How to Host a TeamSpeak Voice Server: Setup, Cost & Requirements

TeamSpeak is one of the most popular voice communication platforms for gaming communities, esports teams, and online communities that want reliable, low-latency audio. Hosting your own TeamSpeak voice server gives you complete control over your community, no recurring subscription for the hosting service itself, and full privacy over your voice communications. TeamSpeak currently offers two server versions: TeamSpeak 3 Server, the long-standing release, and TeamSpeak 6 Server, which is still in beta. This guide covers both: the minimum requirements, what it costs, how to install each version on a dedicated server, what is (and is not) possible when moving from TeamSpeak 3 to TeamSpeak 6, and how to connect your community once it is running.

TeamSpeak 3 or TeamSpeak 6: Which Server Should You Host?

TeamSpeak 6 is the new generation of TeamSpeak. Its server software is a public beta: TeamSpeak's README says the self-hosted server is "still under active development and is not yet fully feature-complete". At the time of writing, the latest release is 6.0.0-beta13.1, published on September 22, 2026 on the official GitHub repository. TeamSpeak 3 Server is still offered on the official downloads page (version 3.13.8), and TeamSpeak has announced a phased transition, with TeamSpeak 3's end of life targeted for December 31, 2027.

• Choose TeamSpeak 3 Server if you need more than 32 slots today, want a server whose licensing is settled, or already run one.
• Choose the TeamSpeak 6 Server beta if 32 slots are enough, you want to prepare for the next generation, and you are ready to update the server regularly (see below).

Your users do not have to pick the same version: TeamSpeak states that TeamSpeak 6, TeamSpeak 3 and mobile app users can all connect to the same server, each with the features of the client they use.

What Are the Requirements for a TeamSpeak Voice Server?

TeamSpeak server software is lightweight. TeamSpeak's official minimum requirements for TeamSpeak 3 Server are:

• CPU: any SSE2-capable processor (the 64-bit Windows version also needs SSE4.x with POPCNT).
• RAM: at least 1 GB recommended. Actual memory use depends on the number and size of the virtual servers you host.
• Storage: 15 MB for a bare installation, plus space for file transfers, icons and avatars.
• Network: voice travels over UDP. Each person speaking sends one stream to the server, which forwards it to everyone else in the same channel, so upload is the figure to watch: people speaking × (people in the channel minus one) × codec bitrate. In TeamSpeak's own example, one person speaking to nine others on a 25.9 Kbit/s codec needs about 233 Kbit/s of upload.
• OS: any recent Linux distribution (Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux), Windows Server, macOS or FreeBSD. Linux is the recommended choice for self-hosted TeamSpeak voice server deployments, and it is what this guide uses.

For TeamSpeak 6, TeamSpeak does not publish hardware minimums. The beta ships 64-bit builds for Linux (x86-64 and ARM64) and Windows plus an official Docker image, and the quickstart guide included in the Linux package lists 64-bit Ubuntu as natively supported. With release 6.0.0-beta13, TeamSpeak said the TS6 server handles around 2,000 concurrent users smoothly, against a recommended maximum of 1,000 for TeamSpeak 3 Server. During the beta, the license caps a self-hosted TS6 server at 32 slots anyway.

Any Kimsufi KS server from $11.10/month exceeds these requirements significantly: the KS-B has an Intel Xeon E5-1620v2, 32 GB of RAM, a 120 GB SSD and 500 Mbit/s of public bandwidth, far more than a voice community uploads. A TeamSpeak voice server will run comfortably alongside other applications (a dedicated game server, a web server, a 24/7 Discord bot) on an entry-level configuration.

What Is the Cost of a TeamSpeak Voice Server?

Self-hosting a TeamSpeak voice server has two cost components: the server software license and the machine it runs on.

