SyncCrate
Project Zomboid guide · Updated
Hand over your Zomboid run PC to PC.
The world lives on whoever hosted it. SyncCrate copies Project Zomboid saves and your local mods between PCs, so the next person can pick up the run, and after the first time only what changed.
FreeOpen sourceNo cloudWin · macOS · Linux
// 01 Why
Why moving a Zomboid world is a hassle
A long Project Zomboid run is a big folder of map chunks, player data and vehicles. When the friend who hosts is away, or you want to continue a solo run on another PC, you have to find the right folder in your user profile, copy all of it, and hope nothing was left out.
Mods add another layer. Workshop mods download by themselves on a server, but mods you put in the mods folder yourself have to be copied to every player.
SyncCrate syncs the saves and the local mods folder directly between PCs. Files are compared by content, only the differences are copied, and you see the list before anything changes.
// 02 What syncs
What SyncCrate syncs for Project Zomboid
| Folder | Path in the game folder | Files |
|---|---|---|
| Mods | mods/Mods you installed by hand in Zomboid/mods, not Steam Workshop mods. | All files |
| Save Files | Saves/Solo and hosted worlds in Zomboid/Saves. | All files |
// Where it looks
- Windows
%USERPROFILE%\Zomboid- macOS
~/Zomboid- Linux
~/.Zomboid- Anywhere else
- Point SyncCrate at the folder yourself, once
Built in for Project Zomboid
- Script warnings.
.luaand.dllfiles run code on your PC, so they're flagged for you to review before they sync. - Turn mods on and off. Disabled mods move to a
_Disabledfolder the game doesn't load. - Game-running warning. SyncCrate warns you before syncing while Project Zomboid is still open.
- Undo and history. Undo the last sync in one click, and put back any single file a sync replaced or deleted.
// 03 How it works
Sync Project Zomboid in three steps
Install and add the game
Install SyncCrate on every PC and add Project Zomboid in the Game Browser. Its folder is found automatically.
One PC hosts
The PC with the setup everyone should have clicks Start Hosting. The others pick it under Scan for Hosts on the same network, or paste its join code from anywhere.
Compare and sync
Check the list of new, changed and conflicting files, then Sync Now. Only the files that differ are copied, PC to PC.
TipClose Project Zomboid on both PCs before syncing a save that's in use. SyncCrate warns you if the game is still running.
// 04 Common problems
When Project Zomboid mods don't match
The host is away
A hosted world is saved on the host's PC. Without it, nobody else can host and the group waits.
Sync the save to whoever hosts next. The new host also needs the same Workshop mods and server settings the world was started with.
Continuing on another PC
Solo runs are tied to the PC they were played on, and the save folder is buried in your user profile.
SyncCrate finds the Zomboid folder on Windows, Mac and Linux and copies the saves across.
Local mods missing
Mods from outside the Workshop, like your own edits or files from a modding site, don't download automatically when players join.
Everything in the host's
modsfolder syncs to the other PCs.Both of you kept playing
Two copies of the same world can't be merged; one has to win.
When the same save changed on both PCs, SyncCrate shows the conflicts and asks which version to keep. Pick the same side for the whole world.
// 05 Project Zomboid
Good to know
- Steam Workshop mods are stored by Steam and aren't synced. Everyone subscribes to the same ones, and servers download them for joining players.
- Server settings for a hosted game live in
Zomboid/Server, which isn't synced. Copy them too if the new host should run the same sandbox settings. - Scripts run code.
.luafiles in local mods are flagged before they sync. Only sync with people you trust.
// FAQ
Project Zomboid questions
How do I move my Project Zomboid save to another PC?
Install SyncCrate on both PCs, host on the one with the save, join from the other and Compare & Sync. The save folder arrives in Zomboid/Saves on the other PC. Subscribe to the same Workshop mods there too.
Where are Project Zomboid saves stored?
In the Zomboid folder in your user profile: %USERPROFILE%\Zomboid\Saves on Windows, ~/Zomboid/Saves on a Mac and ~/.Zomboid/Saves on Linux.
Does it sync Workshop mods?
No. Workshop mods are stored by Steam and downloaded automatically by servers. SyncCrate syncs mods in the local mods folder.
Can a friend take over hosting our world?
Yes: sync them the save, and copy the server settings from Zomboid/Server if you changed any. They also need the same Workshop mods.
// Related game guides
All games · SyncCrate supports 100 games.
// Free · Open source · Windows, macOS, Linux
Same Project Zomboid setup on every PC.
Install SyncCrate on each PC, one of you hosts, everyone else joins. No accounts, no cloud, nothing uploaded anywhere.