Which mod framework should I use, BepInEx or Valheim Plus?

Use BepInEx if you want vanilla gameplay plus the plugins you pick. Use Valheim Plus if you want its built-in gameplay and config tweaks. Valheim Plus also supports plugins, but every player has to install it to join.

Where do I download Valheim mods?

Download mods from Thunderstore (valheim.thunderstore.io), Nexus (nexusmods.com/valheim/mods), or Hexium (valheim.hexium.gg). Some authors, including Azumatt and Smoothbrain, now publish only on Hexium.

Do my players need to install anything to join a modded server?

It depends on the framework. On a Valheim Plus server, every player needs Valheim Plus installed on their own copy of Valheim, or they are turned away with an incompatible version error. On a BepInEx server with no plugins installed, vanilla players can join as normal. Once you add plugins, players may need BepInEx and some of those plugins too, so check each plugin's page for whether clients need it.

Can I switch my existing server to BepInEx or Valheim Plus myself?

Yes, with Switch Game in the Game Panel, but it wipes every file on the server, including your world. Download your world first if you might want it later. To keep your world, open a support ticket and we install the framework in place instead.

Will installing BepInEx or Valheim Plus reset my server settings or my world?

If we install it for you by ticket, the install resets every Server Options field to its default, so note your server name, password, world name, and modifiers first and put them back afterwards. Your world files are not touched. If the server comes up on a fresh world, set the World Name back to your original name and restart. If it still does not load, open a ticket. Switch Game is the reverse: your Server Options carry across, but every file on the server is wiped, including your world.

Can I run mods with crossplay on?

No. Crossplay is on by default on WinterNode Valheim servers, and mods can't be used while it is on. Turn [REQUIRED] Enable Crossplay off on the Server Options page and restart. Every player then has to join through Steam.

How do I update BepInEx or Valheim Plus on my server?

Stop the server and click Reinstall Server under Advanced > Server Actions. This pulls the current BepInEx or Valheim Plus build and keeps your configs. Auto Update only updates Valheim itself, so restarting does not update the framework.

Do I upload .dll files or .zip files?

Most plugins are .dll files uploaded to /BepInEx/plugins. Some come as .zip archives containing a folder with multiple files. Extract the .zip first (on your PC, or upload it and use the File Manager's Extract option), since the server can't load plugins that are still zipped.

Modding Your Valheim Server | WinterNode Help Center

Add mods to your Valheim server by installing a mod framework (BepInEx or Valheim Plus), then uploading plugins. BepInEx is the standard Valheim mod loader. Iron Gate allows mods but does not officially support them, and does not guarantee they keep working after a game update.

Choose Your Mod Framework

You need a mod framework installed before you can add plugins. There are two options:

BepInEx: The mod loader on its own, with vanilla gameplay. Add only the plugins you want.
Valheim Plus: A large gameplay and config mod that ships with BepInEx, so it also runs plugins. Every player has to install it to join. The original project’s last release was in December 2022 and it does not run on 1.0. We install the maintained Grantapher fork instead.

Valheim 1.0 status (last checked 20 October 2026): Both frameworks run on 1.0.

BepInEx: current build is BepInExPack_Valheim 5.4.2351 (24 September 2026).
Valheim Plus: current release is 0.10.3.0 (16 October 2026), built for Valheim 1.0.20 with BepInEx 5.4.2351. Each release supports one exact Valheim version, so after a Valheim patch it can misbehave until a matching release is out.
Plugins: check each plugin’s page for a 1.0 release. Some 1.0 content changes leave older plugin configs out of date, so back up your working setup before you update.

A restart does not update the framework, even with Auto Update on. Use Reinstall Server as described below.

Getting a Framework on Your Server

How you get BepInEx or Valheim Plus onto your server depends on whether the server is new and whether you want to keep what’s on it.

Ordering a new server: pick BepInEx or Valheim Plus under Server Software when you order. The server starts with the framework installed, so there’s nothing to lose.
Existing server, keeping your world: open a support ticket and we install it in place. Your world files stay. Server Options reset to their defaults.
Existing server, happy to start fresh: use Switch Game in the Game Panel. Every file is wiped, including your world, plugins and anything you uploaded. Server Options carry across.

