SkyFactory 5 Server Hosting in Australia
SkyFactory 5 is a skyblock modpack where you start in the void with nothing and build an entire world through automated resource generation, blending tech, magic, and decorative mods along the way. It is a mid-weight pack, not as heavy as a full kitchen sink modpack, but the constant background processing from resource generators and mob gateway challenges puts real load on a server as your base grows.
This guide covers how much RAM you need, what to look for in a host, and how to get a SkyFactory 5 server running in Australia in a few minutes.
What is SkyFactory 5?
SkyFactory 5 hands you a small floating island and nothing else. Every resource, from basic stone to the rarest ores, has to be generated and automated rather than mined the normal way, which turns the whole pack into one long automation puzzle. It suits groups who enjoy building up from scratch and love watching a farm or factory grow, more than combat or open exploration.
SkyFactory 5 runs on Forge for Minecraft 1.20.1 and includes around 293 mods. It requires Java 17, and MCHosts automatically selects the right Java version for whichever version or modpack you install, so this is not something you need to configure yourself.
If your group already has a preferred entry in the series, SkyFactory 3 and SkyFactory 4 are older releases that are still widely played, each with a large community of their own. Both run on older Minecraft versions than SkyFactory 5, so search for them by name if that is what you are after, the setup steps below work the same way either way.
How much RAM does a SkyFactory 5 server need?
Modpack RAM requirements depend mostly on the number of mods loaded and how many chunks players keep active. For SkyFactory 5, here is what we recommend as a starting point.
| Players | Recommended RAM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 6GB | A comfortable minimum for a small group getting their island started |
| 5 to 10 | 8GB | The sweet spot for most groups running multiple resource generators at once |
| 10+ | 10GB or more | Our top tier, suited to larger communities each running their own island and automation setup |
Modded servers reward headroom. Extra RAM keeps chunk loading smooth when players explore, lets you run a higher view distance, and gives the pack room to grow as more islands and automation setups come online, so if you are between two plan sizes, the larger one is usually the better experience. The one thing more RAM cannot fix is an oversold host. Many budget plans put lots of customers on the same hardware and let them fight over it, and because Minecraft does most of its work on a single thread, that shows up as lag at peak times no matter how much RAM you buy. Our guide to choosing an Australian host explains the overselling trade-off in more detail.
Why host SkyFactory 5 in Australia?
Every interaction in Minecraft is a round trip between your computer and the server. From the Australian east coast, a Sydney server responds in roughly 10 to 40 milliseconds. A server in the US or Europe takes 150 to 300 milliseconds, which makes combat and general movement feel noticeably sluggish.
This matters more than usual in SkyFactory 5 during the pack's mob gateway challenges, where waves of enemies spawn in confined spaces and a laggy connection makes precise movement much harder than it should be.
Plenty of big hosts default to US or European locations on their cheapest plans, so always check that an Australian location is available and whether it costs extra.
Setting up a SkyFactory 5 server on MCHosts
Here is the whole process from start to finish.
- Pick a plan with at least 6GB of RAM from our plans page.
- At checkout, click Browse Modpacks, search for SkyFactory 5, and select it. Your server deploys automatically within about 60 seconds with the pack already installed and the Forge setup handled for you.
- Start the server from the control panel and connect with the matching SkyFactory 5 profile from the CurseForge app or a Forge compatible launcher like Prism Launcher.
Already have a server with us? Open the MC Settings tab in the control panel and click Select ModPack to install or switch to SkyFactory 5 at any time.
Every plan includes 100% dedicated RAM with no overselling, automatic backups, and a 7 day money back guarantee, so you can test real performance from your own connection before committing.
Performance tips for SkyFactory 5
- Pregenerate your world. Chunk generation is the most expensive thing a modded server does. Pregenerating a few thousand blocks around spawn with a tool like Chunky prevents lag spikes when players explore.
- Keep view distance sensible. A view distance of 6 to 8 is plenty for modded servers and dramatically reduces the load per player.
- Leave Ram Optimizations on. Every MCHosts server includes a Ram Optimizations toggle in MC Settings that applies modern tuned Java flags, the kind of garbage collection setup you would otherwise have to research and configure by hand. It is on by default, so just do not turn it off.
- Schedule a daily restart. Modded servers accumulate memory bloat over long sessions. On MCHosts there is an "Enable scheduled daily restart" toggle in the MC Settings tab, so set it once at a quiet hour and forget about it.
- Prune idle resource generators. SkyFactory's core loop runs on machines and generators ticking constantly in the background. As each player builds their own setup, old or duplicate generators left running quietly add up faster than the block count suggests, so clear out ones you no longer need.
- Give each player their own island space. Spreading islands out rather than stacking bases on top of each other keeps chunk loading and entity counts more predictable as your world grows.
Frequently asked questions
How much RAM do I need for a SkyFactory 5 server with 6 players? 8GB is the sweet spot for a group that size, giving enough headroom for multiple islands and automation setups. See the table above for other group sizes.
Can Bedrock players join a SkyFactory 5 server? No. SkyFactory 5 requires every player to run the modpack on Minecraft Java Edition, so console and phone players cannot join. If crossplay matters to your group, a vanilla or plugin based server with GeyserMC is the way to go, and that is free on every MCHosts plan.
Can I add extra mods to SkyFactory 5? Yes. You can upload additional Forge mods through the file manager or SFTP, as long as they match Minecraft 1.20.1. Take a backup first, since not every mod plays nicely with a skyblock style progression.
How do I update the server when SkyFactory 5 releases a new version? Take a backup first, then open the MC Settings tab in the control panel, click Select ModPack, and choose the new version. The panel handles the rest.
How do you get resources in SkyFactory 5 if you start with nothing? You begin with a small set of starter generation blocks that slowly produce basic materials. From there, you automate and upgrade your way through the pack's mods, unlocking faster and more advanced ways to generate everything from ores to food, rather than mining or farming the normal way.
Ready to get SkyFactory 5 running on a Sydney server? Head to mchosts.com.au/plans, pick a plan with at least 6GB, and remember, every new server comes with a 7 day money back guarantee.