• TeamSpeak 3 Server license: without a license key, the server runs one virtual server with up to 32 slots, free of charge for private individuals and non-commercial groups. Larger communities need a paid Activation/Gamer license, which TeamSpeak lists from $55 a year for 64 slots on one virtual server up to $500 a year for 1,024 slots on two virtual servers (official license list). Companies using TeamSpeak as part of their business need a Commercial license, priced on request.
• TeamSpeak 6 Server license: the beta includes a free 32-slot license that TeamSpeak renews every two months until licensing and pricing are finalized. Larger TS6 licenses cannot be bought yet, and TeamSpeak has not announced final TS6 license terms or prices: check the current license terms on teamspeak.com before you plan a large TS6 community.
• The server: a Kimsufi KS-B, hosted in Gravelines (France), costs $11.10/month, plus a one-time setup fee equal to one month. For players in North America or Asia-Pacific, the KS-4 at $18.80/month is available in Beauharnois (Canada), Singapore and Sydney as well as in Europe. If TeamSpeak shares the machine with a game server, the KS-GAME at $32.10/month brings an Intel Core i7 7700K and NVMe storage.

Self-Hosted vs Paid TeamSpeak Hosting

Rented TeamSpeak servers, whether TeamSpeak's own hosted TS6 servers or TS3 servers from Authorized TeamSpeak Host Providers, are priced by slot count: the more slots, the higher the monthly fee, and prices vary from one host to another. To compare, count the slots your community actually fills at peak and price that plan against a dedicated server. For a non-commercial community of up to 32 slots, self-hosting costs you the server alone, and the same machine also runs your game server, website or bots. A rented server makes more sense if you want no administration at all, or need more than 32 TS6 slots before TeamSpeak sells larger TS6 licenses.

How to Host a TeamSpeak 3 Voice Server on a Dedicated Server

These steps install TeamSpeak 3 Server 3.13.8. To install the TeamSpeak 6 beta instead, follow Step 1, then go to the TeamSpeak 6 section below.

Step 1: Connect to your server and create a dedicated user

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
adduser teamspeak
su - teamspeak

Step 2: Download and extract TeamSpeak 3 Server

Download TeamSpeak 3 Server for Linux from the official downloads page. At the time of writing the current version is 3.13.8; if a newer one is listed, replace the version number in the commands below:

wget https://files.teamspeak-services.com/releases/server/3.13.8/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64-3.13.8.tar.bz2
tar xjf teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64-3.13.8.tar.bz2
cd teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64

Step 3: Accept the license and start the server

touch .ts3server_license_accepted
./ts3server_startscript.sh start

On first start, the server outputs an admin token (privilege key) and the ServerQuery credentials; the token is also written to the log files in the logs/ subdirectory. Copy and save these immediately: you need the privilege key to gain admin access in the TeamSpeak client, the key works only once, and the ServerQuery password is only shown on this first start.

Step 4: Open the firewall ports

Type exit to leave the teamspeak user session, then open the ports from your root or sudo account:

sudo ufw allow 9987/udp    # Voice (default)
sudo ufw allow 30033/tcp   # File transfer
sudo ufw allow 10022/tcp   # ServerQuery over SSH (optional)

Only voice (9987/udp) and file transfer (30033/tcp) are required. TeamSpeak 3 also offers raw ServerQuery on 10011/tcp, but TeamSpeak recommends the encrypted SSH interface instead; leave the query ports closed if you do not administer the server remotely. If ufw is not active yet, run sudo ufw allow OpenSSH before sudo ufw enable so you do not lock yourself out. The robustness of your voice server also depends on the firewall: restrict SSH access to trusted IP addresses and disable services you do not use to reduce the attack surface.

Step 5: Create a systemd service for automatic restart

Stop the instance you started in Step 3, then create the service file:

sudo -u teamspeak /home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64/ts3server_startscript.sh stop
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/teamspeak.service

Service file content:

[Unit]
Description=TeamSpeak 3 Server
After=network.target

[Service]
User=teamspeak
WorkingDirectory=/home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64
ExecStart=/home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64/ts3server_minimal_runscript.sh
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

The unit calls ts3server_minimal_runscript.sh, a script included in the TeamSpeak 3 package that runs the server in the foreground, which is what systemd expects. With ts3server_startscript.sh start, the server detaches into the background and systemd considers the service stopped as soon as the script exits.

