Proxmox host kernel and can use a mount point for persistent storage; see the Proxmox container reference for its configuration model. Choose based on the operating environment you can maintain, not an assumed performance advantage: this article includes no benchmark comparing Palworld in a VM and LXC.

For either layout, first give the server a stable storage location, then install the Palworld server using the official dedicated-server instructions. If you use an LXC, inspect the mount-point settings and host directory permissions before placing a world there. Proxmox documents in its container backup guidance that a container mount point can be included in a backup when backup is enabled; a host bind mount’s contents are not included by vzdump and need a separate backup method. A completed VM or container backup therefore may not contain every file you expect.

Pocketpair’s current requirements recommend 4 or more CPU cores and 16 GB of memory for the server environment. That is a starting point from the game vendor, not a Proxmox allocation recipe or a guarantee for a player count. Leave room for the hypervisor, storage services, and other guests, then watch actual resource pressure while your household workloads are running.

Verify the current TrueNAS app or Compose route#

The TrueNAS Apps Market listing showed a Palworld app on its Community train when checked on October 16, 2026. The catalog entry names Community as the maintainer and lists TrueNAS 24.10.2.2 or later as a requirement. Catalog status can change, and a Community app does not mean Pocketpair or iXsystems supports that app’s image or behavior. Read the live listing’s notes and support link before installing it.

TrueNAS documents custom Docker Compose apps for users who can maintain YAML. That gives you control over the image and mount definitions, but also leaves you responsible for them. Use a dataset or host path intended for persistent game data, set permissions for the app’s actual user, and confirm the save directory the chosen image expects. Do not place a world in a temporary container filesystem and assume it will survive an app replacement.

TrueNAS’s app storage guidance discourages treating ixVolumes as permanent app data storage. A host path or dataset gives you a location you can identify and include in your own data-protection plan. Before you start, write down the dataset path, in-container destination, owner/permissions, and how you will make and restore a copy. A catalog app may use a different path from Pocketpair’s Docker sample.

Publish only the game port you have configured#

Pocketpair’s server requirements list UDP 8211 as the default dedicated-server port, and its launch-argument reference documents changing the listening port. Publish the configured game port from the container or guest, allow the matching UDP traffic in the host firewall, and check your router only if players connect from outside your local network. A port entry in an app form does not prove that the client can reach the server.

For Docker, Pocketpair’s official Compose sample maps host UDP 8211 to container UDP 8211. A third-party template can use another internal port or a configurable value, so compare its mapping with the server’s actual setting instead of pasting a number blindly. For a VM or LXC, apply the network and firewall rules at the layer that handles traffic in your setup. The Palworld dedicated-server guide covers the shared connection checks; the Docker guide explains Pocketpair’s sample mapping.

Do not add UDP 27015 just because an older guide says every game server needs it. The current Pocketpair requirements cited here establish UDP 8211 as the default Palworld game port; any additional port should have a specific feature and current source behind it. After launch, test from a client outside the host and confirm that your intended friends can join before calling the setup complete. If you run this host at home, use the Palworld port-forwarding guide to check the router target and upstream NAT path.

Back up the world files, not just the app#

A container image, app entry, dataset, and world backup are different things. First locate the persistent directory that contains the live Palworld save and configuration for your chosen image. Pocketpair’s official Docker sample mounts a host Saved folder into the container; another template can put it somewhere else. Write down the host and container paths and confirm the directory changes when the server creates or updates its world.

Then create a separate backup plan. Choose a recurring interval based on how much progress your group can afford to lose; add a copy before server updates. Stop the server for a consistent file copy unless the selected app documents a safe live snapshot method. Keep copies on storage that survives replacing the app or guest, retain more than one recovery point, and test restoring a copy to a separate location before relying on it. A backup task reporting success only shows that the task ran; a restore check shows that the files you need are present and usable.

For Proxmox LXC, check the backup flag on each mount point. Proxmox says bind-mounted host data is not included in vzdump, so arrange a separate host-level copy or another appropriate backup. On Unraid, appdata placement is configurable and still needs backup coverage. On TrueNAS, plan protection for the dataset or host path you selected. The Palworld save-location reference helps distinguish the world files from the container or server installation. Build and test a separate backup routine for the persistent path you selected before relying on it.

Leave headroom and measure your own workload#

Pocketpair recommends 4 or more CPU cores and 16 GB of memory for a dedicated server, and notes that 8 GB can boot with a greater risk of an out-of-memory crash. Those are vendor requirements, not proof that a NAS with those numbers will run the game smoothly alongside storage, transcoding, and other containers. A CPU’s model name or core count alone cannot predict how your particular world will behave.

Start with the official baseline, account for the host and all services, and monitor memory and CPU use during the busiest period you expect. If the host is already under pressure, move services apart or choose a different machine before inviting a group to depend on it. Avoid copying performance flags from old templates without checking current Pocketpair launch-argument documentation; the game’s options can change between releases.

For resource details beyond this platform comparison, use the Palworld server requirements guide and the CPU requirements reference. They can help you frame a test on your own hardware, but they do not substitute for measuring your NAS under your actual workload.

Run a short pre-invite checklist#

Before your group builds on the world, verify each layer you own:

• Version: the game server and client versions are compatible, and you know how your image or app updates.
• Storage: the live world and configuration map to the persistent path you intended.
• Network: the configured UDP port is published and allowed at the host and, when needed, network edge.
• Recovery: a backup includes the live world files, and you have restored a copy separately at least once.
• Resources: the host has headroom during a busy period, with no claim based solely on a successful boot.
• Access: test the real join path from a separate client before sharing connection details.

These checks are worth doing before progress accumulates. A working app screen is a useful first signal, not evidence that every layer—network, disk, backup, and client—has passed. If you choose a different container template later, repeat the path, port, and backup checks because its defaults may differ.

Quick answers

Can you run a Palworld server on unRAID?

Yes, if a current Community Apps template or a Linux VM fits your setup. Check its maintainer, image, save-path mapping, UDP 8211 mapping, and update steps before trusting it with a world.

Should a Palworld server run in an LXC or a VM on Proxmox?

Either can work as a hosting layout, but this guide has no comparative benchmark. A VM gives the server a guest OS; LXC shares the Proxmox host kernel and needs careful mount-point and backup configuration.

Does TrueNAS have a Palworld app?

The TrueNAS Apps Market listed a Community Palworld app when checked on October 16, 2026. The listing is community-maintained, not an official Pocketpair or TrueNAS support promise; check its current requirements and storage mappings.

Is a NAS backup enough to protect the Palworld world?

Not by itself. A dataset or app volume is storage; create a separate backup or snapshot policy and test restoring the actual world files before relying on it.