We Spoke to FiveM Server Owners

Planning to launch a FiveM server? Already running one but struggling to grow? The answers you need are in this article.

We interviewed 8 experienced FiveM server owners to gather the insights, mistakes, and strategies that could save you months of trial and error. Whether you're in the planning stages, just launched, or trying to scale your existing community, this deep dive delivers the real-world knowledge you need to succeed.

To ensure balanced insights, we deliberately targeted servers across the growth spectrum. From 20-player communities finding their footing to established 250+ player networks. The goal? Capture lessons relevant to every stage of your server journey.

Our contributors have 1-2 years of hands-on experience running servers. They've navigated the early struggles, made costly mistakes, discovered the best strategies, and learned what actually drives growth. Their hard-earned insights could be the difference between your server thriving or becoming another statistic.

Here's what they shared about frameworks, growth strategies, mistakes, and the decisions that transformed their communities.

Framework Choices

When we asked about framework choices, a clear pattern emerged from our conversations.

6 out of 8 server owners started with QBCore, while 2 chose Qbox from the beginning. Of those who started with QBCore, 4 are either switching to Qbox or wish they had started there and only 1 respondant started with ESX.

What Server Owners Told Us:

"I started on QBCore and I would choose QBOX now. Once I got more in-depth, the more I regret starting on QBCore, though it is still a decent start for beginners."

"I started on QB-Core. It’s been solid and the ecosystem is huge, but if I were starting today, I’d probably pick Qbox—the ox_ stack integration, consistency, and performance/security patterns are great."

"We ended up going with QBCore, but right now I'm currently working on migrating everything over to Qbox. If we had the choice again, we probably would've gone with Qbox from the start."

"Qbox and no I wouldn't. Qbox has given me the ability to utilise almost everything I've wanted throughout the duration of my current server."

"QBcore. Honestly if I was to switch I'd maybe go to QBox but honestly I'm happy with QBcore as a whole."

What framework should you choose?

The message is clear: Qbox is becoming the preferred choice for serious server owners. While QBCore remains popular due to its large ecosystem and beginner-friendly nature, experienced owners consistently cite Qbox as the superior choice. If you're starting fresh, the evidence strongly favors Qbox. If you're already established on QBCore and happy with your setup, there's no urgent need to migrate, but don't be surprised if you find yourself considering it as your server grows.

Growing Your FiveM Server

When we asked server owners about player growth and marketing strategies, the responses revealed diverse approaches with mixed results across different tactics.

What Server Owners Told Us:

"I didn't actively do 'advertising'. I just allow my players to have real strict roleplay without restricting their storyline. By building a good reputation, I believe the players will share their thoughts with their friends—they will advertise for us instead of us shouting 'we are great, come to us'."

"So at first it was mostly players we been playing with. We post ads in all the facebook groups, we make TikTok videos, and we use reddit."

"The truth is, it's almost impossible to grow without a big streamer backing you. And if you do land a streamer, they often want full control over the direction, staff, and rules. We're proving that with enough passion, dedication, and creativity, you don't need a famous face to define you."

"At first, I used Server Burst. From there, my biggest success came through Facebook promotion—engaging with groups and pages where potential players were already active. I also invested in having a YouTuber with a large following showcase the server, which gave us a huge boost in visibility and credibility. The combination of community engagement and influencer marketing helped us build a steady player base."

"The way I advertised was mainly heavy upvoting and reaching out to content creators"

"How we grew was mostly through word of mouth. We tried Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and TikTok but didn't see much uptick. Mostly everybody said they found us on the server list or from a friend."

"Luckily I was a GTA RP streamer prior to making my own city. I am extremely lucky to have a loyal, dedicated and supportive community who have not just helped with marketing and spreading the word about Unstoppable but some actually buying PC's and choosing to fly in as well. I'm a huge networker and social butterfly so that definitely helped me in securing my player base also!"

What's the best path to gaining players?

The responses show no single "best" approach. Some owners utilize as many social platforms as possible such as Facebook, Reddit & TikTok. While some say through content creators and one mentioning it's almost impossible to grow without one. While we disagree that it is impossible to grow without one, having one (or multiple) can provide a visibility boost to your server, depending on the streamers size and reach. Combining the usage of various social media platforms, content creators & word-of-mouth - it seems almost certain players will discover your FiveM server!