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable teamspeak
sudo systemctl start teamspeak

✅ Expected result Your TeamSpeak voice server is running and listening on port 9987/UDP. Users can connect using your server's public IP address in the TeamSpeak client.

How to Install a TeamSpeak 6 Server on Linux (Beta)

TeamSpeak distributes the TeamSpeak 6 Server through its GitHub repository and the official Docker image teamspeaksystems/teamspeak6-server, with no sign-up required. TeamSpeak recommends Docker as the easiest way to run it, and the Linux binary works too. Both use the same ports as TeamSpeak 3, 9987/udp for voice and 30033/tcp for file transfer: open them as in Step 4 above.

Option A: Docker (recommended by TeamSpeak)

Install Docker first (our Docker installation guide covers it). From your root session, create a folder and a docker-compose.yaml file:

mkdir /opt/teamspeak6 && cd /opt/teamspeak6
nano docker-compose.yaml

Paste TeamSpeak's minimal example:

services:
  teamspeak:
    image: teamspeaksystems/teamspeak6-server:latest
    container_name: teamspeak-server
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "9987:9987/udp"   # Voice Port
      - "30033:30033/tcp" # File Transfer
      # - "10080:10080/tcp" # Web Query
    environment:
      - TSSERVER_LICENSE_ACCEPTED=accept
    volumes:
      - teamspeak-data:/var/tsserver

volumes:
  teamspeak-data:
    name: teamspeak-data

Start the server, then read its logs: they contain the ServerAdmin privilege key.

docker compose up -d
docker compose logs -f

The server data lives in the teamspeak-data volume: removing the container keeps it, deleting the volume erases everything. If you change the file transfer port, use the same port inside and outside the container, because TeamSpeak warns that a mismatch breaks file transfers. To update, run docker compose pull then docker compose up -d.

Option B: The Linux binary

As the teamspeak user created in Step 1:

wget https://github.com/teamspeak/teamspeak6-server/releases/latest/download/teamspeak6-server-linux-amd64.tar.xz
mkdir teamspeak6-server
tar xJf teamspeak6-server-linux-amd64.tar.xz -C teamspeak6-server
cd teamspeak6-server
chmod +x tsserver
./tsserver --accept-license

The archive has no top-level folder, hence the mkdir (on an ARM64 server, download teamspeak6-server-linux-arm64.tar.xz instead). On first start, the server prints the ServerAdmin privilege key in the console and in the logs/ subdirectory: save it, it works only once. Stop the server with Ctrl+C, type exit to return to your root session, and save this unit as /etc/systemd/system/teamspeak6.service:

[Unit]
Description=TeamSpeak 6 Server (beta)
After=network.target

[Service]
User=teamspeak
WorkingDirectory=/home/teamspeak/teamspeak6-server
ExecStart=/home/teamspeak/teamspeak6-server/tsserver --accept-license
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now teamspeak6

For persistent settings, TeamSpeak recommends a tsserver.yaml file, which you can generate with the --write-config-file flag; ./tsserver --help lists every option, such as --default-voice-port and --filetransfer-port. The server stores its data in SQLite by default and also supports MariaDB.

Keep the TeamSpeak 6 beta updated and locked down

• Updates: TeamSpeak's upgrade guide is to stop the server, overwrite the files in the installation folder with those of the new release, and start it again (with Docker, pull the new image). Watch the release page.
• Beta license expiry: each beta build carries a default license with an expiry date. Release 6.0.0-beta13 set the current one to expire on December 1, 2026, and TeamSpeak has said it releases a server update before the beta license expires. Install new builds promptly so your server always runs with a valid license.
• ServerQuery guest access: since 6.0.0-beta13, the SSH query (10022/tcp) and Web Query (10080/tcp) interfaces accept unauthenticated guest sessions by default. If you enable them, turn guest access off with --query-ssh-allow-guest=0 and --query-http-allow-guest=0 unless you need it.