Whichever route you use, make sure crossplay is off and tell your players what to install. Steps 3 and 4 under Requesting a Framework Install cover both.

Starting Fresh With Switch Game

If you don’t need anything on the server, you can switch it to a framework yourself, without a ticket:

In the Game Control Panel, open your server and click Switch Game at the bottom of the left sidebar
Pick Valheim BepInEx Modded or Valheim Plus Modded
Finish the switch with the steps in How to Switch Your Server’s Game
Start the server once the install finishes. It doesn’t start on its own

Requesting a Framework Install

To keep your world, open a support ticket and tell us which framework you want. We install it in place, whether your server has no framework yet or you’re moving from one to the other. Before you do:

Write down your Server Options. The install resets every field on the Server Options page to its default, including the server name, password, world name, and modifiers. Your world files are not touched. Put your values back once the install is done. If the server then comes up on a fresh world, don’t play on it: set the World Name back to your original name and restart. If it still does not load, open a ticket and we will restore the original world.
Stop the server when we ask. The install runs against a stopped server.
Turn crossplay off. [REQUIRED] Enable Crossplay is on by default, and mods can’t be used while it is on. Turn it off on the Server Options page along with your other settings. Every player then has to join through Steam, so PlayStation, Xbox, Switch 2, and Game Pass players can’t join. See the crossplay guide for the full trade-off.
Tell your players what to install. On a Valheim Plus server, every player needs Valheim Plus, or they are turned away with an incompatible version error. On a BepInEx server with no plugins, vanilla players can join as normal. Once you add plugins, some run on the server only and others must be on every client along with BepInEx, so check each plugin’s page.

If your server already runs BepInEx or Valheim Plus, you don’t need a ticket to update it. Stop the server and use Reinstall Server under Advanced > Server Actions. This pulls the current framework build and keeps your configs. Check your Server Options and plugins folder before you start the server again. See Updating Your Server for the full steps.

Where to Find Mods

Community-made Valheim mods are hosted on three sites:

Thunderstore: Install on your client manually, with the Thunderstore Mod Manager, or with r2modman
Nexus Mods: Install on your client manually or with Vortex
Hexium: Install on your client manually or with Gale, which can install Thunderstore and Hexium mods in one profile

Some authors, including Azumatt and Smoothbrain, moved to Hexium around the 1.0 launch, and their Thunderstore pages are now marked deprecated. If a mod’s Thunderstore page says it is deprecated, look for a current build on Hexium.

Install BepInEx Plugins on Your Server

The steps are the same on BepInEx and Valheim Plus.

Download the plugin from Thunderstore, Nexus, or Hexium
Connect to your server using the File Manager or SFTP
Open the /BepInEx/plugins folder
Upload the plugin’s .dll file. If the plugin comes with several files (assets, configs), upload its whole folder, so it ends up at a path like /BepInEx/plugins/MyPlugin
Restart your server to load the plugin

Do I Need to Extract .zip Files?

Yes. The server can’t load a plugin that’s still inside a .zip. Extract it in either place:

On your computer: unzip the download, then upload the .dll file (or the extracted folder) to /BepInEx/plugins
On the server: upload the .zip to /BepInEx/plugins, click the … menu on the right side of the file, and select Extract. Delete the .zip afterwards

If the extracted files end up in a nested folder like /BepInEx/plugins/MyPlugin/MyPlugin, move the inner folder up one level. Restart the server once the files are in place.

If a Plugin Doesn’t Load

Open /BepInEx/LogOutput.log after a restart. On BepInEx 5.4.2351 and later, each plugin’s line includes its GUID and the startup line ends with how many plugins loaded, so you can spot the one that is missing or throwing errors. The usual causes are a plugin not yet updated for the current Valheim version, a missing dependency listed on the plugin’s page, or a plugin still inside its .zip. Remove the failing plugin and restart to confirm. If the server stops during BepInEx loading, see Valheim server won’t start for the log errors to look for.