The Biggest Mistakes

When we asked about their biggest mistakes, the responses revealed costly errors spanning technical decisions, trust issues, and community management missteps.

What Server Owners Told Us:

"The biggest mistake I've made is saving money where I shouldn't and that made me lose a lot of time. Not using ox_inventory from the beginning was also one of the biggest mistakes. I've spent way too many times trying to make qb-inventory work."

"The biggest mistake I've made is thinking everyone has good intentions and can be trusted. That one's bit me on the ass a few times, but now I'm even more cautious."

"I've been scammed for over $5,000 in a single year by people who claimed they knew how to develop. They take your money, promise the world, and then ghost you without finishing the work."

"Spending over $4,000 on upvotes and burst votes. While it temporarily boosted numbers, it mostly attracted hackers and non-genuine players who were only interested in 'what can you do for me.'"

"I think our biggest mistake was using branded cars. Once we got a compliance email and had to remove those cars, it really hurt the server. It eventually pushed us toward doing a full wipe."

What mistakes should you avoid?

The answers to this question vary wildly, from being scammed by "FiveM Developers" to FiveM Upvotes and Bursts bringing in illegitmate players all the way to regrets not using ox_inventory! Mistakes are going to happen. Mistakes are an invaluable part of the process. Don't be afraid to make mistakes of your own; but take these words of caution from other FiveM server owners as a warning!

The Best Decisions

When we asked about their best decisions, the responses centered on maintaining control, choosing the right people, and staying true to their server vision.

What Server Owners Told Us:

"The best decision I've made is focus on what the player wants, but not entirely or blindly listen. Listening and deciding what fits the vision is the most important part of building my community."

"The best decision I've made is learning how to develop and manage my own server. It's given me the freedom to roleplay how I want but also pass that freedom on to my player base."

"The best decision I've made was choosing to build VibesRP on my own terms, without handing control over to a streamer or a self-serving dev. Every step forward is real progress, not rented success."

"The best decision I've made was removing my old co-owner as he was dragging the server down in the beginning. He had an attitude problem with everyone and would constantly add stuff without fully testing it."

"I think the best decision is how we pick our team members. We pick those we see active and are there for the server. Showing hard work, being active and just being a good person that can represent the team the right way."

What decisions can you make to improve your server?

Focus on player feedback, learn how to develop your own server, weed out bad staff members and pick and choose new ones carefully! We can't disagree with anything here; it's all good and solid advice for anyone looking to start a FiveM server or already in the process!

The Worst Scripts

We asked our respondants what free or paid scripts ended up being a complete waste of time or money and why?

What Server Owners Told Us:

"Every quasar script in my opinion. Ever since I got the chance to use quasar script, it's pain in the a* to work with their script. Clunky, buggy and the worst UX I've ever had with a FiveM script."*

"OSB Ambulance. While it's feature-rich, it turned out to be too server-heavy and extensive for a smaller community. The performance cost and complexity outweighed the benefits."

"We had gotten 17movement Gruppe Sech Job but unfortunately it was not compatible with the FM Shops Fleeca Banks and also would conflict with Wasabi Flecca Robbery."

"A script that was a waste of my money was CodeWave scripts because they were exploitable and they don't give good support or updates."

"I think what ended up being a waste of money for us was subscribing to scripts. In the long run, owning your scripts is always better."

"I wouldn't say any have been a complete waste of time or money as you live and you learn .. I've definitely wasted money on scripts I can't use but the majority have definitely been lessons learned for me."

What scripts should you avoid?

While there is no simple answer to this; you should take precautions when purchasing from any FiveM script store! One of the first things you should look for is, "does this store have a refund policy?" A store selling scripts with a sctrict "NO REFUNDS" policy is concerning and should be avoided. Look for stores that are confident enough in their products that should anything go wrong or you change your mind; they will happily refund you!

The Best Scripts

Of course we also asked our respondants what free or paid scripts ended up being the best you ever purchased or found and why?

What Server Owners Told Us:

"Personally, NoLag Properties has to be my favourite script currently. It makes the players experience so seamless. Another favourite is JG Handling. Saving so much time going into the meta files and changing numbers over and over again."

"JG HUD smooth, reliable, and easy to work with. JG Mechanic excellent functionality, fits our needs perfectly. All Lation drugs are very well built, great for immersive RP. Lation Green Zones works exactly as intended, no major issues."