How to Move From a TeamSpeak 3 Server to TeamSpeak 6

Here is what TeamSpeak documents today:

• No server migration path yet. TeamSpeak states that "there is no migration path available between the two versions" and that TeamSpeak 3 Server licenses are not compatible with TeamSpeak 6 servers. It does not document any way to import a TS3 server's channels, server groups, permissions or bans into a TS6 server, so moving today means rebuilding that structure on the new server.
• No rush for TS3. TeamSpeak 3 stays supported through a phased transition, with end of life targeted for December 31, 2027. TeamSpeak says it will give advance notice of major changes, and its terms mention that it may provide migration tools along the way.
• Clients work with both servers. TeamSpeak 6, TeamSpeak 3 and mobile app users can join the same server, each limited to the features of the client they use: a TS6 client on a TS3 server gets TS3 features.
• Users can keep their identities. TeamSpeak documents how to carry bookmarks and identities from the TS3 client to TeamSpeak 6 through myTeamSpeak synchronization.

A practical path: keep your TS3 server running, back up its folder (including the ts3server.sqlitedb database and any license file), and set up the TS6 server next to it to rebuild your channels and groups. On the same machine, give TS6 other ports by adding, for example, --default-voice-port 9990 --filetransfer-port 30034 after --accept-license (in the ExecStart line of the TS6 service, before its first start), and open them in the firewall. Move your community over once the TS6 server does what you need.

How to Connect to Your TeamSpeak Voice Server

Download and install the TeamSpeak 6 client (also versioned as a beta, 6.0.0-beta5.1 at the time of writing) or the TeamSpeak 3 client (3.6.2) from teamspeak.com: both connect to TS3 and TS6 servers. Open the client, choose to connect to a server, and enter your server's public IP address as the server address. Use port 9987 (default). The first time you connect with admin privileges, use the privilege key (token) generated during server startup to gain admin access.

Share your server's IP address with your community. You can also set a custom domain name by pointing a subdomain (e.g., ts.yourdomain.com) to your server's IP via a DNS A record.

Configure Permissions and Protect Your Voice Server

Once your voice server is running, permission management is what keeps your community organized. Server groups let you grant different rights to administrators, moderators and regular users. Each permission can be tuned individually: creating channels, moving users, banning, or managing text chat.

To better protect your voice communication, set a server-wide password, or make the server invite-only: TeamSpeak's recipe is a long password nobody knows, plus a server group with the b_virtualserver_join_ignore_password permission to which you add trusted users with privilege keys. TeamSpeak also has built-in anti-flood protection that blocks clients sending too many commands, which keeps your instance stable against abuse.

How to Improve Voice Quality on TeamSpeak

• Server location: choose a server geographically close to the majority of your users. Kimsufi offers locations in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific (the KS-4, for example, is available in Beauharnois, Singapore and Sydney).
• Codec settings: in TeamSpeak, the codec is a per-channel setting (Edit Channel). Use Opus Voice for talk channels and Opus Music for music; a higher codec quality sounds better but uses more bandwidth. Since TeamSpeak 3 Server 3.11.0, channels still on the old Speex and CELT codecs are switched to Opus.
• Client-side: most voice quality issues come from individual users' microphone settings, not the server. Advise users to enable noise suppression and voice activation detection in their TeamSpeak client settings.
• Stable connection: TeamSpeak's UDP-based voice communication is sensitive to packet loss. A dedicated server with a stable network uplink provides a much better baseline than a home-hosted instance.

Conclusion

Hosting your own TeamSpeak voice server gives you a private, reliable voice communication environment that you fully control. TeamSpeak 3 Server remains the safe choice for communities that need more than 32 slots, while the TeamSpeak 6 Server beta lets you prepare for the next generation before TeamSpeak 3 reaches end of life. With hardware requirements that are genuinely minimal and a setup process that takes under an hour, it is one of the easiest server applications to self-host. A Kimsufi KS server from $11.10/month gives you far more than enough resources to run TeamSpeak alongside a game server or other applications.

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