---
title: "Free Counter-Strike Server: Source and 1.6 Guide"
url: https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/free-counter-strike-server/
lastmod: 2026-10-28
---

# Free Counter-Strike Server: Source and 1.6, Step by Step

Run a free Counter-Strike server for Counter-Strike: Source or 1.6: Valve's servers, what the Free plan holds, maps and slots, your own cvars, joining with connect, and bans from the panel.

By [Baurtock](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/author/baurtock/)
Updated Oct 28, 2026 · 6 min read

Read in[es](https://1up-servers.com/es/blog/servidor-de-counter-strike-gratis/)[en](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/free-counter-strike-server/)

**Your game server, free**Ready in 60 seconds, no card.[Create free server](https://1up-servers.com/en/signup/)

A free Counter-Strike server is the easiest way to get your old group back on de_dust2, whether they play Counter-Strike: Source or stayed on 1.6. This guide covers Valve's two dedicated servers, our [Counter-Strike: Source](https://1up-servers.com/en/counter-strike-source/) and [Counter-Strike 1.6](https://1up-servers.com/en/counter-strike-1-6/) hosting, what the Free plan holds, the settings, joining and moderation. For 1.6 alone, our [CS 1.6 dedicated server guide](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/cs-1-6-dedicated-server/) goes deeper into HLDS, server.cfg and the stock maps.

- **Two servers:** Counter-Strike: Source runs on Valve's srcds (Steam app 232330); Counter-Strike 1.6 runs on HLDS, the Half-Life Dedicated Server (app 90) with the `cstrike` mod.
- **Free on 1up:** both fit the Free plan, which gives one server with 4 player slots. Paid plans add slots and backups.
- **Steam token:** optional on Source, and 1.6 has none.

## 1. Self-host or hosting?

Both servers are light, and many people still run them on an old PC.

- **Self-host Source:** SteamCMD `+login anonymous +app_update 232330 validate`, then `srcds_run -game cstrike +map de_dust2 +maxplayers 16`, and open UDP 27015.
- **Self-host 1.6:** SteamCMD with app 90 and the `cstrike` mod, then `hlds_run -game cstrike +map de_dust2`.
- **A hosted server:** the server runs in a data centre, stays up when your PC is off, and you manage it from a web panel.

We measured about 200 MB of memory and 2.3 GB of files for Source, and about 150 MB and under 1 GB for 1.6.

## 2. What the Free plan holds

With figures from [our pricing page](https://1up-servers.com/en/pricing/):

| Plan | Slots | RAM | Disk | Backups |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free (€0) | 4 | 2 GB | 6 GB | none |
| Casual (€3/month) | 6 | 2 GB | 20 GB | 1 |
| Starter (€5/month) | 10 | 4 GB | 20 GB | 3 |
| Pro (€10/month) | 30 | 8 GB | 60 GB | 5 |

The server itself goes up to 32 players, but **Max players** cannot pass the slots of your plan. Free fits a 2 vs 2 or a practice server; a 5 vs 5 needs Starter; a 16-player public server needs Pro.

## 3. Create the server

1. Create an account and press **Create server**.
2. Choose **Counter-Strike: Source** or **Counter-Strike 1.6**. Both appear on every plan, Free included.
3. Pick a region, London or Paris. The wizard measures your ping and suggests the nearest one.
4. Set the starting map (de_dust2 by default) and the slots. On Source you may paste a GSLT (section 4).
5. Create the server. The first start downloads the game from Steam; later starts only fetch new builds.
6. When it is online, the **Overview** shows the **IP** line with the address and port.

**Shortcut: on 1up it takes three clicks**

Your free server in 60 seconds. No card.

[Create your free Counter-Strike: Source server](https://1up-servers.com/en/signup/?game=css)

## 4. The panel settings

Both games share the same **Game** tab, except the token:

| Setting | What it sets | When it applies |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Starting map** | `+map` | Restart |
| **Max players** | `+maxplayers`, 2 to 32 | Restart |
| **Server password** | `sv_password` | Restart |
| **Server name** | `hostname` | At once |
| **Steam GSLT token** (Source only) | `+sv_setsteamaccount` | Restart |

On Source the token is optional: without it the server logs on to Steam anonymously and still takes players by address. To give it a permanent Steam account, create a token on Steam's [game server account page](https://steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers) with app ID **240**. Your account must own the game and have a registered phone, and each server needs its own token. HLDS predates these tokens, so 1.6 has no such field.