"All the Lusty94 scripts are honestly amazing from the organization, all open source, awesome support and the depth of them you can't beat them specially for the price. Lation Selling & Money Laundering are probably THE best and most unique scripts I've ever used before."

"Gabz — the monthly subscription gives you a lot of bang for your buck, with access to a wide range of high-quality MLOs. It adds variety, polish, and immersion to the city without having to chase multiple one-off purchases."

"I think some of the best scripts we have are the simple, fun mini-games like dice rolling and slap boxing. What makes it best is that both of those scripts are free. RollDice script by SpecialStos and SlapBoxing by Picklemods."

"PLT Farmer Jobs V2 is one of the best scripts I purchased and enjoyed everything, works seemlessly and it never created an issue. It also syncs well for multiplayer."

What are some of the best scripts?

We see recommendations ranging from MLO's by Gabz, to vehicle scripts such as JG Mechanic & HUD, to housing systems like NoLag Properties and simple mini-game type scripts like dice rolling and slap boxing by SpecialStos and PickleMods!

What Would You Do Differently

When we asked experienced server owners what advice they'd give to themselves when starting out, their responses revealed lessons learned through trial and error.

What Server Owners Told Us:

"Be careful who you trust and honestly get the TikTok page active off the rip."

"Current me would tell starting out me to go with your gut. It's YOUR server so do what YOU want to do. Of course you're free to take on other peoples opinions and ideas but ultimately the choice is YOURS. Put yourself first as it's your business."

"Get the right people in place, or don't do it at all. If you don't have the right devs, you'll waste money and time fixing their mistakes. If you don't have the right staff, you'll spend more energy fighting drama than building RP. I'd rather move slower with the right team than move fast with the wrong one."

"I'd say to skip server boosts and burst votes—they drain money fast and don't build a real community. Instead, I would have invested that budget in a YouTuber for exposure or even someone on Fiverr to consistently promote across different FiveM sites."

"The first thing I'd tell my starting-out self is that people stay and play on your server only if it's truly engaging. Whatever we create should always be measured by how well it brings players together."

"Current me would say make sure to think about your decisions wisely. And also trying to get content creators instead of go ham on upvotes."

What can we learn from this?

Taking these FiveM server owner experiences into account, the first and most repeated conclusion is; get the right people in place. The second insight would be invest in content creators. Unfortunately, it's often impossible to know if you have the right people in place or not until they are embedded into your server and their true colors begin to emerge. Do your best in vetting, don't trust just anyone. Ask for evidence, portfolios, receipts. Work with trusted people within the space, not "MrGamer420" who just joined Discord 15 minutes ago.

Final Thoughts

In closing, we asked if they had any other information they would like to share about their FiveM journey so far..

What Server Owners Told Us:

"Don't be afraid to spend time or money that is worth spending in, don't cheap out on important things as that could cost you even more time and eventually you still have to spend the money, lost more time lost money too."

"When I first imagined VibesRP, it wasn't just about launching another GTA V roleplay server. The goal was to create a community where players could immerse themselves in creative storytelling, balanced gameplay, and a fair economy without the constant distractions of pay-to-win systems or chaotic, unstructured RP."

"I came from a server that consistently had 100–200 players a night. At first, it was fun, but over time the community became extremely toxic, and with that many people, staff didn't really care about player experience. As long as someone was willing to pay $200 for a car or $800 for a business, that was all that seemed to matter."

"I think the hardest part of owning a FiveM server is creating a community and a population that stays engaged. Don't ever get discouraged when your city is at a low because in seconds it can populate fast. Remember why you started and never settle for less."

"There are always ups and downs and that people come and go, and things won't ever go perfectly. At the end of the day, you just have to adapt to the environment."

What can we learn from this?

After speaking with 8 FiveM server owners across different stages of growth, the same lessons emerged repeatedly. The fundamentals of successful server ownership haven't changed: get the right people in place, invest wisely in what matters, and stay true to your vision while adapting to your community's needs.

Whether you're planning your first server or trying to scale an existing one, these insights offer a roadmap based on real experience. The mistakes shared here could save you thousands of dollars and months of frustration. The successes could be the strategies that finally unlock your server's growth.

The choice is yours. You can learn from these server owners' experiences, or you can make the same costly mistakes they did. Either way, remember what one owner told us: "Remember why you started and never settle for less."

Ready to build something great? Browse our collection of premium FiveM scripts trusted by thousands of server owners.