Map prefixes tell the mode: `de_` maps are bomb defusal, `cs_` maps are hostage rescue, and 1.6 still has `as_oilrig`, where a team escorts the VIP. Both games ship classics such as `de_dust2`, `de_inferno`, `de_nuke`, `de_train`, `cs_office` and `cs_italy`. Switch while people play with `changelevel`.

## 5. Round time, friendly fire and your own cvars

We rewrite `server.cfg` at every start, so edits there are lost. Your lines go in a file we create empty once and never overwrite:

- Source: `cstrike/cfg/1up-owner.cfg`
- 1.6: `cstrike/1up-owner.cfg`

Open it in the **Files** tab, add your cvars and restart:

```
mp_roundtime 2.5 mp_freezetime 5 mp_friendlyfire 0 mp_timelimit 30
```

A fresh server starts locked down: cheats, pausing and custom uploads such as sprays are off, and on Source votes are off too. On 1.6, a vote kick needs every player, because `mp_kickpercent` is set to 1; lower it in your file for majority votes. The lines for the name, the password and logging are written after your file and always win.

## 6. How players connect

1. Enable the developer console: on Source in the game's advanced keyboard options, on 1.6 under **Options**, **Keyboard**, **Advanced**.
2. Open it (the key above Tab) and type `connect` with the address and port from the **IP** line, for example `connect 203.0.113.10:31015`.
3. Type the password if you set one.

On Source, the server then sits in the **History** tab of the server browser, ready to add to **Favorites**. On 1.6, the **Favorites** tab of **Find Servers** takes an address typed by hand. Copy both numbers from the panel: our port is not 27015.

## 7. Bans and moderation

The **Console** tab sends the server's own commands. Quick buttons cover `say`, `kick`, `banid`, `status` and `changelevel`.

- `status` lists players with their user ID and Steam ID.
- `banid` takes minutes (0 for permanent) and a Steam ID; `removeid` lifts a ban. On Source bans go to `banned_user.cfg`, on 1.6 to `banned.cfg`, and both load again on every start.
- On 1.6, remote rcon is off, so there is no rcon password to leak. Type the same commands in the panel console.

The **Players** tab shows each connected Steam profile with hours played and any VAC record, and the console's activity view builds kills, deaths, a leaderboard and chat from the round logs.

## 8. Limits worth knowing

- **No plugin manager.** SourceMod and AMX Mod X are not installed for you; the `addons` folder is kept across restarts.
- **No backups on Free.** Casual keeps 1 backup, Starter 3, Pro 5.
- **Slots follow the plan.** See section 2.

If your friends also play other Valve classics, our guides to a [TF2 dedicated server](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/tf2-dedicated-server/) and an [L4D2 dedicated server](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/l4d2-dedicated-server/) follow the same steps, and our guide to [free vs paid game server hosting](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/free-vs-paid-game-server-hosting/) helps you choose a plan.

**Shortcut: on 1up it takes three clicks**

Your free server in 60 seconds. No card.

[Create your free Counter-Strike 1.6 server](https://1up-servers.com/en/signup/?game=cs16)

Tested on Counter-Strike: Source Dedicated Server build 25338297 and HLDS build 15961496, 2026-10-08: settings, files and commands checked against our images on 1up v0.282.4.

**Change log**

- 2026-10-08: first version.
- 2026-10-20: both games are out of beta; Casual is €3.
- 2026-10-26: current Starter and Pro figures (€5/4 GB, €10/8 GB/30 slots).
- 2026-10-28: link to the new CS 1.6 dedicated server guide.

## Frequently asked questions

Yes. Counter-Strike: Source and Counter-Strike 1.6 both fit the 1up Free plan, with one server, 4 player slots and no card. Paid plans add slots and backups.

About the author[Baurtock](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/author/baurtock/)Founder, developer and support

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